"Inside The Peninsula’s vast lobby, there’s an abstract sense that the red buses and black cabs outside on Hyde Park Corner might as well be a digital projection. All the hallmarks of one of the world’s most iconic hotel brands are here—the pristine service, the all-encompassing tech, the Rolls-Royces in brand green, the tinkly underwater music in the pool; every lion statuette, marble surface and Japanese maple tree blessed by a hallowed feng shui master. Barely a week after its September soft opening, the place was already busy with an international crowd, between the columns and chandeliers, overlooked by London Parks murals by wallpaper specialists De Gournay. The 190 rooms were designed by American Peter Marino, all with a prevailing sense of haute-generic seven-star neutrality but are set apart by elaborate technology and extreme comfort. Bright walls of china plates and delicate cups are the backdrop to Peninsula veteran chef Dicky To’s dishes at The Canton Blue, which fuse Cantonese techniques with British ingredients. Downstairs is the sexy street-side Little Blue bar, where ex-Cheval Blanc mixologist Florian Thireau has created a lovely cocktail list themed by the Keying junk journey (to Hong Kong, St Helena, New York, and London). And then there's the faintly Jetsons-styled rooftop bar and restaurant, with knockout London views from the terrace, rare Cuban cigars, and classic British food by former Bibendum and Hibiscus head chef Francesco Di Benedetto. Price: Rooms from around $1,653 per nightAddress: 1 Grosvenor Pl, London SW1X 7HJClosest tube station: Hyde Park Corner" - Condé Nast Traveller, Steve King
