Pros

  • Historic Victorian luxury hotel, host to famous guests since 1865
  • Near West End shopping, restaurants, bars, and the tube
  • Spacious rooms featuring flat-screen TVs with laptop connections and minibars
  • Bathrooms with marble sinks, bathrobes, and slippers
  • Range of room-types include apartments with kitchens and luxurious suites
  • Swanky Artesian voted best cocktail bar in London
  • Famed Palm Court serves up traditional afternoon tea
  • Elegant Roux at Landau offers seasonal French and British dishes
  • Indoor pool in a former bank vault plus 24-hour fitness center
  • Beautiful Chau Spa has steam room, sauna, and treatment rooms
  • Exclusive Club Lounge features chic lounges and free eats (upgraded rooms)
  • Concierge, butler, and 24-hour room services
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Cons

  • Some rooms lack elegance equal to common area decor
  • Rooms missing some luxe perks (e.g. espresso machines)
  • Wi-Fi access beyond basic browsing may cost an extra fee
  • Breakfast usually not included in rates
  • Club Lounge access limited to guests in certain room designations
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Bottom Line

The 380-room Langham Hotel is a historic Victorian luxury property with classically elegant decor and modern amenities. The hotel is host to an honored cocktail bar, an elegant restaurant, and Palm Court, which supposedly invented and still serves traditional afternoon tea. It also features a gorgeous spa, a 16-meter (52-foot) swimming pool, and a 24-hour fitness center. Concierge, butler, and 24-hour room service are available. Rooms are spacious and comfortable with amenities like flat-screen TVs with laptop connections, bathrobes, and minibars. Though entry-level rooms can feel bland compared to common areas, there is a huge range of room types from apartments with kitchens to enormous, luxe suites. As an alternative, the nearby Courthouse Hotel may not be quite as opulent, but it's a more intimate property, and can be less pricey.

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Oyster Hotel Review

The Langham, London

Scene

Historic Victorian luxury hotel with elegant decor and modern amenities 

One of the more notable historical hotels in London, the Langham Hotel has been around since 1865, when it opened as the city's first purpose-built luxury hotel. Since then it has played host to everyone from Sherlocks Holmes' characters to World War II soldiers, BBC comedy acts, and modern celebrities like Lady Gaga. The hotel's stately Victorian facade gives way to a opulent entryway with high ceilings, marble columns and floors, rich bouquets of fresh flowers, and a cascading chandelier. The elegant Palm Court, with its grand piano and tufted couches, is another historic landmark, said to be the birthplace of the traditional afternoon tea, which it still serves. Immaculate, elegant, and amenity packed, this hotel accommodates the high-end clients who can afford it, including corporate guests, leisure travelers, celebrities, and especially couples.

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Location

Just a five-minute walk from Oxford Circus tube station, an ideal location for West End shopping

Oxford Circus tube station and Oxford Street are generally jam-packed with tourists, but walk just a few blocks away and the crowds diminish dramatically. This means that while the Langham is in close proximity to prime shopping areas, its immediate vicinity is significantly quieter. In addition to high-end shopping, popular nightclubs, bars, music venues, theaters, and restaurants are also an easy walk from the hotel. For sights farther out, the Oxford Circus tube station is just a five-minute walk, and many major tourist attractions are reachable in less than 20 minutes.

  • Five-minute walk to Oxford Street and Oxford Circus tube station
  • Seven-minute walk to Regent’s Park
  • 12-minute walk to Selfridges
  • 12-minute walk to Soho neighborhood
  • 10 minutes to Trafalgar Square via public transit
  • 15 minutes to Buckingham Palace via public transit
  • 22 minutes to Westminster Abbey via public transit
  • 28 minutes to The Tower of London via public transit
  • 38 minutes to Heathrow Airport via public transit
See More Location

Rooms

Huge range of rooms with classic decor and modern amenities 

In contrast to the stately high ceilings and intricate Victorian flourishes of the lobby and lounge areas, the rooms are dressed in a more conventional, classic style. Details vary from room to room, and while they're all comfortable and immaculately clean, compared to the opulent common areas, decor can feel vaguely average. Typical decorative touches include wall-to-wall carpeting, rich wood furniture, and button-tufted chairs. Bathrooms may feature beige tiling, wood accents, and marble sinks. 

