I’m sitting exactly where Cate Blanchett once chose to sit – at the back of The Parlour, a trunk to my right, a fireplace to my left. Actors like to see everything. We watch, absorb, listen; it’s how we learn, how we write, how we live.
Check-in at the Great Scotland Yard Hotel felt more like a welcome than a transaction. I unpacked slowly, brewed an Earl Grey, and switched on the fire before opening my laptop for a little admin – that rare moment of stillness before a stay unfolds. A short while later, a soft knock: flowers delivered to my suite, adding colour and care that immediately softened the room.
Ralph, my black Maltipoo and usual travel companion, was equally impressed. Within minutes, a dog bed and bowl arrived – pristine, thoughtful, perfectly placed. At 6 pm, he enjoyed the hotel’s unique afternoon tea for pups, served in-suite: a protein dish, miniature cupcakes, biscuits, and a delicate purple slice of dog-safe cake. Few places in London offer such genuine dog enthusiasm.
The Parlour
At 6.30pm, I headed downstairs to The Parlour, once a traditional tea room and now an all-day dining space. The walls are wrapped in tapestry-like murals of historical tea fields - elegant, cinematic, quietly transportive. Tabu by Artie Shaw played in the background, a 1930s tune that feels as though it was written for this room.
Dinner began with a beetroot dish dressed in cashew sauce – nutty, sweet, filling yet light, garnished with walnuts and full of flavour. It sat somewhere between summer and winter. Then came the steak: perfectly cooked, sliced effortlessly, melting as a great steak should. The peppercorn sauce, more delicate than usual and almost fruity, needed a touch more salt, but its subtlety gave the dish an elegant restraint.
Then, a classic: sticky toffee pudding. Served warm with a perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream, it arrived like a small theatre of steam and scent. The cold cream meeting the hot sponge, the sweet sauce pooling at the edges – pure heaven. What made it exceptional was the texture: a fluffy centre impossibly light. I nearly licked the plate clean.
Forty Elephants
After dinner, I wandered to 40 Elephants, the hotel’s bar. I ordered a decaf espresso martini with tequila and agave syrup; my friend chose a margarita. Both were balanced and smooth – exactly what that hour requires. We laughed, caught up, then drifted back upstairs to the suite, where peppermint tea replaced cocktails and the fire carried our conversation.
Later, after a hot shower in the vast marble bathroom – the kind you can truly breathe in – I sank into the softest bed imaginable and slept as every actor hopes to before an important day: deeply, peacefully, without interruption.
Morning arrived gently through the curtains. The night before, I’d filled out the breakfast card, hung it on the door, and written down the time of my meeting – a ritual with something delightfully childlike about it. At precisely 9am, breakfast arrived: avocado toast with tomatoes and poached eggs, an omelette, two oat flat whites, and a fresh orange juice. I shared it with a Condé Nast contact in the suite’s living-room area. With the bedroom door closed, it became the ideal space for a morning meeting, polished yet comfortable.
The Sherlock Suite
Later, hair and make-up designer Melody Chandler arrived, followed by photographer Charlie, as we prepared for an evening event. Sweet potato fries were shared between curling irons and laughter. The half-empty bottle of Moët & Chandon – opened the night before with another friend – waited on the table, a small glamorous echo of the evening. Checkout was seamless. No rush, no noise – just that quiet luxury that comes from staff who understand the rhythm of your stay.
With competitors like The Corinthia and The OWO only steps away, The Great Scotland Yard Hotel stands apart not through spectacle but sincerity. Every gesture, every note, every flicker of that fire felt intuitive, personal, a story unfolding just for me. I left the way I do after a great performance: fulfilled, inspired, and already longing to return.
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3-5 Great Scotland Yard, London SW1A 2HN; Great Scotland Yard Hotel
