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Claridge's

Coordinates: 51°30′45″N 0°08′51″W / 51.51250°N 0.14750°W / 51.51250; -0.14750
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For other hotels with a similar name, see Claridge Hotel (disambiguation).

Claridge's
The Brook Street elevation of Claridge's
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeHotel
Architectural styleArt Deco
AddressBrook Street
Mayfair
City of Westminster
W1K 4HR
Town or cityLondon
CountryEngland
Coordinates51°30′45″N 0°08′51″W / 51.51250°N 0.14750°W / 51.51250; -0.14750
Named forWilliam and Marianne Claridge
Construction started1895
Completed1898
Opened1856 (1856) (original building)
1898 (current building)
Renovated1996
2016–2021
OwnerMaybourne Hotel Group
Technical details
MaterialRed brick with red Mansfield stone, slate roofs and cast iron balconies
Floor countSix plus four storeys of attics and five basement levels
Design and construction
Architect(s)C. W. Stephens (1898)
DeveloperSavoy Hotel Company
Other designersErnest George (interior)
Other information
Number of rooms190
Number of restaurants2 (Claridge's Restaurant, The Foyer & Reading Room)
Number of bars3 (Claridge's Bar, The Fumoir, The Painter's Room)
FacilitiesHealth Club & Spa
Public transit accessLondon Underground Bond Street
Website
Official website
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameClaridges Hotel and attached railings Claridges Hotel wing
Designated8 May 1981
Reference no.1219905

Claridge's is a 5-star hotel at the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street in Mayfair, London. Claridge's Hotel is owned and managed by Maybourne Hotel Group.

History

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Founding

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Claridge's was founded in 1812 as Mivart's Hotel, in a conventional London terraced house, and it grew by expanding into neighbouring houses. In 1854, the founder (the father of biologist St. George Jackson Mivart) sold the hotel to a Mr and Mrs Claridge, who owned a smaller hotel next door. They combined the two operations, and after trading for a time as "Mivart's late Claridge's", they settled on the current name. The reputation of the hotel was confirmed in 1860 when Empress Eugenie made an extended visit and entertained Queen Victoria at the hotel.[1]

In its first edition of 1878, Baedeker's London listed Claridge's as "The first hotel in London".[2]

Acquisitions

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Drawing of the current version of Claridge's was published in 1897, the year before the reopening

Richard D'Oyly Carte, the theatrical impresario and founder of the rival Savoy Hotel, purchased Claridge's in 1894, as part of The Savoy Group, and shortly afterwards demolished the old buildings and replaced them with the present ones. This was prompted by the need to install modern facilities such as lifts and en suite bathrooms. From 1894 to 1901, Édouard Nignon was the hotel chef.

19th and 20th centuries

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The new Claridge's, built by George Trollope & Sons, opened in 1897.[3] It is a Grade II listed building.[4] The hotel has 203 rooms and suites and around 400 staff.

After the First World War, Claridge's flourished due to demand from aristocrats who no longer maintained a London house, and under the leadership of Carte's son, Rupert D'Oyly Carte, an extension was built in the 1920s. During the Second World War it was the base of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia's government in exile and home of Peter II of Yugoslavia.

In 1996, the foyer was restored by architect Thierry Despont.[5][6]

In 1998, the group of hotels—along with the later-added Connaught—was sold for $867 million to two American private-equity funds, Blackstone and Colony Capital.[7]

21st century renovation and relaunch

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In 2005, the private-equity owners sold The Savoy Group, including Claridge's, to a group of Irish investors led by Derek Quinlan. The investors later sold the Savoy Hotel and Savoy Theatre and renamed the group Maybourne Hotel Group.[8][7][9] The Maybourne Hotel Group includes two other five-star hotels in London, The Berkeley and The Connaught.

Between 2016 and 2021, the hotel was renovated and expanded as part of a "relaunch" by co-owner Paddy McKillen. The top two floors were replaced by a four-storey, 14-bedroom extension that included a penthouse with swimming pool, gym, private lake, and 1,800 sq ft (170 m2) grand salon.[10] A 22 m-deep (72 ft) excavation was dug beneath the Art Deco 1920s extension to create a five-level basement. Construction work was largely done by hand to avoid disturbing guests, and the hotel continued in operation throughout the building work.[11] The project was recorded in a BBC documentary series, The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild.[12]

Notable guests

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The lobby at Claridge's

Actors, directors, and entertainers who have used Claridge's include Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, regular visitor Alfred Hitchcock, Brad Pitt, Joan Collins, Mick Jagger, U2 and Whitney Houston.[citation needed] In his memoir The Moon's a Balloon, David Niven wrote that for film producer Alexander Korda, "Home was the penthouse at Claridge's". The hotel lobby and several guestrooms appear in the 2001 Stephen Poliakoff's BBC television drama Perfect Strangers. Claridge's has hosted visiting royalty and guests of the Royal Family. The late King Hassan of Morocco travelled with his own mattress, but at the hotel he used a Savoy Mattress. Impressed by the quality, he ordered 24 identical mattresses from the Savoy for his palace.[13]

