The Peninsula London , Belgravia, SW1X

Good things come to those who wait at The Peninsula London

The Peninsula London finally opened in September, making it the 12th Peninsula hotel worldwide. The Peninsula’s portfolio now consists of 12 hotels in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, New York, Chicago, Beverly Hills, Paris, Bangkok, Manila, Istanbul, and London. Fitting that the United Kingdom, a small island surrounded by water, now at long last has its own Peninsula. It may be the 12th property for Peninsula Hotels, but it is London’s first billion-pound hotel. If you want to seriously impress a hot date with no expense spared, then this is the hotel for you.

Back in 2015, when everyone was humming along to “Uptown Funk”, planning permission was requested for the Peninsula Hotel, Belgravia. However, it is said that the Peninsula’s chairman, Sir Michael Kadoorie, whose family opened the original hotel in Hong Kong in 1928, had been searching for the perfect London location for thirty years. To put that into context, that was back when Manchester United won the very first Premier League title and John Major was Prime Minister. Since planning permission applications were submitted, the world endured Covid 19 and subsequent staffing and supply chain issues, constantly delaying the hotel completion. Finally, after all this time, the masterpiece that is the Peninsula has arrived.

£1.1 billion hotel bill

How on earth could a hotel cost £1.1 billion, you may ask? Well, let’s see.

The hotel has its very own fleet of luxury cars. All in a dark shade of green —Peninsula green, actually. James Bond fans will be impressed by this. Including a £600,000 Phantom II and a 1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom, no less.

“Everyone knows all the green Rolls-Royces belong to The Peninsula.” – Mary Goodnight, The Man with the Golden Gun

A gaggle of smiling staff, much like graceful but very cheerful swans, swoop to your aid. Opening doors, carrying luggage and welcoming you and your date to The Peninsula as if you were royalty or perhaps 007 himself. You and your Bond girl will be waited on like never before.

You may notice the Jenny Packham designer uniforms as you whizz through the revolving doors. A dress by the celebrated British designer costs around £3000. Inspired by 1960s British style icons and traditional Asian designs.

Once you have spun through the majestic revolving doors, you notice the crystal leaves suspended from the ceiling. The bright, polished bianco marble walls behind the darkness of the Marquita marble reception desk. Peter Marino, the superstar architect known for dressing in leather and renovating Andy Warhol’s townhouse, designed The Peninsula. His design CV includes almost every couture flagship store you can name, including Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Dior. Marino also designed Cheval Blanc, Paris, and, more recently, revamped Tiffany & Co.’s flagship Fifth Avenue store. Marino was the design blueprint. Fusing both Eastern and Western architectural styles, in turn inspiring not only Jenny Packham but also perfumer Timothy Han and tableware designer Richard Brendon. This £1.1 billion bill is totting up. Barely having said hello to the iconic white stone lions that guard every Peninsula property.

Five stars are not enough, a Milky Way perhaps

London does not have a hotel rating above five. However, The Peninsula London is doing its very utmost to break that ceiling. With three bars, three restaurants and a cafe, you and your date will be well fed and watered here. Furthermore more The Peninsula presents cuisines from both sides of the world. Canton Blue serves Cantonese cuisine whilst Brooklands offers a seasonal British menu.

If you happen to be in London during the early part of the year, make sure you check out the Chinese New Year celebrations at The Peninsula. A six-course celebratory menu at Canton Blue and limited-edition gifts are available and will become collectors’ items.

On the hotel’s lower floor, you will discover their wellness offering. Housing a spa, swimming pool and state-of-the-art fitness centre. The hotel also houses nine designer boutiques. If that is not enough retail therapy, then one of the luxury cars out front will take you and your gorgeous companion to Harrods.

However, all this luxury comes at a price. You would need not just a National Lottery win to stay here but a Euromillions win. If your numbers do come up, then you may as well stay in the Peninsula Suite. Whenever you see “price on enquiry”, you know there will be plenty of zeros at the end of that figure. Rooms start at £1400 per night, let alone the suite tariffs.

The Peninsula Suite

“The hotel’s most palatial accommodation” and “A hotel within a hotel”

Access to The Peninsula Suite on the sixth floor is via your very own VIP lift. The suite itself has a vast corner terrace which wraps around the corner of this incredible accommodation. This sprawling suite is made up of two bedrooms, two dressing rooms, two onyx bathrooms, three powder rooms, a study, a gym, a ten-seater dining room, a living room with a baby grand piano and a thirteen-seater media screening room.

Spanning over 5000 square feet, it is quite difficult to comprehend the size of this with words alone. If you feel The Peninsula Suite is too small for your entourage, you can connect up to 7 other rooms. Depending on how big your harem is, you could have almost 14.000 square feet for you and your crew.

Luxury at every level

Whether you and your beautiful companion check into a deluxe room or a grand suite, you will feel like superstars. Tastefully decorated accommodation features muted tones, contemporary furniture, luxurious furnishings, and commissioned, colourful artwork. Warm honey onyx bathrooms are fully stocked with bespoke, earth-friendly amenities. Each city, from Hong Kong to New York to London, has its own scent carefully curated by an expert perfumer that reflects the destination.

As a discerning traveller would expect, there is not a trouser press or a kettle in sight. Every room or suite in The Peninsula is bursting with the latest technology and mod cons. From tablets to read the news, contact staff on PenChat, Dyson hair dryers, there’s even a nail dryer, wireless phones for complimentary long distance calls, heated toilet seats, and touch screen televisions.

The Peninsula has even commissioned three champagnes. Every room has Charbonnel et Walker truffles in the minibar. Of course, there is 24-hour room service. The attention to detail is mind-blowing. You will not find another hotel like this in town. It surpasses all expectations. In fact, you will never want to check out.

You never have to check out

The Peninsula has twenty-five private residences for sale. Designed by Peter Marino and inspired by the Palazzo Renaissance. If you are perusing London’s ultra-prime housing market in search of a plush pied-à-terre, you might want to arrange a viewing. A girl can dream. The Sunday Times reported that a penthouse was sold for over £100 million. So essentially, if you have deep enough pockets, you never have to check out.

East meets West

Since 2019, London has been losing Asian tourists thanks to the global pandemic. Inbound tourism to the UK from China, for example, had been rising drastically in recent years, from 192,000 visits in 2009 to 1.01 million in 2019. In 2021, this fell to somewhere in the region of 17,000 visits due to the ongoing Covid 19 lockdowns and restrictions. In 2023, it is business as usual. Tourists from across Asia and business travellers are flocking back to London. With The Peninsula, Raffles at The OWO, Mandarin Oriental, Rosewood and Pan Pacific now in London, it really is East meets West for luxury hotel guests.

If you would like one of our gorgeous girls to accompany you to the Peninsula, please contact us via the booking form or call us on 0207 183 1094 to curate the most luxurious of dates.