I started looking for a hotel for my special birthday treat on a cold and dreary February afternoon. I didn't really have a clear idea of what I was looking for but my brief was simple, after a tough 2020 I wanted something elegant, something decadent and somewhere where I would feel pampered. It wasn't long before I found The Landmark in Marylebone, London. Browsing through the pictures of the jaw dropping foyer dotted with sky scraping palm trees my heart skipped a beat, it was simply beautiful. It offered a spa in the basement and even better, there was a booking deal, I do love a bargain and so within the hour I clicked 'book' and our reservation email sat proudly at the top of my inbox giving me a satisfied feeling that my 40th birthday weekend was sorted and I began counting down the days.
We arrived at St Pancras Station nine months later on a crisp autumnal day, the sun was shining and the air was fresh. Bubbles of anticipation filled my tummy and we popped over to Marks and Sparks for some coffee and a cheese twist. Sitting outside between 2 stations I breathed a deep, relaxing sigh, we had made it at long last. We had already decided we would be walking to The Landmark, we were under no time constraints and quite frankly we love 'looking' at London, the people, the secret streets and the fascinating little details that are hidden on every building. It's packed with history, everything has a story and one of our favourite things to do is just immerse ourselves in it. As such, our relatively simple walk took twice as long as we excitedly kept point out things that caught our eyes.
While walking along we spied a grand old building with curious architecture with a stupendous entrance and smart doormen welcoming those entering and leaving. 'WOW' exclaimed hubby as we both admired the grandeur. Then we saw the name of the building, 'THE LANDMARK', we had arrived and it was more spectacular than we had even imagined AND we hadn't even gone in the door yet!
Moments later the polite and professional doorman was opening the double doors and we stood in the luxurious marble foyer. Slightly stunned and taken aback by the decadance of the high ceilings, big opulent flower display and the gleaming marble. The smell was clean with a hint of floral perfume. At this point I felt my whole body tingle with happiness, my expecations had been high - in reality this was so much better!
Thao met us at reception managing to balance professionalism and warmth with ease she made it clear that we were very welcome, gave us all the information we needed and asked us what our plans for the day were. It wasn't quite midday and check in was 3pm, we were unaware if we could leave our luggage, Thao responded that that wouldn't be a problem at all and our luggage was taken and we were told that it would be taken to our room later. At this point I could feel my shoulders dropping as the normal stresses of life just floated away with my luggage and I daydreamed about how much money I would need to take up permanent residency in the hotel!
Suitcase free we resisted the urge to sprint up the steps to the atrium although we both felt like kids in a candy shop! The roof opened up and the space was flooded with light, couples sat at tables sipping coffee and staff busied themselves with catering to the needs of the guests. We decided to whip out our cameras for a few photos and then decided to head back outside to get some lunch and explore. (Note - if you want to eat at the hotel, book as far in advance as you can as sadly we couldn't make a reservation).
The last time we were in Marylebone was around 10 years ago when we were on a baby moon break. London is so vast though and we had never discovered this particular area. Over the road and a short walk away we found ourselves on the High Street meandering along and soaking up the scenery. It felt very 'local', pleasant and charming we saw cute little shops, friends meeting outside tiny cool cafes and Mums taking kids to taekwondo classes.
We stopped for lunch randomly at Za'tar, a modern Lebanese eaterie in a great location. I love Lebanese food, ever since I went to my friend Rana's birthday party as a child when I was about 10. Lebanese cuisine is a happy memory for me. Our lunch was a picnic of Lebneh flat breads, the most delicious houmous I have ever had, fresh and topped with coriander. we finished off with scrumptious sfoof, a cake I haven't eaten for 30 years. It was all just perfect. Service was impeccable and our surroundings were clean and spacious, my birthday weekend was continuing on a high.
Walking back via Crawford Street I popped into Ishtar, the restaurant I had booked for our evening meal. A friendly waitress amended our Saturday night booking to an earlier time without issue. I had realised that our spa was booked for 7pm at the hotel and I wanted some time in between our meal so that I didn't sink to the bottom of the posh pool! The restaurant looked modern yet cosy with chic lighting and an open kitchen, everything looked amazing. Next door was a yummy patisserie and open shisha bars were buzzing with chatter and amiable conversations.
A few moments later and we were back at the Landmark, the doormen opened the doors and welcomed us back! Having only been there for 10 minutes earlier we were highly impressed at their recollection of us, the Landmark is all about the detail. By this time it was 2pm and we easily got a seat in the atrium. Soft live piano music tinkled through the wide open space as we sipped our drinks ordered via a neatly dressed waitress within minutes of taking our seats. If the day had ended there it would have ended on a high but little did we know that the best was yet to come. At 2.45pm I was starting to wain a little, I had finished my refreshing sparkling water and had taken the time to potter around the gallery floor above us that displayed several windows of exclusive items for the exclusive clientele such as exquisite unique jewellery and Landmark gifts.
