Conrad London St. James

Stepping into Conrad London St. James, it’s impossible to imagine there are 256 spacious guest rooms and suites tucked inside. Flooded in natural light, the angular lobby lends a boutique feel that carries through to the rest of the recently refurbished public spaces to make for an instantly appealing pet- and family-friendly hotel.

After an exemplary warm welcome, you’re greeted by a large bronze sculpture of a man scaling a ladder, carrying the weight of the Palace of Westminster on one shoulder. It’s one of many visual nods to the hotel’s rich historical roots and location in London’s political heart, Westminster. The wrought-iron stair railings curling around and down to the lower ground, to meeting rooms and a 24-hour fitness area, are another. They are the same ones suffragette Emily Wilding Davison chained herself to while protesting for women’s rights.

Long before it became the Conrad hotel, it was the Queen Anne’s Chambers, where wartime deals were struck and treaties were signed, and political figures linked to the nearby House of Commons congregated, until the division bells rang to beckon them back, with just eight minutes left to vote.

There’s much to feed the mind at this London hotel. So, too, the stomach. With four areas to dine and drink, there’s plenty to satiate throughout your stay.