This Rosewood London Hotel Review is part of a round the world trip report including first class and business class flights, luxury hotel stays in London and Asia, and restaurant reviews. TravelSort Clients enjoy special perks:
Rosewood London 2022 Virtuoso Benefits
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily Full English Breakfast to be taken in the Holborn Dining Room
- $100 equivalent hotel credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
For the prior posts in this trip report, please see:
Review: British Airways Concorde Room Lounge NYC JFK Terminal 7
Review: British Airways Business Class on the 747-400 JFK-LHR
Best Seats in British Airways New First Class 747-400
Review: British Airways Arrivals Lounge in LHR and Heathrow Express to London
Launceston Place London Restaurant Review
I was excited for our stay at the Rosewood London, particularly having seen it win Virtuoso's Hotel of the Year award at the 2014 Virtuoso Week.
Of note, the Rosewood London is housed in a 1914 neoclassical building that formerly was the Pearl Assurance Building. Take a peek at the elegant marble staircase, using types of marble that are no longer to be found anywhere in the world.
Rosewood London Lobby and Check-In
You enter the Rosewood London through an elegant archway on High Holborn, just a few steps from the Holborn Tube Station (Piccadilly Line). The archway is flanked on the left side by the hotel’s more casual dining room Holborn Dining Room, and on the right by its bustling English pub, Scarfes Bar, both of them popular with locals as well as hotel guests.
Through the archway lies a serene interior courtyard, with the entrance to the Rosewood London on the right. The lobby offers comfortable seating and a calming, residential feel that is reflected throughout the hotel.
We arrived about 4pm, but as we’d requested twin beds and the prior guest had decided to extend his stay, our original room wasn’t ready. Instead, Jessie at the front desk graciously offered to upgrade us to a Premier Suite, with an extra bed for my son—which we appreciated. We left our bags, and decided to head out to catch a glimpse of the Elgin Marbles at The British Museum before it closed for the day.
Rosewood London Premier Suite
When we returned, we collected the keys to our Suite. One thing you notice about the Rosewood London is how much attention to detail has been paid—this even extends to artwork such as small sculptures outside each door.
On our right, in the entrance foyer, was the private bar with a Nespresso machine and tea assortment, while on the left was a half bathroom.
Inside, we were treated to a very spacious living room, with clean lines, lovely white hydrangea flowers in a vase on a glass coffee table, as well as elegant calla lilies softly illuminated in the corner.
Some delicious treats awaited us on the table: a decadent chocolate tart with caramel macaron, and two different kinds of cookies with milk—an exciting bedtime treat for the munchkin 🙂
On his bed, there were some additional lovely kids’ amenities, courtesy of the Rosebuds for kids program: a plush teddy bear, welcome note, and even a water bottle, which came in very handy during our travels for refilling water after airport security.
The master bedroom had an ultra comfortable King bed that I slept very soundly in. Although our suite was street side, I heard no noise, a testament to the great soundproofing.
The marble bath included an enormous walk-in shower, as well as a soaking tub that my son really enjoyed the next morning, with a bubble bath, using the upscale Czech & Speake bath amenities, and his own little bathrobe waiting for him.
House Car: Jaguar
The Rosewood London's house car is a Jaguar, and it's available first come first served for service in the immediate neighborhood. It's been years since I've ridden in a Jaguar, and while I've heard maintaining them can be a nightmare, it's one of the smoothest rides to be had anywhere.
Inside, the Jaguar features WiFi, refreshing towels Aman Resorts-style, and Voss water:
The Verdict
It's no wonder Rosewood London won the Virtuoso 2014 Hotel of the Year award: it offers a beautiful and elegant residential base in the heart of London, and we loved our stay here. Service was uniformly professional and warm, at the front desk, when asking the Concierge for directions, and at the Holborn Dining Room. Our only regret was that we were there just one night.
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Disclosure: My family and I were guests and enjoyed a complimentary stay at the Rosewood London, however the views expressed in this post are my own.
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