Rooms have individually controlled air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs with laptop connections, minibars, and coffee/tea service (electric kettles) in addition to Wi-Fi (free for basic browsing and checking emails, though higher data usage may require an extra fee). Bathrooms include free toiletries, bathrobes, and slippers. 

The hotel offers a vast array of room sizes, including apartments with kitchens and opulent suites, but even the smallest entry-level rooms come in at just over 300 square feet -- big for London. Upgraded rooms add extras, from state-of-the-art in-room technology to bars, dining areas, or 24-hour butlers. Guests in Executive Rooms and some Suites are offered access to the exclusive Langham Club Lounge, which includes extras like a free breakfast and other treats. 

See More Rooms

Features

Elegant restaurant, cocktail bar, and tea room, plus luxurious spa, and swimming pool

This hotel offers everything guests expect from a luxury property, and has extensive fine-dining and drinking options. The Artesian had been voted the top cocktail bar in London numerous times, but also serves as an all-day gourmet dining lounge. Roux at Landau offers seasonal French dishes and British favorites in an elegant modern Victorian setting. The Palm Court specializes in afternoon tea, but also offers all-day dining, live jazz nights, and a nice Champagne menu. Except for guests with Club Lounge access, breakfast doesn't come standard with the room rate. Room service is available 24 hours. 

Another highlight of the hotel is the ample wellness facilities. During our early 2017 review, the spa and pool were closed for renovations, set to open again mid-2017. The previous incarnation of the Chau Spa offered an elegant blend of traditional Victorian features and modern Chinese decor, a steam room and sauna, and treatments centered around ancient tenets of traditional Chinese medicine. The 16-meter (52-foot) indoor pool is situated in what was once a large bank vault. A 24-hour fitness center features wood floors and a nice assortment of modern cardio and weight-lifting equipment, including plenty of free weights and treadmills and ellipticals with individual screens. 

The hotel also has a roomy business center with several computers for guest use and lounge seating, plus a range of meeting and event rooms, including a Grand Ballroom. The exclusive Club Lounge, open to guests staying in Executive Rooms and some Suites, features a special butler and concierge service, free food and drink, and luxurious lounge spaces, among other privileges. 

See More Features

Things You Should Know About The Langham, London

Also Known As

  • Langham Hotel London

Room Types

  • Classic Executive Room
  • Classic One Bedroom Suite
  • Classic Room
  • Grand Executive Room
  • Grand Junior Suite
  • Grand One Bedroom Suite
  • Langham Club Room
  • Langham Club Studio Suite

Address

1c Portland Place, Regent Street, London W1B 1JA, United Kingdom

Phone

44 (207) 636-1000

Website

Oyster Hotel Review

The Langham, London

Scene

Historic Victorian luxury hotel with elegant decor and modern amenities 

One of the more notable historical hotels in London, the Langham Hotel has been around since 1865, when it opened as the city's first purpose-built luxury hotel. Since then it has played host to everyone from Sherlocks Holmes' characters to World War II soldiers, BBC comedy acts, and modern celebrities like Lady Gaga. The hotel's stately Victorian facade gives way to a opulent entryway with high ceilings, marble columns and floors, rich bouquets of fresh flowers, and a cascading chandelier. The elegant Palm Court, with its grand piano and tufted couches, is another historic landmark, said to be the birthplace of the traditional afternoon tea, which it still serves. Immaculate, elegant, and amenity packed, this hotel accommodates the high-end clients who can afford it, including corporate guests, leisure travelers, celebrities, and especially couples.

