Earlier this month I spent the night at The Arch London, where we sampled their afternoon tea and stayed in a beautiful suite. Personally, I love staying in hotels. It's a great escape from your everyday life and being a travel blogger means I get to see beautiful hotels all over the world. However, one of my favourite places to stay has to be in boutique hotels in London. They're quintessentially British, small and have their own charisma you can't find anywhere else.
As a London girl, I don't tend to stay in hotels in my home town much, so it's always nice having a short stay at a home away from home. And that's exactly what The Arch London is. It's home away from home, it's luxurious and it's extremely charming. From the moment you walk in, you start to notice the beautiful art pieces that were all commissioned for the hotel all with a nod to something to do with London.
I've been to the Arch London before around the same time last year for Afternoon tea (see here) and ever since then I knew I wanted to have the full experience of staying at the hotel.
On the outside the hotel blends in with the rest of the street, I had stopped outside to take some pictures, and my boyfriend didn't realise that we had arrived. Personally, I liked the fact that it was quite inconspicuous. Unless you're looking out for the large sign, you could miss it.
The Hotel
The hotel is made up of seven Georgian townhouses a stones throw away from Marble Arch station. It's on a beautiful residential street which resulted in us going for a late night walk after dinner. The quiet streets made for perfect conversation and beautiful views. We were both so surprised that we were in the heart of London, yet there was no hustle and bustle you usually get in town. Pure bliss.
Once you walked through the hotel, it is anything but inconspicuous. The decor bring homage to London with lot's of different art pieces curated specifically for the hotel. We were lucky enough to stay in the Sullivian suite. A beautiful suite with a blue theme throughout.
The room
The room had all the normal facilities you find in a five star hotel plus more. Staying on the lower ground floor, we had our own private outdoor terrace with outdoor heating, plus a bath with a tv to name a few.
The room also has a spacious shower with four different shower heads. This was something that I took full advantage of and enjoyed the waterfall effect one. Trust me, showers will never be the same now! I also decided to have a bubble bath while there because I'm a sucker for a bath and I needed to try the tv out.
Breakfast
We had the option to have breakfast in the room but decided to head to the dinning area so that we could see a bit more of the hotel while we were there and experience more than our suite. The hotel restaurant is Hunter 486, which offers a best of British menu. We opted for poached eggs on toast, me with avocado and my boyfriend opted for spinach instead. A latte each and a smoothie later I saw some hot croissants come out from the kitchen and just had to have one. It was one of the nicest croissants I've ever tasted, so buttery and flakey at the same time.
Afternoon tea
My second time trying the afternoon tea at the Arch London was just as pleasant an experience as the last time. A typically english menu consisting of smoked salmon, ham and cheese, egg and cress, chicken corrination and cheese and pickle as the savoury options. When it comes to afternoon tea, in my opinion, the simpler the better. Typically english flavour combinations work best and makes me feel quintessentially British.
Desert was a mix of a raspberry trifile, strawberry tart, passionfruit cheesecake, battenberg and a chocolate and orange cake that reminded me of a jaffa cake. However, my favourite part of any afternoon tea has to be the scones. Soft and buttery, I love to load them up with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Tell me, are you a clotted cream or jam first kind of girl?
As I mentioned last time I visited The Arch London, their afternoon tea has been one of my favourites, and I'm sure I'll be back again to try their new menu. I also vlogged my experience at The Arch London so make sure to check it out below.
Have you ever stayed here before? What's your favourite thing about London hotels?
