In the heaving heart of London, it is an exceptional thing indeed to find a hotel that is both a sanctuary and a statement. Yet the Corinthia London occupies this space with grace. Conveniently situated just a stone’s throw from the cultural treasures of Trafalgar Square, the regal sweep of the Embankment and South Bank and the West End’s theatrical and hedonistic delights, the luxury hotel is a paean to the city’s alluring mix of British heritage and contemporary verve.
From the moment we stepped through its grand revolving doors, the wow factor of Corinthia London was unmistakable. A former Ministry of Defence building, reborn as one of London’s most exquisite hotels, its walls are imbued with the secrets and stories of history, now layered into its impeccably reimagined design, waiting to host new memories. We were greeted with signature British opulence – everything you could desire from a grand, luxury hotel: gleaming marble floors, glittering chandeliers casting an inviting glow and the scent of fresh sculptural flower displays filling the vast, light-filled central atrium. The Maltese-owned luxury hotel group’s slogan is about ‘uplifting lives’, and its London outpost has certainly lived up to it.
Much has been made of the Corinthia’s location, and rightly so. Set just moments from Whitehall, the Southbank, and the Strand, it offers guests a rare duality: at once immersed in the pulse of the city, yet cocooned from its commotion. Using Corinthia London as a base, we drifted effortlessly between the timeless grandeur of St James’s Park, the tourist throng of Covent Garden, the galleries of Somerset House, the culinary delights and vibrant energy of Soho, and, should you be so inclined, the quiet reverence of Westminster Abbey. All the West End of London, in its eclectic nutshell, is within easy reach, in fact. Its positioning – at the nexus of the city’s historic and cultural heartbeats – gives Corinthia London its distinct advantage.
But location alone does not a masterpiece make. What we feel sets Corinthia London apart is how it weaves a personalised and intimate sense of hospitality into all the grandeur. Luxury here does not come just in excess but in experience. That said, the hotel’s sprawling footprint did mean that we could choose from a variety of views: a River Suite would offer a glimpse of the Thames, a Whitehall Suite would overlook the corridors of power and the Trafalgar Suite would provide a view of the lively energy of the West End.
The hedonists in us decided on the Trafalgar Suite, one of the newly refreshed accommodations, although despite plugging into the city from it, we did get one of the most restful nights’ sleep we’ve ever had.
Designed by esteemed interior designers GA Design, who were reappointed 15 years after they first imagined them to bring them up to date, the rooms are now more residential in style, more like a posh apartment than a hotel room. At the time of our stay, the Whitehall Suites had also been refurbished, with others to follow suit over time.
Guests are truly spoilt for choice at Corinthia London, across the range of accommodations it offers. At the top end, the hotel’s eccentrically named penthouses – Hamilton (after Lord Nelson’s lover), Musician (so large it houses a Steinway Grand piano), Writer (a quiet haven to get lost in one’s thoughts), and the grandest of all, the Royal (which needs little explanation) – are spectacular. Touring the property, we also loved the London Suite, a love letter to the city. Expansive yet unassuming, it’s dressed like a city townhouse – complete with a marble fireplace, bespoke artworks and sweeping views of the Thames. Meanwhile, the Garden Suite offers a serene counterpoint, its terrace a rather unexpected oasis considering the hotel’s location.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Culturalist | LHR / LGW / LCY | GMT |
| While you’re Out There |
| While the West End remains synonymous with London’s theatre scene, the South Bank – just a short walk across the Hungerford Bridge, adjacent to the hotel – offers dynamic cultural experiences. Transformed from its Dickensian industrial origins into a cultural hub in the 1950s, the area hosted the Festival of Britain, which prompted the construction of iconic Brutalist architectural landmarks such as the Royal Festival Hall, the National Theatre (NT), the British Film Institute (BFI) and the Hayward Gallery. Its renaissance came relatively recently, as these institutions amalgamated under the umbrella of the Southbank Centre, offering phenomenal and distinctly diverse cultural programming. The promenade connecting these buildings has become a destination for Londoners and visitors alike, with restaurants, food trucks, markets and street performers lining the riverbank throughout the week. Before you know it, you’ll have completed the 3 km/2 mile walk to Tower Bridge without even realising it. |
Hungry or thirsty? Well, take it from us, you won’t be disappointed. Corinthia London offers an indulgent selection of culinary offerings and crafted drinks. Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, highlights celebrated British classics. The reimagined fish and chips alone are worth staying for.
After many illustrious years, The Northall, a stalwart of British fine dining, has closed to make way for something altogether different in an exciting collaboration with esteemed chef Francesco Mazzei, which will reopen in summer 2025. We anticipate that Calabrian-born Francesco will bring plenty of Italian flavour to Corinthia London’s elegant dining room. Details are under wraps, but Francesco tells us to expect “Mamma’s cooking with a chef’s hands”.
A London must-do is afternoon tea, and Corinthia’s take on it, served in the Crystal Moon Lounge, is as decadent as things get. Right at the centre of the hotel, you won’t miss it, as it is illuminated by a 1,001-crystal chandelier. What you might miss, however, is the speakeasy-esque Velvet by Salvatore Calabrese, a sumptuous champagne and cocktail bar in partnership with world-renowned drinks expert, ‘The Maestro’, Salvatore Calabrese. There’s no escaping the charming and chatty character that is Salvatore if he’s in the house, and because of him and the beautifully potent drinks, we lost several hours here.
But beyond the suites, restaurants and bars lies the hotel’s ‘not-so-secret weapon’: ESPA Life, its spa. An inner sanctum spanning four floors, its scale is rivalled only by the serenity and services offered here. We’d go as far as to say it is the best hotel spa retreat we’ve experienced in central London. Treatments are deeply personalised, and the therapists there had an uncanny ability to discern what our bodies needed before we had even articulated it. Whether it’s an hour of stillness in the vitality pool or a restorative massage designed to undo the knots of modern life, the spa offered us the reinvigoration, recalibration and rejuvenation we craved.
To stay at Corinthia London is to experience London in its fullest, most glorious form: its history, its modernity, its contradictions and its charms. Yet it is also to escape it, and to discover that rarest of luxuries: a space to breathe and, with its diverse and inclusive management running the hotel, to be oneself.
It won’t be for everyone, mind. For all its sheen, it doesn’t offer much – if any – of the streetwise creativity, grit, soundtrack, contrasts and unexpectedness that a cosmopolis like London, especially its northern, eastern and southern reaches, affords visitors. But if you’re looking to be enveloped in refinement and have every detail carefully curated to cater to your every need (without any of the stiff-upper-lip attitude) then Corinthia London is hard to beat.
Photography courtesy of Corinthia Hotels
