With lavish heritage hotels, one-off shops and art-filled streets, the historic and stylish London neighborhood of Chelsea has undeniable and endurable charm. Here’s where to stay on your next visit…
Where To Stay In Chelsea:
It doesn’t get much more Chelsea than The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel: Housed in five, immaculately restored and intelligently connected buildings fabulously done up in the Queen Anne Revival style, the 54-key Cadogan Hotel joined the always-exquisite Belmond collection in 2019 but dates back to 1887. Keeping its illustrious (and sometimes fantastically scandalous) past close to heart, The Cadogan is infused with an undeniable sense of place.
On the immaculate exterior, a Blue Plaque highlights the hotel’s link to the nineteenth-century it-girl, Lillie Langtry, a British-American socialite/actress/producer/love interest of the eldest son of Queen Victoria, Edward VII, The Prince of Wales. "The Jersey Lily," as she was fondly called, lived at 21 Pont Street, which became part of the hotel in 1895. Original features of the entryway of Langtry’s apartment have been preserved, and guests can still use this secretive side entrance to admire the gorgeous wood paneling and mosaic floor, bedecked with images of lilies, which have been replicated throughout the hotel. Langtry, who remained living in her apartment even after it became part of The Cadogan, was a contemporary of Oscar Wilde, who was famously arrested at the hotel in 1895 on charges of gross indecency. Tributes to Wilde can also be found throughout the property, the most eccentric of which being the life-sized, white peacock sculpture off of the lobby, covered in over 25,000 Swarovski crystals and christened with the name of Oscar (what else?).
Oscar the peacock is only one of 429 artworks on display at The Cadogan, many of which were commissioned by contemporary women artists like Kathleen Mullaniff and Jane Kell. The hotel’s art and impeccably well-dressed, modern-classic interiors draw inspiration from the greenery of Chelsea (and its famed flower show), and the front-of-house staff’s red rose patterned uniforms also provide a gentle nod. Other staff uniforms evoke different facets of Chelsea’s heritage. For example, the red, checked-print coats of the doormen pay homage to the ultimate sixties Chelsea Girl, designer Mary Quant, who rewrote the rules of fashion when she first opened her shop on nearby King’s Road. From the chic floral china to the geranium-scented Bamford toiletries and sleep spray left pillow-side at bedtime, every single detail is considered and connected, which is why, despite the fact that there are plenty of other luxury hotels in the area, The Cadogan wins the title as the best hotel in Chelsea, if not the best hotel in all of London.
Eating and Drinking In Chelsea:
It’s not just its classic-cool design and shimmering five-star service that makes The Cadogan the best hotel in town, it’s also the food. With visionary, award-winning Chef Patron Adam Handling at the helm, serving everything from flawless, freshly baked breakfast pastries and afternoon tea, to extraordinarily creative cocktails and highly memorable dinners at The Cadogan’s flagship, Adam Handling, Chelsea, there is little reason to leave the hotel for a bite to eat.
Even if you don’t stay overnight at The Cadogan, a drink or a meal is practically mandatory while in Chelsea. Breakfast, for both guests and locals, is served in a part of the hotel that was once a bank and now features high-design lighting and an almost Parisian vibe, with bistro curtains and outdoor seating. In the evenings, the same space transforms into a glowing, atmospheric bar, where the custom illustrated menus are presented in hallowed-out books and come complete with a welcome tipple hidden inside. Drinks are exquisite and legitimately creative. Try the whip-smart Royal Mistress (another nod to Ms. Langtry), made with mezcal, vermouth and cynar. The magic of the drinks are only surpassed by the magic of the dining room, located just behind the bar in what was once Langtry’s apartment. Dishes range from the daring (see: Mother, a nest of ribboned celeriac, truffle and crisp apple, made for Handling’s vegetarian mother) to the classic (see: the perfectly seared beef of rib for two with fat fluffy chips). Don’t skip on dessert, which is presented on the menu as a trio of ingredients (i.e. “new season carrot, sea buckthorn, olive” or “English rhubarb, hibiscus, bayleaf”), which Handling alchemizes into more magic.
Elsewhere in Chelsea, one of the best ways to explore the neighborhood is to find the local pub. The Surprise makes for a good contender for a pint, attracting locals with its newly refreshed country-chic interiors and indie spirit. The dessert hotspot, Peggy Porschen Chelsea is a favorite with the international set, drawing crowds with its pretty-in-pink, photogenic stylings. Daphne's is an old-school British haunt with an English-garden-inspired conservatory; and the casual, farm-to-fork Rabbit is another local Chelsea gem.
What To Do In Chelsea:
Chelsea has long been the haunt of fashionistas, and the shopping—from big-name luxury brands to one-off boutiques—is second to none. The neighborhood also has a rich and well-defined art scene. One of the best ways to get the inside track is via The Cadogan’s new Our Chelsea, Your Way experience. As part of the package, which also includes a one-night stay with breakfast, guests get to choose from a selection of exclusive and customizable local experiences, like hitting the shops with a private shopping concierge, with plenty of refueling stops at Chelsea’s best eateries, galleries and museums. This summer is a perfect time for both shopping and art, as there are plenty of new editions to the area, like Anya Hindmarch’s new shopping concept The Village on Pont Street) and art events, like the public art of the K+C Festival, an expansion of Kensington & Chelsea Art Week.
Beyond the shopping, one of the most charming things to do in Chelsea is make like a local and spend a sunny afternoon in the blissfully quiet and well-manicured Cadogan Place Gardens. It’s a private, residence-only square; however, if you’re a guest of The Cadogan you’ll be granted access. There, you can play tennis on one of several courts; the Cadogan’s concierge can arrange rackets and balls, or they can arrange a picnic of scones and English sparkling wine by Adam Handling’s own label to enjoy under the park’s ancient mulberry trees.
Rooms at The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel start from £556 per night. Our Chelsea, Your Way package includes accommodation, daily breakfast, picnic in the Cadogan Place Gardens, access to tennis courts, private shopping, out-of-hours access to Chelsea Physic Garden and Wander Art (some supplements apply).
