London - Next Up
Next Up
LONDON
We slipped into London at the end of June for a conference and a check-in on what’s worth your time now.
For the luxe crowd, Raffles London is our top pick. Set inside the Old War Office, the property feels hushed with grandeur, with soaring marble corridors, scent trails of sandalwood, and warm staff who remember your name. Rooms are layered in creams and soft blues, with deep bathtubs and city views that glow at dusk. The Guerlain spa is worth an afternoon, and the Guards Bar makes a perfect negroni.
Still, get a drink at The Connaught Bar, even if only to watch the ballet of Londoners smoking by the reflective pond out front, martinis in hand.
For something less luxe but still quietly good, the Soho Houses remain our steady favorites. Redchurch Townhouse in Shoreditch has cozy rooms with velvet sofas and fringed lampshades, and downstairs, the firelit bar feels like a friend’s library. Shoreditch House offers rooftop swims, casual wood-fired pizzas, and a lively crowd that spills out onto the terrace on warm evenings.
If you can stretch your stay, train out to the Cotswolds for Soho Farmhouse. There’s nothing quite like the morning fog over the lake, coffee in hand, riding horses and astonishing your shooting guides. It’s a place of muddy boots and clean sheets, wood stoves in the cabins, and long walks that end with a Japanese whiskey by the barn bar fire. Last time, the Beckhams strolled by and said hello.