KCR WINTER 24:25 Magazine FINAL 1 - Flipbook - Page 39
11 Cadogan Gardens
A change is as good as a holiday, they say - and that holiday doesn’t
necessarily have to be taken outside of your immediate vicinity. For
time-poor Londoners, just one night away can be a long-needed tonic and the sense of ‘change’ can be supplied by the surprises that lie behind
seemingly ordinary facades.
When you arrive at 11 Cadogan Gardens, the hotel’s exterior is unassuming; blending in with all of the other red brick townhouses on the street.
Despite knowing this from previous lunch visits, I was still taken aback
by the vastness that awaited me behind the narrow doorway. It was, as a
friend said, like walking into a Tardis, with deceptively big interiors.
After checking in, we were given a tour of the communal areas available
to us during the course of our stay, which included the Drawing Room,
Conservatory and Library. The latter was a particular highlight - plush
and lavishly decorated, with old Fabian Society tomes appearing so aged
and fragile that I wouldn’t have dared to remove one from the shelf. The
smell of old paper was, in itself, intoxicating.
Then it was up to the bedroom in a quaint, birdcage-style lift which,
our host tells us, is mechanical and therefore much more reliable than a
modern lift, even while 昀椀tting only three (four, at a squeeze) people.
The corridors have that opulent darkness that you associate with class
and taste, o昀昀set by plush carpets and towering, ornately-framed, oil portraits, as well as the odd sculpture and richly upholstered armchair. Our
third-昀氀oor suite continued the theme, with high ceilings soaring over a
commodious bed, sprawling sofa and large TV screen - all arranged so
that there is loads of room to move around in what amounts to a functional and logical, albeit luxurious, layout.
And if, by this stage, you had any remaining doubts about whether you
were in the 昀椀nest of establishments, you’d only need to step into the
bathroom to have these corrected. Marble meets mirrors, and an “is
that a pool?” bathtub meets a spacious shower stall and a toilet cubicle
behind a frosted glass door.
That’s right - a separate toilet cubicle behind a frosted glass door. A cosy
escape is one thing, but there’s only so much togetherness that anyone
needs, folks. There are also plush robes and heady homegrown toiletries
from British brand Noble Isle.
The concierge, James, was delightful and knowledgeable, giving us a
brief history of the Cadogan family and their involvement in Chelsea
real estate and property development. 11 Cadogan Arms was once, it
seems, a private members’ club - a history evidenced by framed prints
of celebrities (including Madonna, Linda Evangelista and Sting on the
ground 昀氀oor)
Although Chelsea abounds with classy restaurant choices, you don’t
need to venture out during a stay here, should you not wish to. The onsite restaurant, Hans Bar and Grill, is located on the lower ground 昀氀oor
but, thanks to its huge skylights and blonde-wood decor, feels light and
airy. We started with padron peppers and spicy squid, followed by beef
昀椀llet, pan-fried sea bream, and parmesan tru昀툀e fries. For dessert, we
chose vegan caramel panna cotta, and custard and cherry tart. Paired
with wine carefully selected by the sommelier, every mouthful was delicious. Suitably sated, was it any wonder that we slept so deeply in our
comfortable bed?
The following day, we repaired to the Drawing Room where, once again,
the sta昀昀 were well presented, polite and helpful. With a jazz soundtrack
playing, we feasted on a beautifully presented Cream Tea: what can I
say? It was the best cream tea I’ve had outside of the House of Commons
and Buckingham Palace. It’s genuinely astonishing to think that something as humbly named as a ham sandwich could possibly taste so good.
11 Cadogan Gardens is a haven of hospitality and luxury in the middle
of busy London. To think that you can have such a decadent escape
without having to leave the capital.
11cadogangardens.com
11 Cadogan Gardens,
London SW3 2RJ
