There is no bad season to visit London. Late spring and summer bring the outdoors to life, with Londoners heading to the parks, soaking in every moment of sun. Early spring sees the city in full bloom, and even on London's famously grey days, the museums, galleries and stores more than make up for it. At Christmas, with the lights of Regent Street, Bond Street and Oxford Street sparkling through the cold, there is a special kind of storybook magic here.

Located between Green Park and Hyde Park, the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane has been at the heart of this city for almost a century. Its story begins in 1924, when Sir Bracewell Smith completed a building that had been abandoned since before the First World War. Completed by 1927, the hotel reflected the Art Deco style of the twenties in its finest form.

 

The interior was entirely overseen by Mrs Bracewell Smith, who created a series of remarkable spaces: an Art Deco mock-Tudor breakfast room decorated by Harrods, a French restaurant furnished by Waring & Gillow, a Grill Room whose wood panelling came from Pierpont Morgan's house at Princes Gate, and a Smoke Room ceiling that is an exact replica of the Reindeer Inn in Banbury. At the heart was the Ballroom, designed by Higgs & Hill with a scientifically engineered dance floor, pink and mauve hues and exquisite Art Deco styling that made it the greatest ballroom of its time. 

To mark its 70th anniversary, the Ballroom was fully restored with Sheraton commissioning specialist craftsmen from around the world, including Silver Gilders from Italy for the Silver Gallery entrance. Working in tandem with English Heritage, the restoration returned the space to its original grandeur using the colours true to the Art Deco era: mauve, lilac, purple and pink across fabrics and furnishings. Today it remains, as it has always been described, London's monument to Art Deco, and the only Grade II listed Art Deco ballroom of its kind in London.

Over the decades, the hotel has also become one of London's most sought-after film locations,  lending its iconic interiors to productions including Guy Ritchie's Revolver, Poirot: The Mystery of the Blue Train, GoldenEye, The Danish Girl, Brideshead Revisited and Shanghai Surprise, among many others. Step into the hotel and you’ll see why. 

The 305 rooms, completely redesigned a few years ago, carry that same balance of heritage and contemporary ease. Each is furnished with a Sheraton Signature Sleep Experience bed and sleek monochrome bathrooms equipped with Le Grand Bain amenities in Classic and Superior rooms and Molton Brown across the suites. The Grand Suite has its own entrance lobby, master bedroom and bathroom, living and dining areas, study and guest WC, with an exceptional original marble bathroom and a large restored bathtub where you can rest and refresh after a long day of wandering Mayfair.

The hotel's dining and social spaces fit into the same design sensibilities: The Palm Court, situated at the very heart of the hotel, is where you’d sip your Afternoon Tea, specifically the Nineteen Twen-Tea, with intricate pastries and savoury treats inspired by the 1920s and the calming sounds of the resident harpist. Smith & Whistle, the hotel's bar, takes its name from the fictional pursuit of a high-class criminal - a characteristically British story, and serves modern classics made from seasonal British ingredients alongside artisan draught hops and expertly crafted cocktails. It is also dog-friendly, with a dedicated dogtails menu for four-legged guests. Mercante, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, offers Italian market-inspired dining beneath hand-drawn illustrations including a full-wall map of Italy that deserves a closer look.

The location is perfect for someone visiting for the first time or even a regular who wants to feel a sense of vintage London while enjoying the buzz of central London. Steps from Knightsbridge and Harrods in one direction, Bond Street and Savile Row in the other. Green Park directly opposite, Buckingham Palace a short stroll through its leafy paths. Hyde Park running along Park Lane just to the west. Here, the whole of London feels navigable, and returning to it, after a day of galleries and shops and theatre, truly feels like the best part of the day.

www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/longr-sheraton-grand-london-park-lane | @sheratongrandlondon