During the Second World War, the King of Yugoslavia and his wife spent much of the Second World War in exile at Claridge's, and suite 212 was supposedly ceded by the United Kingdom to Yugoslavia for a single day (17 July 1945) to allow their heir, Crown Prince Alexander, to be born on Yugoslav soil,[14] although no documentary evidence now exists to support the story.[15]

At the end of the Second World War, when unexpectedly defeated in the general election of 1945, Winston Churchill was temporarily without a London home and took a suite at Claridge's.[16]

In December 1951, West German chancellor Konrad Adenauer secretly met World Jewish Congress president Nahum Goldmann at Claridge's to begin negotiations on German reparations to Jewish survivors of the Holocaust.[17]

Restaurants and other facilities

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Claridge's has been described as London's most "food centric hotel".[18] It offers afternoon tea in The Foyer and Reading Room. There are three public ground floor bars; Claridge’s Bar acts as the main bar, when not being used for afternoon tea; The Fumoir, a former cigar bar until the smoking ban prohibited indoor smoking in 2007; and the Painter's Room, opened in 2021.[19] A cafe at the back of the hotel opened in 2023 called The ArtSpace Café [20] which has an extensive gallery space beneath it.

Davies and Brook, with head chef Daniel Humm, closed in 2021 after Humm proposed a vegan-only menu [21] similar to that of Eleven Madison Park, his three-star Michelin restaurant in New York.[22] The hotel received criticism for "not moving with the times".[23] In 2023, the hotel opened Claridge's Restaurant [24] in the same space.

For 12 years, the fine dining main restaurant was run by Gordon Ramsay, with various head chefs including Steve Allen and Mark Sargeant. Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's lost its Michelin status in January 2010. The restaurant closed in 2013 after having "lost its way". Harden's guide rated the restaurant second in London for "most disappointing cooking" and fourth for "most overpriced restaurant" in 2010.[25]

Claridge's later replaced Ramsay's restaurant with Fera, meaning 'Wild' in Latin, run by chef Simon Rogan. Fera was awarded a Michelin star in 2015 and Rogan left the restaurant in May 2017, leaving the restaurant's head chef Matt Starling in charge. Following Rogan's departure, the restaurant closed in December 2018.[26][27][28][29]

For 10 days in 2012, the hotel hosted the restaurant Noma, while the restaurant in Copenhagen was closed for refurbishment. Owner René Redzepi and his head chef and staff from Noma served a £195-per-head nine-course New Nordic Cuisine menu that included scones and clotted cream, Lancashire hotpot with British ingredients, and live ants foraged in Denmark and flown to London.[30][31][32]

In 2021, Claridge's opened an art deco bar in the Painter's Room featuring art work by Annie Morris.[33]

Artistic installations

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The 2015 Claridge's tree by Burberry's Christopher Bailey

Claridge's built an art gallery and started an artist in residence programme;[34] illustrator David Downton became the first artist in residence in 2011.[35] Downton created the Talking Heads Gallery, which displayed sketches from guests including Kristin Scott Thomas, Sarah Jessica Parker and Thandiwe Newton.[36]

The hotel hired artist Damien Hirst, and over 200 of his prints were installed in guest rooms. During the Frieze Art Fair in 2019, Hirst's sculptures were displayed in the lobby.[37] In 2021, a skylight designed by Hirst featuring butterflies was installed,[38][39] and Claridge's Art Space opened and included an exhibition by Hirst and others.[40][41] Since 2023, Claridge's rooftop penthouse suite has been housing 75 works by Hirst.[42]

Illustrations by artist Annie Morris are painted directly on the walls of the Painter's Room bar.[43]

