London's original grand hotel — opened in 1865, the first purpose-built luxury hotel in Europe, and the model for every grand hotel that followed. The Langham has hosted everyone from Dvorak to Churchill, Oscar Wilde to Diana, Princess of Wales, and the building carries that history in its bones: the palm court (where afternoon tea was invented as a social ritual), the grand ballroom, and the particular confidence of a hotel that has been doing this longer than any competitor. The Artesian bar is one of London's best cocktail bars. The location is Portland Place, Marylebone — between Regent Street and Regent's Park, in the kind of calm, expensive London that tourists rarely discover.
Location
Marylebone, London
Insider Intel
Afternoon tea in the Palm Court — this is where the tradition was invented. A cocktail at the Artesian bar. A room facing Portland Place for the Regency architecture.
Afternoon tea at 2pm for the full Palm Court experience. Evening for the Artesian bar. The Marylebone location means Regent's Park, the Wallace Collection, and Marylebone High Street are all walkable.
1C Portland Place, Marylebone. Oxford Circus tube. London's first grand hotel (1865). Afternoon tea in the Palm Court from £60. The Artesian bar is open to non-guests. Rooms from £400. Regent's Park is a 5-minute walk. The building is Grade II listed. Full service: gym, spa, concierge.