The Arch – one of my new London El dorados. This was my first time at The Arch Hotel but definitely not the last time. I have stayed at many different hotels in London, and I must admit that not all my experiences have been nearly as pleasant as this hotel. The Arch is an elegant British townhouse hotel in the heart of London. It is conveniently located: close to Hyde Park, Selfrides and shopping areas like Marlybone High Street and Bond Street.

The hotel staff warmly greeted me as I entered the centrally located yet elegant and unique townhouse hotel. The first thing that caught my attention was the 2-meter tall silhouette of a lady. The silhouette is made up of thousands of iconic images reflecting the nearby surroundings. I therefore kept looking into the different images to get more familiar with both the Hotel and its surroundings. This is not the only conspicuous piece of art at The Arch, the hotel’s art collection features works by emerging British artists. All public areas are decorated with different contemporary artworks such as the impressive video installation behind the front desk that reflects the time of day. The contradiction between the traditional Georgian architecture and the modern British artworks makes the hotel very unique.

The hotel rooms were spacious and the interior very stylish. Small details such as complimentary soft drinks, jing teas and also a Nespresso machine in every room, made the stay very pleasant. Good coffee is always good especially when you are trying to make the most out of your stay in a busy city. Besides from a good selection of hot drinks in the rooms there is also a hip hotel bar, a champagne lounge and a martini library at HUNter 486 –The dining and bar area. HUNter 486 has a very authentic atmosphere with two period stone fireplaces and tall bookcases where the dining room has an open plan kitchen and a rustic atmosphere with leather banquettes and factory tables. The restaurant serves delicious British seasonal food in warm and lavish surroundings.

I loved that I could start the morning with a good coffee in my room, get even more fresh and fit at the Hotel’s Gym, where the latest Techno Gym equipment is available. There are personal trainers and yoga instructors if requested. After a nice workout you can watch the news or listen to music while in the shower – there are TV installed in the showers in all rooms. Since I am a fan of products it only made my stay better that the bathrooms feature products from New York’s Malin + Goetz. The overall impression was very good because of all the deliberated details such as the bathroom products, the complementary selection of drinks in the room and the many contemporary artworks. Business trip, romantic weekend trip or a city adventure with friends - this if definitely the place you should stay to feel good in London.

The Arch London 50 Great Cumberland Place London W1H 7FD, United Kingdom 020 7724 4700