The Peninsula London welcomed the first guests in September 2023 and since then, the luxury and elegant property at one of the city’s grandest junctures – where Hyde Park Corner meets Wellington Arch – has continued to firmly be one of Europe’s finest hotels ever built. To find out what makes the property so unique, The Peninsula London Managing Director, Rolf Buehlmann, sat down with James Wilkinson in the British Capital recently.

Rolf, The Peninsula London made a spectacular debut is popular on so many levels, from the location to the lobby, design, rooms and food and beverage on offer. Tell us about your favourite things of the property.

The location is truly special. The hotel is ideally situated in Belgravia, with views over Hyde Park Corner and Wellington Arch, and is within walking distance of many iconic landmarks including 3 Royal Parks, Mayfair, Knightsbridge, the museum district, the West End and Buckingham Palace. We feel fortunate to have found this location after 30 years of searching for a perfect location in London.

We really want to embrace Best of British craftsmanship, working with quintessentially British artisans and designers such as Jenny Packham on our uniforms, The Royal Drawing School for art in our guest rooms, Timothy Han on our amenity fragrances, and the Archer Humphryes designed Brooklands. As with all Peninsula Hotels, we endeavour to become part of the local fabric, and here in London have therefore partnered with organisations such as The Prince’s Trust and the British Fashion Council, amongst others. It is a true privilege to celebrate and showcase British art, culture, culinary, and design within the hotel.

Tell us about the stylish and spectacular rooms and suites on offer at The Peninsula London.

Space can be one of life’s great luxuries, particularly in London, and it is one of the key features that sets The Peninsula London apart.. This is a hotel of space and light; and as a new build we had the wonderful opportunity to maximise natural light in all our guest rooms including of course wonderful views.

Our Deluxe Rooms, starting at 50 square meters, are the size of many suites in the city, offering separate dressing rooms and spacious bathrooms. With the hotel being purpose built, we focused on thoughtful design, which allows us to connect rooms and privatise corridors, offering families and groups more privacy and comfort when they travel together.

Our four signature suites all have something unique to offer: The Peninsula Suite, which is the hotel’s largest, includes a private screening room and gym.

The Grand Terrace Suite has a living room and vast terrace from which guests can enjoy sunset views over London’s rooftops, The Arch Suite features a fireplace, spacious living and dressing rooms and dramatic direct views onto Wellington Arch and The Belgravia Suite is set on the top floor, with a private terrace and baby grand piano.

The classic décor, designed by architect Peter Marino, is elegant, understated and timeless. Our suites have an undeniably residential feeling, with natural tones and textures as well as original art commissioned from Royal Drawing School artists.

Floor to ceiling windows, vistas over Hyde Park, Wellington Arch or London’s skyline and private terraces from the fifth floor up, bring the outside in, and flood suites with light. State-of-the-art in-room technology, which includes bedside touchscreen controls for lighting and temperature, personal devices TV streaming, and PenChat, a 24-hour dedicated e-concierge service, make a suite stay seamless.

Tell us about the fantastic food and beverage on offer, which is some of the best in any London hotel.

Our rooftop restaurant, Brooklands by Claude Bosi, is a celebration of the best of British produce sourced from handpicked suppliers around the country. Chef Bosi and Chef Francesco take great pride and passion in exploring the British Isles from farms to fishing ports, and butchers to bakers, to source the finest ingredients. We were humbled to receive two Michelin stars within just four months of opening. Accompanying the restaurant is also Brooklands Bar which overlooks the London skyline with a panoramic vista from St Pauls to Westminster.

Canton Blue is our signature Cantonese restaurant that celebrates the cultural exchange between ancient Canton and Britain. Both the menu and design of the restaurant are a dialogue of East meets West, with traditional Cantonese dishes prepared with the Best of British ingredients. Its adjacent cocktail bar, Little Blue, offers innovative cocktails inspired by the spice-trade union of Asian and British cultures.

Other world-class dining and drinks can be enjoyed in The Lobby for our traditional Peninsula Afternoon Tea, served beneath soaring ceilings and accompanied by live music every afternoon. We also have a more casual offering at The Peninsula Boutique and Café for grab and go delights.

How important is loyalty, particularly given the high return guest percentage you have?

At Peninsula we take a long-term view of things and having guests choose to come back to stay with us again and again, sometimes over generations, is a wonderful compliment.

Here in London we are of course in the very early stages of building these relationships and connections and we are pleased that many guests who usually stay at other Peninsula properties have come to London to try us out. We do not take brand loyalty for granted and are very grateful for our guests’ trust.

What’s your x-factor at The Peninsula London?

I believe the team’s dedication to service is what truly distinguishes us. The Peninsula’s approach to hospitality is deeply rooted in our heritage, our desire to deliver excellence and to make our guests feel welcome to “their” new home here in London.
From in-room amenities and cutting-edge technology to inspiring arts programs and cultural experiences, every detail is meticulously crafted, but it is the team connecting with our guests that truly brings our beautifully designed hotel to life.

Rolf, what are some of your favourite things to do in the local area?

Belgravia, even though it is home to many shops, pubs, embassies and residences, can have a real village feeling at times and I enjoy going for walks in our local neighbourhood and discovering new nooks and crannies that I hadn’t noticed before.

My favourite not-so-hidden gem has got to be Apsley House, originally named ‘No 1 London’, the home of the Duke of Wellington with its fascinating history and beautiful design, just opposite The Peninsula London.

GETTING TO LONDON

The best way of getting to London in comfort and style.

Malaysia Airlines’ brilliant Business Class cabin features one of the best seats in the air

WAYFARER flew to London via Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines, one of the top carriers in Asia.

Malaysia Airlines offers double daily flights to London from Kuala Lumpur and in business class, you can expect amazing hospitality, comfortable and spacious seats and top-quality inflight dining headlined by the airline’s legendary satay skewers.

It’s an exciting time for Malaysia Airlines at present, with the oneworld carrier continuing to launch new routes across the globe.

Malaysia Airlines also offers a free side trip stopover to one of seven different destinations in Malaysia and has upped the ante when it comes to dining and comfort in Business Class.