GREAT EATS HAWAII: HOTEL 41

HOTEL 41

LONDON, ENGLAND

I did a lot of research on London hotels prior to booking our rooms there. I opted to use the recommendations of readers of trip advisor.com who consistently voted Hotel 41 the top London Hotel and Conde Nast Travelers Gold List who voted the hotel as "one of the best places in the world to stay". With these types of ratings, I was very skeptical that any hotel could live up to these expectations. When I saw the room prices, I said to myself they better! The Hotel 41 is intimate and chic black and white decor, inspired by a unique collection of SEM cartoons. The staff outnumbers the the guests here by two to one. The hotel is located directly across from Buckingham Palace and features 22 unique rooms and 6 suites. Very small and intimate indeed. Prior to arrival, we were notified by the hotel that our room reservation could not accommodate three people due to fire codes. We were told that the only room available was a small two bedroom suite at a much more expensive price. With less than 24 hours before our arrival, I opted to upgrade to the suite. This made the Hotel 41 the most expensive hotel stay of my life. Did the hotel live up to the reviews and price tag? YES!!!!!!!

While the price was high, the service here is the best I have experienced in a lifetime. Staying here makes you feel like royalty. Everyone in the hotel knows your name and addresses you by name every time they see you. They staff always asked if they can be of service in that just perfect British or French accent. When you ask for directions you are presented a map and detailed instructions on how to get there. Need transportation and the hotel will have a cab waiting outside within minutes. Need a restaurant reservation and the concierge is on it immediately. There is no request too small or to large they say here. We loved the staff. Especially Magdalena and Frederick. Magda as she liked to be called seemed to work 24 hours a day. She was there for us when we awoke for breakfast and there when we retired or hit the Library for a cocktail. Magda was incredible. Provided service at a level I have never experienced. When we left the hotel we all said that we wanted Magna back. Hotel 41 is so small that you would miss it if you did not know where it is located. A small flag outside with 41 is the only clue that this is a hotel. There is just a beautiful door on Buckingham Palace road directly across from the Palace. As you enter the hotel there is a small desk with a cheerful person that greets you. Right there and then our bags disappeared and were not seen until we entered our room. We were lead up three short stairs to an elevator that takes you to the Executive Lounge where we were offered welcome drinks and shown the pantry if we needed snacks or drinks. I asked for a glass of champagne and it was at my side in seconds. As we sat in the lounge, we were checked in. No stress, no rush. I sipped my champagne and immersed myself in the beautiful rich furnishings around me. This is heaven I thought. We were then escorted to our room and given a detailed tour of the room and amenities. Our luggage was placed neatly in the room and we began what was the best hotel stay of our lives. Cannot say enough good about the staff at Hotel 41. World Class talent. Made us feel like we were at home and very special. To enter our room, we had to pass through the Executive Lounge each day. The Lounge is pure heaven with a beautiful fireplace, library and seating areas that are surrounded by rich dark wood paneling, plush pillows and beautiful furnishings. There is a full bar and pantry here. The pantry items are included in the room price but the drinks are not.