Rooms
Picture 1930s Paris—overlooking an Edwardian London skyline. Dark woods and highly polished surfaces—and perhaps a bit too cluttered with objets (we stashed a number of unnecessary items under the bed, whereupon the smallish dormer room suddenly became larger and more spaciously de-luxe). As for the bathrooms, think tessellated marble, with Czech & Speake fittings, and French doors—and luscious Roger&Gallet toiletries. One caveat: a glass shower wall unable to prevent water splashing across the floor. Otherwise, a lovely room to come home to—with a bed you’ll dream about at home.

Public Spaces
Located in the splendid former home of Cox & Kings Bank (once a subsidiary of Lloyds), the 1923 building was built to complement John Nash’s original urban plan of Regent Street—and now, as the St. James Sofitel, the building retains, if not surpasses, its original grandeur. Imposing without being intimidating, stylish without being fussy, the lobby with its two lounges, the Rose Lounge and the St. James Bar, is a chic sanctuary from the bustle of the West End. And the in-house restaurant, Brasserie Roux, with its high ceilings and sublime proportions, references its neighbors, that glorious row of gentlemen’s clubs along Pall Mall—but with the added benefit of fine cuisine.

Breakfast
Expensive—at the hotel’s Brasserie Roux. But cheaper (and reliable) at the ubiquitous Pret A Manger around the corner on Haymarket.

Staff
Charming to deal with, extremely accommodating, and all of them highly professional and polished—and lovely to look at in their exquisitely-cut morning coats.

Location
One of the finest addresses in London, right on the corner of Pall Mall and Waterloo Place, and but a few steps to St. James’s Park. Convenient to Piccadilly, Oxford and Bond streets, as well as Buckingham Palace and Covent Garden. The perfect location for a West End holiday.

Overview
Utilizing the best of French style and combining it with British professionalism and rectitude, the Sofitel St. James gets it right in nearly every way.