TEMPUS Magazine redefines time, giving you a glimpse into all things sophisticated, compelling, vibrant, with its pages reflecting the style, luxury and beauty of the world in which we live. A quarterly publication for private aviation enthusiasts.
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I E XQ U I S I T E H OT E L S High Drama CLARIDGE'S BROOK STREET, MAYFAIR LONDON W1K 4HR UNITED KINGDOM 44 (0)20 7629 8860 CLARIDGES.CO.UK (Clockwise from top left) Artwork hangs above a desk; Cary Grant was a frequent guest; the Fumoir; fireplace in the French salon CLARIDGE'S, LONDON // BY Kathryn White It's nearly impossible to talk about Claridge's without doing a bit of name-dropping. Spencer Tracy said it best when he quipped: "When I die, I don't want to go to heaven. I want to go to Claridge's." If this sounds dramatic, well, you probably haven't been to Claridge's. Despite its humble beginnings, London's art deco gem of a hotel has played host and hideaway to some of history's most fascinating players. This is a place that once pillowed the great balding head of Winston Churchill. A place where Audrey Hepburn had a favorite table. A place whose star was born in 1860 when Queen Victoria popped in for tea with the empress of France, putting Claridge's on the royal radar. By the 1880s, Claridge's had been nicknamed "annex Fashion illustrator David Downton is the artist in residence at Claridge's. The piano suite is striking in black and white. 110 to Buckingham Palace," thanks to the many heads of state it sheltered and entertained. Crown-jeweled history aside, Claridge's manages to be as genuinely cool today as it was then—although they probably weren't calling it "cool" in the nineteenth century. Since its early chapters as house turned hotel, Claridge's has blossomed into a must-stay refuge for all manner of discerning travelers. The hotel, centered squarely in London's Mayfair neighborhood, now boasts 203 well-appointed rooms and suites, each featuring art deco sophistication. Claridge's sailed into the Roaring Twenties with a bang, drawing London's young and glittering through its doors. In 1929, the hotel was expanded and transformed under the great hands of Oswald Milne and Basil Ionides. Much of the hotel's famed art deco masterpieces—like the grand staircase in the lobby—date back to their 1929 remodel. Reasons to visit Claridge's are as diverse as the people who swish through its silver revolving doors, but guests all have at least one thing in common: Every Tempus-Magazine.com . Summer 2013 person who enters Claridge's is treated like royalty. The hotel's reputation for indulging—nay, anticipating—a guest's every whim is legendary. There is the time Claridge's staff installed a Jacuzzi en suite per a Japanese pop star's request, or the staff's almost magical ability to speedily redecorate a room if the guest dislikes the color scheme. But perhaps what's even more important are the care and attention that render Claridge's so distinctive among luxury hotels. Details matter here—from the placement of the cutlery (exactly one inch from the edge of the table) to the impressive memories of the staff (they know precisely how your suits were hung last time). A stay at Claridge's is a thing of beauty and a joy forever, to borrow the words of one famous Englishman. Whether you're checking in for a night or for a month, Claridge's offers you the chance to slip into another world—a happy, decadent one. Savor a rejuvenating spa treatment, dine at Gordon Ramsay's world-renowned restaurant, sip an elegantly crafted cocktail from the sleek intimacy of the Fumoir, and when you're fnally spent from the hard work of indulgence, slide into your freshly turned down sheets for the sleep of a lifetime. The staff will be waiting when you wake up.