2021 has been a rollercoaster year, and while we have had some wonderful high points, overall it has been a very challenging time. I am honestly quite happy to see 2021 come to a close, and with Covid still very much on the scene and hampering travel plans, we decided to treat ourselves to a Christmas staycation at The Cadogan.
Once home to the British-American socialite Lillie Langtry and a favourite hangout of one Oscar Wilde, the hotel is steeped in history. A perfect fit for the Belmond, which is a brand synonymous with history, heritage and timeless experiences - not my words (though I think they are very apt!) but those of LVMH who recently acquired the luxury hotel group. Belmond's first property in London, The Cadogan recently reopened in 2019 following a four year multi-million pound renovation. I was very pleased to see that the renovations have been sensitively completed, ensuring that the original character of the hotel has been retained.
The hotel sits proudly on the corner of Sloane Street and Pont Street in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Home to an impressive list of iconic flagship stores, and just around the corner from the luxury department store Harrods, Sloane Street is one of London's most prestigious shopping streets - and the perfect location for some last minute Christmas shopping. The attentive staff greeted us as we exited the car, and we were relieved of our bags before we had even set foot in the hotel lobby. We stepped inside to the warmth of an open fire, together with the most beautifully decorated Christmas tree and sweeping staircase adorned with fairy lights, garlands and accents of gold and red - check in felt like we were being welcomed into a private townhouse residence.
We were delighted to learn that we had been upgraded to a Junior Suite - complete with cosy seating area and a large free standing tub. Some festive treats of mince pies, macarons and gingerbread men were a lovely touch. The suite was expertly appointed (with plenty of discreet plug and USB points) and beautifully decorated with many nods to the hotel's heritage. Bathrooms can often make or break a hotel room in my experience, and for me, this is where The Cadogan excelled. Double sliding doors pulled back to reveal a luxurious all-marble bathroom with separate waterfall shower and sublime soaking tub. Fluffy bathrobes, Bamford amenities and a TV seamlessly set into the mirror at the end of the tub completed the sumptuous space. To top it all off, The Cadogan offers an exclusive Sleep Concierge experience including a pillow menu with a wide selection of pillows to suit your needs and a choice of weighted blankets. This is accompanied by a scented Bamford pillow mist to ensure a good night's sleep - heavenly!
As the main purpose of our visit was a cosy but luxe Christmas staycation we had decided not to venture beyond the hotel on this occasion - opting instead for reservations in the in-house restaurant (named The LaLee - in honour of Lillie Langtry) for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day lunch. Christmas Day for me is always a more relaxed affair but champagne and cocktails to kick off festivities on Christmas Eve is always a good idea!
The LaLee is comprised of three dining spaces, the first of which houses the opulent marble topped bar where we secured a booth for some pre-dinner drinks. The service was impeccable, with some tasty nibbles of almonds and olives accompanying our drinks. When our table was ready we were led through the second dining area, past tables offering guests a view into the impressive open kitchen, and seated at a quiet corner table in the third dining room. Each course was delicious, from the light, fluffy bread served warm with lashings of rich salty butter, to the lobster main, and the indulgent apple tarte tatin we enjoyed for dessert. I even discovered a new favourite wine - a delicious Californian Pinot Noir that paired exquisitely with our meal.
Breakfast in bed on Christmas Day was a no brainer - happily it was available until 11am, and so we enjoyed a long lie in before the bell rang signalling its arrival. A feast of porridge, eggs and avocado toast for me, full English for himself and I couldn't resist the French toast to share. Though I may been more disciplined had I realised it would also come with a little chest of scrummy pastries! A quick phone call down to reception to push Christmas lunch back an hour or so was an easy solution.
As we all know, Christmas Day centres around two things - gift giving and food! It wasn't long until we found ourselves back in the The LaLee being seated for Christmas lunch. I will admit that I had hesitated over our decision to dine twice, back to back, in the same restaurant - but any concern melted away upon entering the room. The tables were decorated with Christmas crackers and live music drifted through from the bar creating the perfect festive ambience. The restaurant buzzed with Christmas cheer and we even had a visit from the man in red himself who was handing out gifts to each table. This was a move that could have gone either way for me, but I have to say, my five year old self would have been totally convinced by this Santa Claus! Lunch itself was a delicious five course affair of terrine, turbot in champagne sauce, classic turkey dinner with all the trimmings, cheese, port jelly and crackers - and so many desserts that one had to be dispatched to our room for us to tackle later that evening!
We rolled ourselves back to our suite to enjoy some Christmas movies and I capped off Christmas Day with a relaxing bubble bath. A truly wonderful Christmas and just the tonic we needed at the end of a tumultuous year!
In case you didn't quite believe me - here's a snap of Father Christmas that the husband (yes - no longer the fiancé - one of the highs of 2021!) managed to capture in The Cadogan lobby just before he departed for the North Pole!
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