Just ahead you’ll spot a tall, white stone building with rows of small balconies lined up all the way to the clouds-look for the impressive 17-story tower rising right next to Cadogan Place and you can’t miss it.
Alright, mate, settle in and take a butcher’s at The Carlton Tower Jumeirah-now that’s what I call Knightsbridge with a cherry on top! Back in 1961, when the Beatles were barely a twinkle on the charts, this whopper of a hotel opened as The Carlton Tower, lifting the skyline and local spirits. Now, it boasts 186 plush rooms and 88 suites-so posh you’d half expect the pillows to come with their own butler. It’s been run by everyone from the Yanks at Sonesta Hotels-who called it the Sonesta Tower for a quick minute-to our very own Lex Hotels, and then the glitzy Hyatt crew in the ‘80s. Every manager’s had a go-like musical chairs with more room service.
These days, it’s the Emirati lads at Jumeirah who keep the chandeliers polished, having given it a snazzy £100 million facelift in 2019. That’s a lotta bob for a new lick of paint, eh? Reopened in 2021, it’s now the Carlton Tower Jumeirah, standing proud right ‘round the corner from Hyde Park, Harrods, and the swanky Knightsbridge shops. Hungry? There’s Al Mare, whipping up Italian nosh under chef Marco Calenzo, and The Chinoiserie for when you fancy a nibble from dawn till dusk. If you’re feeling fit, their Peak Fitness Club & Spa’s got awards coming out its ears-plus a swimming pool long enough to get lost in, and two tennis courts for a cheeky volley.
But it ain’t all glitz-there’s been mystery, too. In 2009, local papers had a field day reporting a banker who checked in but, let’s just say, didn’t check out. Even so, the legends, the awards, and that sweeping London view make this hotel a Knightsbridge icon. Go on, give it a wink-as posh as a corgi with a crown!