We tried our luck at reception again and Thao greeted us with her courteous kindness. She checked the system and confirmed our room was ready. Looking closely at the screen she smiled and had noticed that this stay was a special one for my 40th birthday treat and she mentioned we had been upgraded and to enjoy our stay after describing to us how to get to our room. The bubbles of excitement returned with gusto as we stepped into the wooden pannelled lift that felt like an extension of the hotel rather than a lift, a moving room. It wouldn't have looked out of place to have a lift attendant in there to push the floor buttons on our behalf. The doors opened onto another equally grand foyer with heavy sleek furniture and large mirrors. We made our way to the left which felt like an endless corridor of turns like we were in Labyrinth. I giggled half way round wondering if we had been put in the room furthest away sensing I need to shift a few lbs! Eventually we saw our room number tucked into its own little section with one other room, hubby exclaimed 'does our room have a doorbell?!' Yes. This room was so fancy it had it's own doorbell. I let out a squeal of delight! How very poshe. To be honest I would have been ecstatic with that detail alone but as we swiped our key and entered our room our jaws dropped and we were stunned into silence. Our first steps were into our own private hall, a door leading off that was our white marble bathroom complete with his and her sinks, a deep bath, a large shower cubicle and a seperate toilet - with a phone - I wondered how many people make calls on the loo?! Is this a regular thing?
From the hall the room opened up into a lounge and a bedroom area with a sofa and armchairs. A kingsize bed complete with touches such as heavy drapes, beautiful lapmps, scatter cushions and a huge TV. Even the hairdyer wasn't attached to the wall! (super poshe!). Another scream of delight before the excitement overflowed and I must admit I had a little tear. It was all so much more than I had hoped for, my dream of one night away from the trials of the year was turning into a bit of a fairytale for me. I flipped back onto the scatter cushions with a sense of sheer delight, then the doorbell went and we were given a plate with a lovely birthday cupcake complete with HAPPY BIRTHDAY drizzled in chocolate followed by a super friendly porter who delivered our luggage and stayed for a quick chat. I had wanted to feel like a princess and the Landmark were going out of their way to make that dream come true.
An hour later we looked at the clock and as the sun began to set we reluctantly dressed for dinner, reluctant because part of me wanted to don my PJs, order Landmark room service and lay on the giant bed for the evening! However, suited and booted we popped into the lift right outside our hotel room and within moments we were outside breathing in the chilly November air. A pleasant Marylebone walk for 10 minutes and we were back to the electric friendly shisha bars with locals catching up with one another.
Inside Ishtar the lights were low with cool chandeliers and the open kitchen was in full swing smelling amazing and providing our own kitchen theatre. Friendly staff showed us to our seats and we perused the ecclectic menu with wonder. We declined starters opting for steak and chicken kebabs. Despite not ordering starters we were treated to fresh homous, warm bread and juicy plump olives. A really special and unexpected surprise. The restaurant ambience was cool, not so cool that it was snobby or inaccessible but struck us as modern and inclusive. Families with young children, young groups of singles and couples were attracted to Ishtar for the experience. Hubby and I enjoyed the extension of a wonderful afternoon that was quickly melting into an equally wonderful evening. Our meals arrived in a timely manner and it was truly a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds. The best steak I have ever eaten, bursting with flavour from the expert cookery.
After our meals I nipped downstairs to the bathrooms walking through a neon bar area with trendy intimate alcoves where they appeared to be setting up for live music. I made a mental note that we had to return to this restaurant, not only was the food amazing but it had oodles of atmosphere. On returning upstairsI noticed that our table was being set and hubby hadn't moved. we hadn't ordered dessert although it had all been very tempting. Our spa booking at the hotel made me fear that if I ate another bite I would sink like a stone to the bottom of the basement pool! The next thing I knew I had been surrounded by staff and a speaker with yummy ice cream, baklava and a big birthday candle! A lovely Happy Birthday chorus was sung to me which made me feel incredibly special. Thank you so much to the staff of Ishtar, what a special and memorable experience! We will be returning for the delightful food and wonderful hospitality!
The walk back to the hotel was considerably longer as I was waddling, we went in the back entrance which is directly opposite Marylebone station, a cute and charming station that I have never been in before. We just had time for a quick change into our swimming gear and slip into our complimentary robes and slippers to find the pool for our booked spa slot. We got lost several times on the way which we found amusing pottering around in our gowns while others were glammed up to the max for an elegant night out. I was super excited about the spa, hubby not so much but agreed to go along. When we finally found our way the lady on the spa reception wasn't the friendliest and called for a colleague to see to us, we weren't phased as the lady who came out from the back was bright and enthusiastic showing us the facilities and where to go. The pool area was very busy, a family of more than 10 were in one corner occupying all the beds and the complimentary fruit waters, our hearts sank a little as we were hoping for a quieter setting but they were just finishing their slot and all of a sudden it was just hubby and I along with 3 others. This turned out to be another highlight of our trip and we spent the next hour swimming and enjoying the large jacuzzi.We wondered why there was a giant tap in the jacuzzi and the friendly staff member explained it was great for circulation. We pressed the start button and my goodness the giant tap could have taken skin off the bone! Not for me but hubby loved it! For a man who had been luke warm at best to the idea of the spa it was he who didn't want to leave!
An hour later, invigorated, refreshed and relaxed we were back in the hotel room enjoying all it had to offer starting with a heavenly shower before sinking into the soft bed under the crisp sheets. I don't think I have ever slept so well.
The Landmark has the WOW factor in abundance but its accessible, affectionate and cordial. My birthday event was remarkable and one that I will always cherish. A special shoutout to Thao and the doormen who made us feel like we were part of the family <3
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