The Comfortable

Conrad London St. James Hotel

There are times when you lose something, and your heart does an elevator plunge to your feet. Like when you watch one of your earbuds fall out of your ear, as you helplessly stare at it, cascading headlong into a grate on the sidewalk—and you realize it has started a long transmigration to a place you’ll never go, and that the two of you will never be reunited. And then there are times you don’t even know you’ve lost something for a day or two—when you discover the loss when you need that item, and it’s g-o-n-e.

Well, that is what happened to me, when I went to plug in my phone, to charge it overnight, in London...and ooops, I realized, I must have left the ten-foot-long charging cable at the Conrad London St. James. That was a big oops; I saw myself heading to the Apple store or Currys the next morning to get a replacement…but, for certainty’s sake, I immediately called the Conrad’s front desk, ready to deliver a litany of facts—when I checked in/out, my room number, a description of the cord and so on…when the gentleman at the front desk said he just needed my name. And, then, almost miraculously, he was able to spout all that data back to me, and told me that my cable was sitting, wrapped up, in a shopping bag, and all I had to do was come to claim it.

Given the level of efficiency he displayed, I was surprised he had not asked me my present location and then said he’d hop into an Uber and be there in five minutes with the cord!

Such was the service delivered at the gracious Conrad London St. James. Conrad Hotels are named for the Big Honcho Himself—founder Conrad Hilton—by his son, Barron Hilton. When the first Conrad Hotel was built, along Australia’s Gold Coast in Jupiters, in 1981, the Hilton Hotel brand was a separate company from Hilton International, and could not operate hotels outside the United States under the Hilton flag. The newly minted Conrad appellation solved that problem, and also bestowed upon the company the inaugural property that would remain the ultra-luxurious branch of the chain.

In 2006, the two Hilton halves were “reunited,” but the Conrad brand, by then well established, remained the luxury division of Hilton (until it was eclipsed by the Waldorf-Astoria Collection in 2006, now known globally as Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts). The Conrad Hotels & Resorts, with 50 properties across the continents, remains a luxury product and can be found in far-flung settings—like Rabat Arzana, Morocco; Bengaluru, India; Altay Hemu, China—and more popular places, like Hamburg, Athens, and Sardinia.

But, for the nonce, forget those distant destinations, because the one destination you’ll love having at your fingertips is this hotel’s footprint in its London postal code…because you are dead across the street from the tube station. What a joy! Another plus: You are but a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben. Yet you might not even need to head outside, given that two wonderful restaurants–The Pem and the Blue Boar—are at your fingertips here. (And you can take advantage of in-room dining with the Pem in Bed, a cossetting experience, savoring the restaurant’s elegant service and creative cuisine in the privacy of your room.)

Under the whisk of head chef, Daniel Winser, The Pem serves up modern British cuisine with a contemporary flair; thus, classic Pomme Anna is not presented as a wedge of a layered potato tarte, but rather as neat, squared-off rectangles, comprised of layers of ambrosial, locally grown potatoes. For my starter, I delighted in heritage carrots, accompanied by goat curd, pistachio, and wild herbs; for my main, I chose succulent corn-fed chicken, awash in spring mushrooms, hazelnuts, and capped off with a saintly Madeira sauce.

Dessert presented too many choices, and I “settled” on heavenly macerated strawberries, in an iced parfait, with milk ice cream. What you will love at The Pem is the table service when you arrive: The snow-white linen napkin is covered with a golden plume, and that feather motif is carried out throughout your meal, so that after dinner, when delicate miniardises are offered, they are presented in a feather-shaped ceramic dish, along with another gilded feather.

For lighter fare, the Blue Boar Pub offers all the classics, again, with an updated twist. Here you’ll be embraced by the casual atmosphere, in a predominantly Navy blue palette—with blue-and-white gingham napkins, a checked-motif carpet, all matching. The walls are adorned with fun drawings and cartoons, and greeting you, at the entry, is a life-size ceramic Corgi, a “replica” of one of Queen Eliabeth’s favorite dogs—we are led to believe—named Whisky. He is sporting a ceramic coat, featuring the Union Jack. It’s a very “pubby” place. And do not, my waitress admonished me, leave there without having a go at the more-than-generous portion of the restaurant’s renowned sticky toffee pudding—it’s the best in London, she told me, and she may well be spot-on about that. My advice? Save room for it.

For additional info: hilton.com/en/hotels/loncoci-conrad-london-st-james
All photos: Courtesy of Conrad London St. James Hotel