Checking in at The Biltmore, a high-end hotel right in the heart of Mayfair, central London, does make one feel awfully fancy. Arriving via the gorgeous gardens of Grosvenor Square, my partner and I oohed and aahed at the imposing marble, opulent chandeliers and old-world glamour of the hotel lobby.
In comparison to our surroundings, we were woefully underdressed. This fact was thrown into sharper relief as we passed a devastatingly attractive group. They were dressed for a wedding, which we realised when we accidentally photo-bombed the bride and groom as we approached the reception desk. Check-in was completed to a background chorus of “mazel tovs” as the happy couple partied with their guests, which felt like a rather auspicious start to our stay.
The rooms
Suites are distinctly glamorous but also extremely comfortable (Image credit: Biltmore Hotel)
The hotel occupies almost an entire side of Grosvenor Square which means two things. One: you may be lucky enough, as we were, to have a gorgeous view of the historic central gardens which date from the 1720s. And two: the hotel is extremely large – there are 307 rooms in total, including 250 guest rooms, 49 curated suites and eight signature suites.
For our one-night stay we were assigned a curated suite which was distinctly glamorous but also extremely comfortable, with plush furnishings, a walk-in wardrobe, a separate living area and more than one massive TV.
The room’s large marble bathroom provided some obvious highlights. Aside from the stand-alone bathtub (which I very much made the most of) and the generous vanity kit (which I took home with me), there was another fun feature I wasn’t expecting: a Japanese-style high-tech toilet which made each trip to the loo feel like something out of a sensual sci-fi film.
Food and drink
We were treated to quite the array of beef at Grill88 (Image credit: Biltmore Hotel)
Aside from the luxurious loo, the undoubtable highlight of our stay was dinner at Grill 88. As you may have guessed from the name, the restaurant’s speciality is meat – in particular, steak – and we were treated to quite the array of beef.
We were waited on by the very warm and attentive Pavlos. Being pregnant, I’m a tricky customer with all sorts of questions about seafood, pasteurised dairy and the cooked-ness of meat – but Pavlos fielded all my queries with grace and made sure I felt extremely safe in his hands.
That said, I had to look on with envy as my partner consumed many of the dishes I would have chosen were I not pregnant. I’m talking wagyu steak tartare topped with Oscietra caviar alongside a hunk of bone marrow (“sumptuous” according to my partner), and scallop and squid in a dashi broth (“divine” according to the same source). However, there were marvellous bread options of onion brioche and an olive baton accompanied by whipped butter and honeycomb, which I was happily able to indulge in.
Now let us return to the cow. When you walk into the restaurant you can see brightly lit fridges at the back of the room, filled with slabs of meat coated in various seasonings (one was covered entirely in chocolate) and at various stages of the ageing process.
Since this is Grill 88’s speciality, Pavlos recommended that we order the butcher’s platter, which is the chef’s choice of three meats. We were presented with a succulent array of wagyu, sourced from the Lake District and aged for between 40 and 100 days. Surprise, surprise, each morsel was tender, rich and singing with deliciousness with every single bite. Since it was the chef’s choice, we thought it wise to pay our compliments to the chef and we had a lovely chat with Kostas who explained just how much thought goes into the sourcing and production of everything on the menu.
For dessert, we plumped for a portion of baked Alaska – a meringue cake filled with mango and coconut sorbet. This delightful palate cleanser pushed us right to the brink of acceptable fullness and we rolled into bed as soon as we’d finished the final spoon.
The Serenity Spa experience
Omorovicza’s Mayfair Institute is a stunningly tranquil spot (Image credit: Biltmore Hotel)
This luxurious experience certainly didn’t end with a steak-centric dinner. The Biltmore Mayfair recently partnered with the Budapest-based skincare brand Omorovicza, which has a high-end spa in Mayfair, the Mayfair Institute, where it offers beautifying and relaxation treatments. As part of a new Serenity Spa Experience, guests can now book a special package which includes a night’s stay and breakfast at The Biltmore, followed by a spa treatment at Omorovicza.
Just around the corner from the hotel, the Institute is a stunningly tranquil spot which makes you feel instantly calm when you enter its lofty terracotta reception area. I had the pleasure of experiencing a fully personalised (and pregnancy-friendly) Andrassy Skin Therapy Session, which left my skin visibly brighter and smoother.
The verdict
Mayfair is synonymous with the upper echelons of the Monopoly board – and both The Biltmore and Omorovicza’s Mayfair Institute are absolutely at home there. Our stay provided a quintessential slice of luxury London and we feel all the fancier for it.
Caroline was a guest of The Biltmore Mayfair and Omorovicza. The Serenity Spa Experience starts at £950 including breakfast and spa treatments for two adults in a King Deluxe room. Book via the website here.