Althoff St. James's Hotel & Club; Mayfair

The secret of this intimate and elegant London townhouse hotel lies partly in its unrivalled location, in a quiet cul-de-sac just off St. James's Street in London's Mayfair. Central and yet quiet and tranquil, the hotel is close to Green Park underground station, the exclusive shops of Jermyn Street, the Burlington Arcade, Bond Street and the theatres and nightlife of London's West End. Visitors to the city will find all the sights nearby, includings St James' Palace (500 m), Piccadilly Circus (800 m) and Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park and the Houses of Parliament (all 1 km). London Heathrow Airport is just 26 km away.This modern and stylish townhouse hotel comprises 60 en suite rooms incorporating state-of-the-art technology and exquisite furnishings. Facilities on offer to guests at this air-conditioned establishment include a lobby area with a 24-hour reception and check-out service, a hotel safe, a currency exchange facility, a cloakroom and lift access. It also offers a café, a bar, a restaurant, conference rooms and WLAN/Internet access. Furthermore, guests may take advantage of the room and laundry services.Exclusively designed and in harmony with the elegance of the Victorian building, the rooms have an average size of 25 m² and are perfect for the experienced traveller. All rooms are exclusively finished with handmade silk wallpaper, black lacquered furniture, handcrafted Murano glass chandeliers and polished natural stone surfaces in the bathroom. In addition to a comfortable seating area, a working desk with high-speed Internet access and laptop safes; a minibar, an iPod docking station and flat-screen TVs complete the room's standard facilities. All rooms also include built-in wardrobes, giving them a more spacious feel. They all come with a private bathroom with a shower/bathtub and a hairdryer, as well as a direct dial telephone, a radio, a double bed, air conditioning and heating. The rooms all feature either a balcony or a terrace.The nearest golf course, Richmond/Kew Golf Club, is just a 20-minute drive away.Guests are served breakfast, with the option of a continental breakfast available. The midday and evening meals may be enjoyed from a set menu or à la carte.American Express, Diners Club, JCB, MasterCard and VISA are accepted as methods of payment.From Green Park tube station, turn left at the exit barrier and go up the left-hand set of stairs. Walk along Piccadilly and, after passing The Ritz, turn right into Arlington Street. Continue to the end of the street where a staircase is discreetly located. Go down the staircase, and the hotel is located on the opposite site of the street on the right.