The Christmas tree in the lobby is designed annually by artists, designers or fashion houses; these have included Diane von Furstenberg, Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Burberry and Dolce & Gabbana.[44][8] In 2015, Christopher Bailey decorated the tree with around 100 umbrellas, and 77,000 lights triggered by passersby.[45]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Claridges: An opulent hotel where every polished corner tells a story". independent.co.uk. The Independent. 9 December 2012. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  2. ^ Louis Gerber (1 September 2004). "Claridge's". Cosmopolis.ch. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  3. ^ "Trollope & Colls". National Archives. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  4. ^ Historic England. "Grade II (1219905)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
  5. ^ Foulkes, Nick (26 March 2020). "Thierry Despont: inside the mind of the chameleon architect". Financial Times. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Art Deco Hotel in Mayfair: Design & Features". Claridge's. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  7. ^ a b Dana Vachon (August 2014), To Capture Claridge's Archived 20 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine Vanity Fair.
  8. ^ a b Foulkes, Nick (16 December 2020). "The man behind the most spectacular makeover in Claridge's history". Financial Times. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  9. ^ Walsh, Dominic (25 January 2005). ""Savoy Group changes name after deal"". The Times. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  10. ^ Lauren Eads (8 September 2016). "Claridge's plans five-storey 'iceberg' basement". The Drinks Business. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  11. ^ Lynne Kelleher (1 January 2023). "Groundbreaking – Irish miners who dug out subterranean extension to Claridge's by hand feature in new BBC series". Independent.ie. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  12. ^ "The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild Season 1". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  13. ^ Jones, Ronald F (1997). Inside the Best Hotels: Grand Hotelier. Jones & Jones. p. 248. ISBN 0953273709.
  14. ^ Christopher Long (25 October 1991). "A Regal Bid Too Far?". Archived from the original on 4 July 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2006. I was born on Yugoslav territory at Claridge's Hotel in London, 1945, on 17 June, and this was done in agreement with the British Government.
  15. ^ Amos, Owen (17 July 2016). "Did a London hotel room become part of Yugoslavia?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  16. ^ Louis Gerber (1 September 2004). "Claridge's". Cosmopolis.ch. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  17. ^ Shinnar, Felix Eliezer (1967). Bericht eines Beauftragnten: die deutsch-israelische Beziehungen 1951–1966. Tübingen : R. Wunderlich. p. 25.
  18. ^ "Acclaimed Parisian patissier Yann Couvreur takes to Claridge's kitchen -". Walpole. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Luxury Restaurants & Bars: Mayfair, London". Claridge's. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  20. ^ "Claridge's ArtSpace Café: Art Gallery Café, Mayfair - Claridge's". Claridge’s. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  21. ^ Lutrario, Joe (2 August 2022). "Dmitri Magi named culinary director at Claridge's amid shake-up of hotel's F&B". bighospitality.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  22. ^ Hansen, James (12 November 2021). "World-Famous NYC Chef's London Restaurant Closes Over Disagreement on Plant-Based Menu". Eater London. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  23. ^ Conroy, Rosie (15 November 2021). "Claridge's to close Davies and Brook after the hotel refuses to allow chef Daniel Humm to make it fully vegan". SquareMeal. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  24. ^ "Claridge's Restaurant: British Restaurant in Mayfair, London - Claridge's". Claridge’s. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  25. ^ McKeever, Amy (28 February 2013). "Gordon Ramsay OUT at Claridge's in London". Eater. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  26. ^ Armstrong, Hilary (9 May 2014). "New Openings: Fera, Claridge's". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  27. ^ Chomka, Stefan. "Fera at Claridge's to close at the end of the year". Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  28. ^ "Fera at Claridges". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  29. ^ Ryden, Bethan (25 September 2014). "The OFM 50: the 50 hottest places, people and trends in food". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 July 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  30. ^ O' Ceallaigh, John (24 April 2012). "The 'world's best restaurant' comes to London: Copenhagen's Noma restaurant will decamp to Claridge's hotel this summer". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 December 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  31. ^ Lisa, Markwell (1 August 2012). "World's best restaurant comes to town... and it's serving ants". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  32. ^ Bazalgette, Peter (13 July 2012). "A nomadic Noma: The Copenhagen restaurant is hosting a 10-day London pop-up at Claridge's. Its crew will bring their own red seaweed oil, but many ingredients will be British". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  33. ^ Saunders, Daniella (12 January 2023). "The Painter's Room: What To Expect at Claridge's Art Deco Bar". Country and Town House. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  34. ^ "The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild". The Mayfair Hotel. Season 1. Episode 1. 2 January 2023. Event occurs at 28:29. BBC. BBC One. Retrieved 17 January 2023. Narrator: In the past Damien has taken up residence at the hotel. Damien:I had a studio in claridge's where I was painting
  35. ^ Fitzherbert, Paula. "CLARIDGE'S CONTINUES ITS STYLISH COLLABORATION WITH FASHION ARTIST IN RESIDENCE DAVID DOWNTON" (PDF). Maybourne. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  36. ^ "NEW EXHIBITION BY WORLD RENOWNED FASHION ILLUSTRATOR DAVID DOWNTON OPENS AT CLARIDGE'S FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY". London-TV. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  37. ^ "Impressive sculptures of this famous artist take over Claridge's lobby". The Hotel Trotter. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  38. ^ Cochran, Same (18 November 2022). "Damien Hirst Illuminates Claridge's Hotel With a Kaleidoscope Skylight". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  39. ^ "The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild". The Mayfair Hotel. Season 1. Episode 1. 2 January 2023. Event occurs at 28:18. BBC. BBC One. Retrieved 17 January 2023. Damien did 200 prints for us. Such a friend of Claridge's.
  40. ^ "Claridge's ArtSpace". London-TV. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  41. ^ Westall, Mark (8 October 2021). "New Claridge's Artspace to Launch With Damien Hirst Exhibition during Frieze Week". FAD Magazine. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  42. ^ Claridge’s new rooftop penthouse is filled with 75 works by Damien Hirst The Art Newspaper, 23 October 2023.
  43. ^ Ure-Smith, Jane (8 October 2021). "Annie Morris on her passion for pigment and finding solace in art". Financial Times. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  44. ^ Karmali, Sarah (19 November 2021). "Claridge's Christmas tree 2021 designed by Dior's Kim Jones". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  45. ^ Ferrier, Morwenna (16 November 2015). "Claridge's Burberry tree: what it says about Christmas 2015". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
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