The Metropolitan Hotel

Praising a hotel restaurant is like complimenting a fat person on their footwear; you focus on the positive, and try to ignore what's going on upstairs. No one actually wants to eat in a hotel, apart from residents who can't be bothered to put their coats on. Hence the proliferation of big-name chefs recruited to reinvigorate London's grand hotel dining rooms. Without a Ramsay, Ducasse or Wareing, it's hard to capture the feeling that here, right in this very dining room, you've found the most vibrant spot in town. Especially when disoriented tourists are straggling around with wheelie cases. The best you can usually say about the experience is, "I completely forgot I was in a hotel!"

Nobu, perched on the first floor of the Metropolitan Hotel, is of course a destination in its own right. So much so, it might be contended, that its fame overshadows that of its alma mater. Indeed, the first time I ate at Nobu, I had no idea that it was inside a hotel at all; having been whisked up to the restaurant through a separate entrance on Park Lane.

Even this time, when the hotel was the principal focus of my attentions, it was hugely understated. I was shown up to my room on the tenth floor, which had wonderful views of the Eye, and past the glittering dome of St Paul’s and the Gherkin to the monoliths of Canary Wharf.

Décor is simple – minimal without the coldness of minimalism. No art, no gimmicks, just soft pale wood and neutral tones. The room had all the required gadgets – DVD and CD player, Bose sound system, free internet including access through the television, iron and ironing board and a comprehensive entertainment system that was easy to work.
In fact everything seemed to work as it should without being too fiddly – an on-time alarm call, quiet and simple air conditioning and a well-stocked bathroom.

Breakfast costs from £20 depending on which package you choose or less if you go for individual items from the a la carte menu. I liked the healthy breakfast (£26), which included porridge with manuka honey and goji berries, a smoothie and egg white omelette, or there was the more indulgent champagne breakfast (£47) including eggs royale or pancakes with marscapone, nutella and berries – an inspired combination. It’s served 6.30am-11am in the White Room off Nobu.

The hotel has a gym and treatment rooms offering facials from £80 for 75 minutes and massages from £75 for 60 minutes.
Service almost resoundingly got the thumbs up from recent reviewers, and many commented on the good cocktails and the location. Where the hotel lost points among the site's users was for its decor - "tired" said some users, "lacking in atmosphere" was another comment, while one or two users complained that their rooms were small.