LONDON
WHERE LONDON ART-DECO GRANDEUR MEETS MODERN SPANISH HOSPITALITY
MELIÁ WHITE HOUSE, LONDON
SOME LONDON HOTELS FEEL TRANSACTIONAL. OTHERS IMMEDIATELY PUT YOU AT EASE, AS IF YOU HAVE SLIPPED INTO A WELL-RUN PRIVATE ADOBE WITH A PARTICULARLY GOOD BAR DOWNSTAIRS. MELIÁ WHITE HOUSE SITS COMFORTABLY IN THE SECOND CAMP. BY SAMANTHA READY
S et just off Regent’ s Park, with Fitzrovia, Marylebone and the West End all within easy reach, Meliá White House is a reassuringly solid base for a London stay, made warmer and more characterful by the hotel’ s unmistakable Spanish soul.
Meliá is a brand built on heritage rather than hype. Founded in Spain in 1956, it has grown into one of Europe’ s most respected hotel groups, known for blending contemporary comfort with a strong sense of place. Meliá White House is one of its flagship London properties, housed within a striking Grade II listed Art Deco building dating back to the 1930s. The curved white façade is instantly recognisable on Albany Street, a handsome counterpoint to the greenery of Regent’ s Park just moments away and the striking new shiny contemporary office blocks that surround Warren Street. Inside, the hotel feels spacious and purposeful, with 581 rooms and suites spread across its impressive footprint, recently refreshed to balance modern design with the building’ s original architectural confidence. It’ s a hotel that understands scale but never feels impersonal, aided not least but a passionately professional front of house team, it combines the polish of an international brand with thoughtful details that pay homage to its London setting.
One such elevation is Meliá’ s‘ The Level’, which from my arrival set my stay here apart, and is best described as a private members’ lounge for guests in the know. Mornings begin in The Level’ s loungecome-restaurant, which offers a separate breakfast space that’ s calm and unrushed yet still bountiful, with bulging continental and English breakfast buffets and additional á la carte menus that favour quality over excess. Afternoons segue into complimentary tapas, wines, soft drinks and snacks including afternoon tea, making it just as tempting to return early from the city as it is to head back out. It was an offering that felt genuinely thoughtful rather than simply an added extra.
The Level not only offers a refined retreat from the pace of the capital, and indeed the main hotel itself, but also a separate entrance and check-in to make arriving a breeze. Bags with the concierge, my guest and I ascended to the 7th floor where our room continued the hotel’ s sense of elevated comfort. Clean-lined and contemporary, it balanced practicality with indulgence, the centrepiece being one of Meliá’ s signature bathtubs, perfectly positioned for soaking after a long day exploring. Large windows, often with dual aspects, frame city views and rooftops
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