Regency splendour and Oetker run (Le Bristol, Hotel du Cap), this London grand dame has managed to keep its magic since its courting days in the nineties. After a splashy two-year renovation in 2015 (rumoured to cost £80 million) it welcomed back detailed guests and old-school regulars who know that the white-gloved English service can’t be beat. It’s a gilded affair – trompe l’oeil frescoes, delicate chandeliers and flashy fabrics, plus, each room comes with round-the-clock butler service (they’ll go so far as to ask for your preferred room temperature before arrival). It’s very popular for Afternoon Tea – an experience Jane Austen would most certainly love – but we like to hide out in the Library Bar for a flick through the prettiest Rizzoli books.