Hotel review: Landmark Hotel in London's Marylebone

Rating:

We emerge from Marylebone station and tumble straight into the Landmark London hotel. It's a seamless, stress-free transition that was first plotted 150 years ago by railway visionary Sir Edward Watkins.

In a period when railways were king, Watkins had earmarked the space outside the Marylebone terminal to become the most luxurious of all the capital's railway hotels; an effortless retreat for those residing in the city on business or pleasure. The Great Central Hotel duly opened its doors on the site in 1899, although Watkins, beleaguered by financial woes, had little to do with it.

Queen of Marylebone road: The Landmark was built in 1899 as one of the capital's great railway hotels

It's a shame because his initial hunch, that Marylebone would be a great setting for visitors to the capital, continues to be spot on in 2013. Should you wish to sharpen your pencil and scrub through a list of London's tourist attractions then Madame Tussauds, the Planetarium, Baker Street and Regent's Park are within easy walking distance of what is now known as the Landmark London. Oxford Street, Leicester Square and beyond command a bus or tube ride... but it's all very doable.

Beautiful inside and out: The glass atrium floods light into the hotel and, right, The Landmark's pretty entrance

Indeed, it's from the top seats of a double-decker that you really get to savour the 300-room Landmark's exterior. Designed by Robert William Edis and topped with a clock tower that seems to tip its hat to an older brother across town called Ben, the hotel is a grand 'hello and welcome' to motorists who roll over the Marylebone flyover from the relative gloom of London's Westway.

After a heady start, the building was reclaimed by the government during both World Wars and then used by the British Transport Commission (British Rail) until a painstaking overhaul in the mid-nineties returned it to its former glory. The accolades have been forthcoming since with the Landmark regularly picking up awards over the last decade. 

Elegant: The room decor teams greens, creams, beige and duck-egg blue

However, there was no mention of the hotel in the most recent Forbes Travel Guide, which uses undercover inspectors to rate international hotels. I'm not entirely surprised to note its absence...

Meet the neighbours: Madame Tussauds - currently including a model of heartthrob Harry Styles - is just a short walk away

Our room, an 'executive corner' room of lavish proportions - you could swing a whole cluster of cats in here - had lots of luxurious features: comfortable king-size bed; enormous flat-screen television; large marble bathroom, coffee machine. The decor, a traditional cream, green and duck-egg blue affair, was shown off by six - count 'em - lamps located around the room and floor-to-ceiling curtains. A feeble old-style hairdryer (or is it a very small hoover, I could never tell) shows the hotel's age although to be fair, a more whizz-bang hairdryer was to be found in a drawer.

So far, so five-star. Sadly, and I accept this is very much a personal preference, the smell of smoke took the sheen off our stay. For a hotel that prides itself on service, it seemed odd that it would place a family with a young toddler on 'the smoker's floor'. The hotel certainly didn't seem stuffed to the gills. We'd assumed it was old smoke from many moons ago so didn't request a move for our one-night stay...but when I asked about it on check-out, I was cheerily told, "Yes, we put you in a smoking room."

The Spa & Health club, in the hotel's basement, had a much more pleasing aroma. Recently refurbished, it is small but beautifully formed with high-tech gym equipment, a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. A series of neatly hidden doors lead to dimly-lit treatment rooms. An hour-long Seaweed Oil massage was some kind of wonderful and teased out the sightseeing knots. The pool, surprisingly long for a compact space, has allocated times for children to swim so that adults seeking quiet refuge know exactly when not to go.  

A calm retreat: The basement spa and health club have all mod cons...and allocated times for children

The Landmark is an interesting hotel to stay in. A big Jewish wedding was playing out in one of the ballrooms and plenty of people were clearly in the capital for special occasions - the pianist was called upon to tinkle out 'Happy Birthday' more than once. 

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A couple of pre-dinner Bellinis in the Mirror Bar were delicious but eye-wateringly expensive at £18.50 each.The Winter Gardens, the Landmark's two-AA rosette restaurant, sits directly beneath the marvellous glass roof atrium. On a blue-sky day, the outdoors pours in...and manages to stretch out a summer day even further...the liberally-spaced palm trees further adding to the holiday atmosphere. The food was really good too, our scallops and steaks both scorched in just the right places. Again, it isn't cheap but around £25 for a main course in this setting was probably just about fair. A kids menu played it safe with staples such as chicken goujons, macaroni cheese and mini burgers but they were well executed and came in ample portions.

Vanity project: The Mirror Bar serves up late-night cocktails

At dawn, a breakfast banquet is laid out: an omelette chef is poised for requests and everything from smoked salmon to a traditional fry-up and plenty of breads, cereals and croissants are among the offerings. It's a long service too, running from 7:00am until 11:30am.

Marylebone is rightly proud of its grand architectural dame, so much so that 25 new flats nearby have taken its name. There is something resoundingly satisfying about a building that is still succeeding at what it was built to do more than 120 years after its completion. The Landmark probably needs further sprucing to fall back in favour with the likes of Forbes - and to really justify the high prices it charges. Even with amateur eyes, it's easy to see that it's not quite as slick as some of its contemporaries.

For those arriving in to Marylebone, it's a hotel brimming with history and perfectly placed. Just make it clear if you don't smoke, then the third floor is not for you. 

Travel facts

Stay for two or more nights at the Landmark London from £269 per night, including breakfast in the Winter Garden, as part of a current special offer.

Visit www.landmarklondon.co.uk/en/special/bed-and-breakfast