The Athenaeum

At Cool Places HQ, we are convinced that there is something very special about London’s cityscape and The Athenaeum’s sweeping views of London landmarks over Green Park’s treetops are something unique. If green living and ecology are important to you, you’ll love The Athenaeum’s vertical living wall, now a symbol of the hotel. In keeping with the outside, the inside décor is geared towards calm and relaxation from a natural colour-scheme palette to the compact but luxurious spa. All this is a departure from the eighties when The Anthenaeum was a hot spot for celebrities in search of a party. In homage to its previous life, a portrait of Joanna Lumley as Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous greets the guests from the elegant lobby area.

Since its extensive refurbishment, The Athenaeum has been listed in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards. While the hotel retains its Art Deco features, the rooms and suites have been brought into the 21st century with some stylem and feature Hypnos beds, large flatscreen TVs, Nespresso coffee machines, wifi and mini-bars championing small British brands. They also feature unique works of art inspired by the local area and landmarks, British icons and pieces of history – think Winston Churchill and the Queen’s corgis at Buckingham Palace alongside Andy Murray hitting a tennis ball off the roof! The more you look, the more you see.

All in all, the design aesthetic of the rooms and suites at The Athenaeum creates a feeling of space, light and views. It’s unique, classically English, a little eccentric and captures a sense of place in the city, with plenty of nods to Mayfair and Green Park. One more thing, where else would you find family rooms & residences with their own dedicated children’s concierge, a toy store, nannies and babysitters? While The Athenaeum staff are taking care of the little ones, why not settle in at ‘116 at the Athenaeum' – the hotel’s excellent restaurant – or sip a well-earned cocktail in the bar or on the terrace… Those views again!