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If you search for 4 star hotels in London, you’ll be spoilt for choice. But if you’re seeking to stay in the heart of the city, and want quality, comfort and affordability then the Rathbone – one of the most popular London four star hotels – is the perfect option. Offering exceptional service and stylish accommodation at an price that brings genuine value, it’s an ideal choice for your London hotel.
One of London’s Best 4 Star Hotels
Every city in the world has a great selection of four star hotels and London is no exception. Many are in a similar price bracket and many will offer you similar services, facilities and amenities. As a discerning customer, you will be looking for differentiators to help you to choose the best place to stay.
Ours are easy to spot. As all good 4 star London hotels should be, we are close to the epicentre of London where all the magic happens. We cater for every type of traveller – business and corporate guests, tourists, couples looking for a romantic getaway, families and children – and we are committed to cater for every need and requirement. In addition to outstanding customer service, we offer a number of great benefits you can’t afford to miss:
- FREE fast wi-fi if you book direct through the website
- FREE continental breakfast every morning (£4 supplement for a full English)
- Great room service options as well as light bites in the lounge
- Exclusive discounts at local restaurants and health and beauty spas
We pride ourselves on providing outstanding service, indeed we were recently awarded a Traveller’s Choice Award from TripAdvisor which reflects this constant focus on the needs of our guests.
Each of our 72 recently refurbished rooms has been decorated in a clean, contemporary style and is equipped with everything you need for a relaxed stay. Having earned our reputation as one of the leading 4 star city hotels in London, we know how to make our guests feel welcome when they are with us and will strive to make your stay as comfortable as possible.
The Perfect Location – The Rathbone
The Rathbone is in Fitzrovia, a quaint corner of London just a few minutes’ walk from the fun and excitement of the West End. As well as being a stone’s throw from the very heart of the city, the Rathbone is also surrounded by a host of cool independent shops, bars and cafes as well as some really great restaurants – including Gaucho for Argentinian steak, Bertorelli for Italian, Wahaca for Mexican, Siam Central for Thai and Palms of Goa for Indian. There really is something for everyone.
Since we pride ourselves on our customer service, our reception and concierge staff are knowledgeable about all aspects of London life and are on hand to answer any questions you have about food, drink, travel, attractions and events, indeed anything you want to know.
Travelling Around London
From your base at your London four star hotel, it’s easy to find your way around London. There are a number of tube stations within easy walking distance including Goodge Street (Northern Line), Tottenham Court Road (Northern Line), Holborn (Central and Piccadilly Lines) and Oxford Circus (Victoria, Bakerloo and Victoria Lines) as well as numerous bus routes that will get you all over London and you can enjoy the view at the same time.
If you’re feeling fit and healthy, there are Santander bike stations dotted all over the city from where you can rent bikes and get round London on pedal power. If you’ve decided to brave the notorious London traffic, there are quite a few NCP car parks but prices vary so it’s worth checking online for the cheapest and closest.
Our postcode is W1T 1LB for your sat-nav. If you’re driving into central London between 7.00am and 6.00pm Monday to Friday, the Congestion Charge is (as at November 2015) £11.50 a day and you can pay online here.
London – Theatre Capital of the World
As you’ll be aware, London is a magical city bursting with amazing things to do and see and you can spend decades here and still not get to see everything but one thing the city is world-famous for is Theatreland.
Here at the Rathbone – one of the most popular 4 star hotels in London – we like to put on a show, but that’s nothing compared to what you’ll find just a few minutes’ walk away…
Theatreland which is in and around Covent Garden and comprises some of the most well-known stages in the whole world including the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Savoy Theatre, Prince of Wales Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre, the Lyceum and the Adelphi. The shows in Theatreland are considered to ‘represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world’.
Some of the longest running plays and musicals in the world are or have been permanent fixtures in London’s Theatreland including Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, The Lion King, Jersey Boys and Billy Elliott.
The earliest ‘playhouses’ in London, The Theatre and The Curtain, emerged in the late 16th century during the Reformation and interestingly, both were used by the company of a playwright called William Shakespeare. Whatever became of him?
Over the next 75 years or so, theatre flourished but they were being built outside the heavily-populated City and to avoid the politics and in-fighting of the City of London Corporation but in 1642, a decree by the Puritans closed them all. Advocates of an extremely austere lifestyle, the excesses of King Charles I’s regime were dramatically scaled back, including Christmas, theatre and gambling.
This creative pause became known as the interregnum but after that, theatre in London grew in popularity and shows were performed in large indoor spaces such as storehouses and other industrial-style buildings, large enough to accommodate a populace that was becoming increasingly interested in this up-and-coming branch of the performing arts.
The next 200 years was a boon. Theatre was the most popular form of entertainment and crowds flocked from all over the country to see plays in London and, since it wasn’t as easy to travel around in the 19th century, entrepreneurial innkeepers started to cater for out-of-towners who needed overnight accommodation. They certainly weren’t the 4-star London hotels you see today, but they provided a bed to sleep and presumably breakfast of some sort before they went on their way.
In the 1950s and 1960s, theatre in London was heavily censored by the Lord Chamberlain’s Office but this was a time of post-war rebellion and a more liberal, often controversial attitude and it didn’t go down too well with the writers and producers and, more importantly, the paying public.
‘Risky’ shows such as Lady Chatterley’s Lover were performed in private clubs but eventually, common sense prevailed. When the censorship was finally abolished in 1968, London’s Theatreland rapidly grew in popularity and in 2013 almost 15m people saw a show – many of them stayed at the Rathbone, one of London’s best 4 star hotels.
The Rathbone – Your 4 Star City Hotel London
We have all the bases covered. We have an unwavering commitment to providing a complete service and as an exceptional four star hotel in London we’ll make sure that your time with us is memorable for all the right reasons long after you leave us.
To book your stay at the Rathbone, contact us today.