Draycott Hotel - London, England

It is hard to believe that a hotel as quiet and restful as The Draycott Hotel can exist so close to London's busy Chelsea and Knightsbridge. Thanks to thoughtful design and a passionate eye for detail, an overall ambience has been created to provide guests with a refuge from the hectic pace of the city. From the Victorian antiques that casually adorn the comfortable bedrooms to the beautifully upholstered furniture in the drawing room and the library, everything about The Draycott Hotel has been diligently well-conceived and executed. Occupying three neighboring, late-nineteenth century houses in Cadogan Gardens just off Sloane Street, the rear of the house looks out over a leafy square, which adds to the tranquility of the place, and the front gives onto a quiet street. Each of the 35 bedrooms has been decorated with individual and personal touches - an Indian ivory-and-ebony mirror here, a Georgian-style canopy bed there - and each bears the name of a theatrical personality; J M Barrie, David Garrick, Laurence Olivier. This motif is carried through in more detail with perhaps a tasteful print of the namesake or a faded photograph in a silver frame in every room. Such is the intimate atmosphere that you could be forgiven for thinking you may have wandered into someone's private home. Indeed, The Draycott Hotel eschews the usual hotel lobby in favor of an informal reception hall where guests are welcomed. Banquettes and cozy armchairs provide the perfect environment for a pre-dinner drink, or perhaps an afternoon snooze for weary shoppers. Members of staff take a great deal of pride in anticipating and attending to each guests particular needs, and you get a sense that nothing is ever too much trouble in the delightful world of The Draycott Hotel.