Marylebone Hotel

This hotel was formerly the Clifton Ford, a box-like sixties type of building in Welbeck Street. The Doyle Group, which owned and sold out Jury’s, acquired the hotel and its success mirrors that of the quarter it occupies, Marylebone Village. It is an excellent base to explore with the High Street, Wallace Collection, numerous restaurants, Regents Park, Wigmore Hall and the West End all within walkable access.

The room was comfortable and spacious. I had some difficulty in working out how to extinguish one light (shutting the door over the aperture in lit) and the way the bathroom and shower operated might have benefited from some explanation. A more major criticism is that it took over 10 minutes to register me in for two nights and even after that they thought I was leaving after the first. I did not try its main restaurant but I have  frequently used the 108 bar which is comfortable during the day to meet and buzzy at night.

Daphne Colthard recommended locally in Marylebone High Street Fischers, a Viennese konditorei, and part of the King/Corbin group. The atmosphere was Viennese and the wiener schnitzel excellent. Afterwards I went to the Golden Eagle pub, where resident pianist Tony “Fingers” Pearson has been presiding over a  sing-a-long for over 20 years. An Australian called Chris Hanley was in fine voice in his rendition of Have Some Madeira, My Dear and it came as no surprise that he was the grand nephew of Jimmy Hanley of ITMA fame (the radio show It’s that Man Again) which was popular in the fifties. The Marylebone is not cheap so you are advised to book in advance but it enhances any stay in one of the most chic and entertaining parts of the capital.