Elysium Magazine continues its hunt for the hotels most suited to the discerning gent. Earlier this summer the Elysium team had the opportunity to stay at The Landmark Hotel, situated in Marylebone. Is this the calibre of hotel the discerning gent should have on his radar for a weekend away with the lucky lady? Read on to discover our verdict…

 

Location

The Landmark Hotel is set in a grand clock tower building, from which the name is derived from – it certainly is a landmark. The imposing building, of more than 300 rooms and suites, is set on the very busy Marylebone Road with its incessant traffic and noise. However, in stark contrast, inside this hotel there is an ambience of calmness and serenity. This five star hotel has a vibe of premium luxury despite the urban location.

 

Close to transport links including Baker Street station and Marylebone Station, of which it’s connected to, the hotel is well placed. It’s a haven from the hustle of a west end hotel, but still only a short cab ride away from the heart of the city.

 

The entrance is a showcase of grandeur – this will no doubt impress your guest as you make your way over to the reception desk. Elysium is very much a fan of the express, but informative, check-in and The Landmark ticked this box. Once checked-in, it’s worth having a wonder through the Atrium – of which this hotel is famed for.

 

The Room

We were staying in a suite located on the sixth floor of the hotel – the corridors where rabbit warren-like and we could have easily got lost in the maze. Luckily the Elysium man is blessed with a keen sense of navigation, as the desire to reach to the room and sample its bounty was driving us on.

 

 

Upon entering the room, you’re greeted by the spacious lounge area complete with comfy sofas and a very large TV. There is also a desk with internet connection should you need to get some work done. The bedroom adjoins the lounge but can be separated with doors if need be. The bedroom is large, with ample space for manoeuvre for a couple in possession of lots of luggage. Or rather a discerning gent whose other half has lots of luggage.

 

The bed is large and very comfortable, centrally located with a good view of the second TV in the bedroom. The bathroom followed the large theme of the suite – a sizable vanity sink set with bathtub and walk-in shower. If there was one thing we would have liked more of, it would be natural light as the heavy curtains did a better-than-needed job of reducing this down to very low levels even when fully opened. All-in this was a very comfortable and spacious room with a feeling of grandeur that Elysium has a soft spot for.

 

After freshening up, we decided that a spot of dinner was in order. The Landmark has two restaurants – the Winter Garden located in the Atrium and the less formal TwoTwentyTwo brassiere restaurant located in the basement. Preference this evening was for the latter so to the basement we went.

 

The Food

The menu on offer at the TwoTwentyTwo restaurant is a more relaxed offering than the Winter Garden. Options are based around traditional classics and a few eye catchers – perfect for the need of this evening – easy food and comfortable surroundings. Comfy booths and high tables, together with more traditional seating made the atmosphere in the restaurant very at ease. We were seated at a table of our choice where we cast our eye of the menu in decision of what would tickle out taste buds that evening.

 

For starters we opted for the sharing platter (£17.50) made up of crab mayonnaise on toasted ciabatta, skewers of tiger prawns and mini pork sausages with chive mash. This was washed down with a very decent merlot (£36.00) to settle us into the evening. The food arrived by the attentive staff looking delicious but non-fussy. Each dish tasted good and was devoured with gusto.

 

With the appetite whetted for more it was time for the mains – we sided for the grilled seabass with crab and chilli risotto (£18.50), and the traditional fish pie (£17.50). As the dishes arrived at the table our eyes focused on the prize – both very well cooked and sizeable in portion to satisfy all but the most famished of appetites. The risotto smelt delicious, whilst the fish pie felt as though it encased an entire sea filled with chunky salmon, haddock and prawns. It’s on very rare occasions that appetites at Elysium cannot finish a course but this was a white-flag moment as capacity was beaten by this fish supper in particular. Needless to say that we’ll meet again and the outcome shall not be the same…

 

Due to the sated appetite desert was off the agenda for us both, instead decided to enjoy the merlot for the rest of the evening. A pity as the menu included a few classics in need of tasting such as brioche summer pudding with clotted cream ice cream and chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream (both £7.50 each). Overall the relaxed dinner experience was spot-on, many hotels get this wrong with only one formal dining option. The location and vicinity means that TwoTwentyTwo probably receives plenty of diners from outside the hotel too.

 

 

After a very restful nights sleep in a very comfy bed it was soon time for breakfast which is served in the Atrium. The experience of dining in the Atrium was enjoyable – surrounded by palm trees with the soaring glass roof seemingly miles away, you feel like you’re part of some kind of oasis. The natural light gives off the feeling of dining outdoors too. The full English breakfast (£29.00) is substantial and included plenty of cooked options, fruit, cereals and cold meats. The setting is one of the most unique in London so the slight premium in cost is worth it.

 

 

Verdict

Overall, our stay at The Landmark Hotel was pleasurable and very comfortable. It offers the discerning gent a special alternative venue when the need arises to wow the lady in his life. Aces in the deck include vastly spacious suites, good relaxed food options and the locality to be in the heart of theatre town via a short cab journey away. The great leisure facilities (pool, gym and spa) also mean there is something for the both of you to indulge in. Go on, take the opportunity to surprise her with a stay at The Landmark – you’ll be thanking yourself for the booking.

 

The Details

The Landmark Hotel

222 Marylebone Road

London

NW1 6JQ

Contact: +44 (0) 20 7631 8000

Website: www.landmarklondon.co.uk

Deluxe rooms from £260

Suites from £500