opened in 1906, and is quite as lovely as it was in its first heyday—thanks largely to more than ten years of sympathetic private ownership. You really need to have a penchant for your Louis XVI, though: Staying here is like owning the Petit Trianon for the duration, especially if you get a room (one of 173) on the west side overlooking Green Park. Everywhere are sparkly glass chandeliers, heavy silk curtains, and curvy brocaded armchairs; the ornate cornices are not just gilded, they are 24-carat-gold–leafed. Bathrooms and fireplaces are marble; ceilings are at least 12 feet high; and everything comes in the Ritz candy palate of rose, lemon, peach, and powder blue. After years and acres of minimalism and white, it's all rather refreshing, especially after a Champagne tea or an exorbitant meal in the outrageously elaborate restaurant with its frescoes and putty-and-pink boudoir chairs. There's a fitness studio on the seventh floor, but runners also have Green and St James's parks literally on their doorstep. The salon, refurbished in early 2006, also provides a range of health and beauty treatments
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