Suite temptation

The Emory, London’s first all-suite hotel in Belgravia, is an architectural masterpiece that sets a new standard for contemporary luxury in London where nothing seems impossible. Arriving by private jet into London’s private airfields? The good people at The Emory will helicopter you in. Arriving or departing by plane or train? They’ll transfer you in one of their fleet of luxury cars.

More like a private residential complex, The Emory joins the esteemed Maybourne Group whose long-established traditional London hotels – Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley, are so classically British. 

Designed by renowned London-based ‘ultra-prime’ luxury architectural design studio, Rigby & Rigby, the hotel’s modern exterior is a striking addition to Belgravia’s classic Georgian townhouses. Like a giant Mechano structure, the 10-storey, 61-suite property ‘spoons’ with its adjacent sister hotel, The Berkeley, overlooking Hyde Park. Entrance is via a rear mews cobblestone laneway that leads to secluded Old Barrack Yard. There are no flying flags or marble foyers; rather a genuinely warm greeting from your personal Emory Assistant before being transported by hi-tech lift to your Emory Park Suite.

One of 14 designed by André Fu, our suite is enormous and stretches along the park side of the building with uninterrupted views from each room. Entry is via a large lounge with small dining table and black and white marble kitchen, through to a smaller lounge area with balcony and walk-in dressing room opposite, Then through a central doorway is the king-size bedroom with adjacent spacious marble bathroom with shower and bath and his and hers twin vanities. 

Each two floors feature the creative designs of different leading international designers including Alexandra Champalimaud of New York, Parisien Pierre-Yves Rochon and Spanish-born Patricia Urquiola who is based in Milan, as well as Fu, Asia’s most celebrated interior architect who is based in Hong Kong.  

Acclaimed Parisien interior architect Rémi Tessier, known for his work on luxury superyachts, has waved his design wand over The Emory’s ground floor public spaces – the abc kitchens and bar, and The Emory Rooftop Bar on the 10^th floor and The Emory Cigar Merchants. He cleverly combines the use of plush materials – think kidskin and polished copper, to give a warm intimacy to the contemporary steel and glass structure.

Celebrated chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is no stranger to London’s discerning diners, having won them over long ago with his Jean-Georges at The Connaught, another of Maybourne’s esteemed properties. But this time, the renowned chef who operates some 60 restaurants around the globe, has transported his three New York abc dining concepts to London – the flagship farm-to-table abc kitchen, South American-inspired abc cocina and his vegan abcV. 

At The Emory, he combines an explosion of flavours and cuisines with dishes such as crispy Dover sole tacos, chargrilled octopus, guacamole with pistachio, hummus with green peas, pizza with salsa verde and taleggio, and arroz con pollo. The classic cheddar burger also comes highly recommended. Overseeing the menu in this 55-seater and private dining room is Ben Boeynaems, a highly respected chef with experience in some of London’s most salubrious kitchens including those of Gordon Ramsay and Eric Chavot.

With Cedric Grolet’s patisserie immediately adjacent in The Berkeley – accessed through a sliding door, the aroma of freshly-baked croissants stirs the appetite at breakfast which is complimentary for guests. The restaurant also does a mean Eggs Benedict and offers generous serves of smoked salmon with your eggs. A series of colourful floral artwork by often controversial British artist and sculptor, Damien Hirst, and titled The Secret Gardens Paintings adorn the walls, while floor to ceiling windows give a glimpse of London life as pedestrians and joggers go by in Hyde Park opposite.

A unique new The Art of Dining package gives guests an accumulative daily credit at all Maybourne restaurants and the use of the hotel car.

 Tessier has also gone underground – literally – to design an extraordinarily beautiful and private wellness and longevity club, Surrenne, housed over four subterranean levels. While members pay a GBP10,000 ($19,995) joining fee, guests at The Emory are privileged to free access during their stay. However, this is no regular spa facility and has on its advisory board American neuroscientist and podcast guru, Andrew Huberman, who is also an Associate Professor at Stanford University, and epigenetics and aging specialist David Sinclair, an Australian-American, who is Professor of Genetics at Harvard medical School. 

Surrenne features a 22-metre magnesium lap pool, seven luxurious treatment rooms including a double’s suite, two wet treatment rooms, steam and sauna facilities with snow shower, a longevity suite and a state-of-the-art gym. 

With a ‘wonky’ back, my hour-long I Need it All treatment was a therapeutic mixture of Thai massage, Shiatsu and deep tissue that worked wonders on my travel-weary body. Another time, I might consider a facial using exceptional skincare products by noted plastic surgeon Dr Lara Devgan or do a Fitness by Tracy Anderson workout. The menu of treatments on offer is impressive.

But come sundown, upstairs on the 10^th level in a huge glass pavilion is the guests-only Emory Rooftop Bar, sipping cocktails while taking in uninterrupted city views. My Egipto comprises Bombay Sapphire gin, dry vermouth, chamomile liqueur and saffron and is a deliciously gentle martini in disguise. It boasts a menu of outstanding spirits and wines while Vongerichten offers a Mood Board of aged cheeses and seasonal snacks with indulgent extras such as caviar and more.

Next door in a similar glass cube featuring atmospheric burl wood details, The Emory Cigar Merchants invites cigar aficionados to puff away to their heart’s content, knowing the air is purified via a hidden state-of-the-art extraction system. In summer, the roofs of both these pavilions retract to offer unparalleled 360-degree views over the city’s capital.

But it’s not just the cutting-edge design and all-inclusive rates concept that is winning a new appreciative clientele, it’s the discreet attention and thoughtful customised service as well. 

Be careful what you wish for at The Emory. On arriving hatless in winter, in one of the hotel’s fleet of luxury cars, I commented on the warm black beanies the top-coated doormen were wearing to combat the winter cold. A little later in my suite, an Emory gift bag arrived with two cashmere beanies and a note: A little something to keep your heads warm whilst in London. Have a great stay – The Doormen and Luggage Porters.

One of the Emory Assistants learnt my back was playing up. By later that day, she had organised an in-house appointment for me with a physio-chiropractor in the hotel’s luxurious Surrenne spa facility and had a jar of Tiger Balm delivered to my room. 

While the architecture and design are indeed cutting edge, it’s the combination with the extraordinary personal attention and bespoke service that makes this new-comer to London’s prestigious accommodation options such a stand-out.  

(Earlier this year The Maybourne Group announced it will open its newest development, The Maybourne Saint-Germain, in Saint-Germain-des-Prés in the Left Bank quarter of Paris in 2027, comprising 50 suites, 51 rooms and 23 ultra-luxury residences. It will join the group’s other global properties, The Maybourne Beverly Hills and The Maybourne Riviera.)