See More Scene

Location

Just a five-minute walk from Oxford Circus tube station, an ideal location for West End shopping

Oxford Circus tube station and Oxford Street are generally jam-packed with tourists, but walk just a few blocks away and the crowds diminish dramatically. This means that while the Langham is in close proximity to prime shopping areas, its immediate vicinity is significantly quieter. In addition to high-end shopping, popular nightclubs, bars, music venues, theaters, and restaurants are also an easy walk from the hotel. For sights farther out, the Oxford Circus tube station is just a five-minute walk, and many major tourist attractions are reachable in less than 20 minutes.

  • Five-minute walk to Oxford Street and Oxford Circus tube station
  • Seven-minute walk to Regent’s Park
  • 12-minute walk to Selfridges
  • 12-minute walk to Soho neighborhood
  • 10 minutes to Trafalgar Square via public transit
  • 15 minutes to Buckingham Palace via public transit
  • 22 minutes to Westminster Abbey via public transit
  • 28 minutes to The Tower of London via public transit
  • 38 minutes to Heathrow Airport via public transit
See More Location

Rooms

Huge range of rooms with classic decor and modern amenities 

In contrast to the stately high ceilings and intricate Victorian flourishes of the lobby and lounge areas, the rooms are dressed in a more conventional, classic style. Details vary from room to room, and while they're all comfortable and immaculately clean, compared to the opulent common areas, decor can feel vaguely average. Typical decorative touches include wall-to-wall carpeting, rich wood furniture, and button-tufted chairs. Bathrooms may feature beige tiling, wood accents, and marble sinks. 

Rooms have individually controlled air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs with laptop connections, minibars, and coffee/tea service (electric kettles) in addition to Wi-Fi (free for basic browsing and checking emails, though higher data usage may require an extra fee). Bathrooms include free toiletries, bathrobes, and slippers. 

The hotel offers a vast array of room sizes, including apartments with kitchens and opulent suites, but even the smallest entry-level rooms come in at just over 300 square feet -- big for London. Upgraded rooms add extras, from state-of-the-art in-room technology to bars, dining areas, or 24-hour butlers. Guests in Executive Rooms and some Suites are offered access to the exclusive Langham Club Lounge, which includes extras like a free breakfast and other treats. 

See More Rooms

Features

Elegant restaurant, cocktail bar, and tea room, plus luxurious spa, and swimming pool

This hotel offers everything guests expect from a luxury property, and has extensive fine-dining and drinking options. The Artesian had been voted the top cocktail bar in London numerous times, but also serves as an all-day gourmet dining lounge. Roux at Landau offers seasonal French dishes and British favorites in an elegant modern Victorian setting. The Palm Court specializes in afternoon tea, but also offers all-day dining, live jazz nights, and a nice Champagne menu. Except for guests with Club Lounge access, breakfast doesn't come standard with the room rate. Room service is available 24 hours. 

Another highlight of the hotel is the ample wellness facilities. During our early 2017 review, the spa and pool were closed for renovations, set to open again mid-2017. The previous incarnation of the Chau Spa offered an elegant blend of traditional Victorian features and modern Chinese decor, a steam room and sauna, and treatments centered around ancient tenets of traditional Chinese medicine. The 16-meter (52-foot) indoor pool is situated in what was once a large bank vault. A 24-hour fitness center features wood floors and a nice assortment of modern cardio and weight-lifting equipment, including plenty of free weights and treadmills and ellipticals with individual screens. 

The hotel also has a roomy business center with several computers for guest use and lounge seating, plus a range of meeting and event rooms, including a Grand Ballroom. The exclusive Club Lounge, open to guests staying in Executive Rooms and some Suites, features a special butler and concierge service, free food and drink, and luxurious lounge spaces, among other privileges. 

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Airport Transportation

  • Babysitting Services

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Basic Television

  • Business Center

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Fitness Center

  • Full Kitchen

  • Internet

  • Jacuzzi

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Mini Bar (with liquor)

  • Pets Allowed

  • Pool

  • Rental Car Service Desk Onsite

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Smoking Rooms Available

  • Spa

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.