York & Albany

The F-word at this smart restaurant with rooms is featherdown. Gordon Ramsay branched into the hotel business with this former boozer, which was gutted and poshed-up with some success  a decade ago. And he's not the only big name involved: John Nash, superstar architect of Georgian London, created the bone-structure – an erstwhile coaching house opposite Regent’s Park whose handsome public rooms are all high ceilings and light – and ace designer Russell Sage curated today's styling, a pick-and-mix of period glamour and hip contemporary pieces that lend an air of restrained flamboyance to the rooms and public spaces. The rooms are elegant but surprisingly homely – the bathrobes are reassuringly thick, the pillow menu of facilities is long and the second-floor deluxe rooms come with lovely park views. Naturally the restaurant is excellent too, and you could quibble that the York & Albany feels less like a hotel than a Ramsay restaurant with rooms. But, with a smart bar and basement delicatessen as well, who cares?