A private club just off Piccadilly
The St. James's Hotel and Club is a stunning red and white Victorian townhouse tucked away in a secluded enclave of St James just below Piccadilly. This unique location marries the benefit of a private St James mews with the prestigious shopping metropolis of Mayfair on your doorstep – to say nothing of the Royal Academy, Fortnum and Mason on Piccadilly and fine restaurants of Jermyn Street.
You are also in the heart of London's celebrity club land with Boodles, Brookes, Whites and the Carlton Club all just around the corner.
The St James's today is the product of an 18 month revamp and refurbishment program that has created a very individual but timeless expression of Mayfair elegance with Murano chandeliers, a priceless collection of Expressionist art, including the 1920s–50s Rosenstein Collection, and the world's most comfortable handmade beds from Hypnos.
At the heart of the highly expensive refurbishment, each of the 60 bedrooms has been painstakingly designed and is exquisitely finished with handmade silk wallpaper. Many of the suites have private balconies or terraces that offer unparalleled views over and beyond the rooftops of Westminster and St. James. All rooms commendably offer complimentary Wi-Fi. An extra bed can be requested in most rooms for a child and a family of 4 can be accommodated in Deluxe Suites and above.
The St James's is committed to gastronomic delight and invention and to that end opened a new restaurant in 2009, the Seven Park Place, overseen by Michelin-starred executive chef William Drabble. The French-style cuisine, employing only the finest seasonal British ingredients, is already the recipient of much press acclaim. For lunch or a light pre or post-theatre dinner William's Bar & Bistro is where the smart set of St James and West London mingle in a warm convivial atmosphere with hotel residents.
If all that good living leaves you feeling a little over-indulged, your complimentary membership of the Mayfair Gym in close by Stratton Street below Berkeley Square, will soon restore the balance.
First opened in 1857 the St James's Club has been through many manifestations in a century and a half. For years the club committee was chaired by Sir John Mills and members included Liza Minelli, Dudley Moore, Peter Townshend, Sir Michael Caine, Sir Sean Connery, Michael Parkinson and Lord Attenborough. Today you might well catch sight of no less an iconic figure in the hotel with contemporary leading men such as Samuel L. Jackson and Damien Lewis having recently visited.
