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| The Connaught | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location within Central London | |
| General information | |
| Location | Carlos Place,Mayfair,London,England,United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°30′36″N0°08′59″W / 51.51000°N 0.14972°W /51.51000; -0.14972 |
| Opened | 1897; 128 years ago (1897) |
| Owner | Maybourne Hotel Group |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 121 |
| Number of restaurants | 3 |
| Number of bars | 3 |
| Parking | yes |
| Website | |
| www.the-connaught.co.uk | |
The Connaught is a five-starluxury hotel, located on the corner of Carlos Place andMount Street inMayfair,London.[1] The hotel is owned and managed byMaybourne Hotel Group.[2]
The hotel first opened in 1815 as the Prince of Saxe Coburg Hotel,[3] an offshoot of a hotel opened by Alexander Grillon inAlbemarle Street, Mayfair, and was originally a pair ofGeorgian houses inCharles Street, nearGrosvenor Square.The 1st Duke of Westminster decided to redevelop the area, and the street was changed, becoming Carlos Place. In 1892 Scorrier, the owner, applied to rebuild the hotel, although work did not start until two years later, when the original houses were demolished.
In 1897, the Coburg Hotel was reopened. In 1917, during the First World War, the decision was made to change the name to the less-German "Connaught". The name chosen was taken from the title ofQueen Victoria's third son,Prince Arthur, the firstDuke of Connaught.
In 1935, Rudolph Richard, a youngSwiss hotelier, became general manager of The Connaught and ran the hotel almost as anEnglish private house, with the highest standards of comfort and service. In 1956, The Connaught was acquired by the Savoy Group, owners ofClaridge's,The Berkeley and theSavoy Hotel in London. In 2005, the Savoy Group, including The Connaught, was sold to a group of Irish investors, which sold off the Savoy Hotel andSavoy Theatre and renamed the groupMaybourne Hotel Group.[4]
In March 2007, The Connaught closed for a £70 million restoration programme, described as a "contemporary interpretation". Guy Oliver was the lead designer of the restoration, refurbishment and redecoration of the old hotel, completing a total of 88 rooms and suites (including The Prince's Lodge, The Eagles Lodge and The Sutherland and Somerset Suites) as well as the restoration and redecoration of the main staircase, new lifts, concierge and public areas, L'Espelette Restaurant and The Georgian and Regency Rooms. Immediately after this work was completed he designed a further 31 rooms and suites in the new addition to the hotel, a terrace penthouse, and all of the public spaces and function rooms, including the Ballroom, Maple Oak and Silver Rooms. The Maybourne Hotel Group stated that they intended to preserve the traditional values for which the hotel is known. The chef wasAngela Hartnett,[5] but she was later replaced by French chefHélène Darroze.
The hotel reopened in December 2007 with fewer rooms than usually available; development continued throughout 2008 when The Connaught Bar, designed by David Collins, opened.[6] The hotel also has a swimming pool and Asian-inspired spa managed in conjunction withAman Resorts.[7] Other changes include a new Espelette Restaurant, with a covered terrace, and the Coburg Bar, managed by Andreas Cortes. The Connaught Bar is run by mixologist Agostino Perrone, which has received several international awards including World's Best Cocktail Bar at the coveted Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in both 2012 and 2016, the only bar in the world to have won it twice.[8] In 2021, The Connaught opened a new bar, the Red Room, featuring artwork byLouise Bourgeois andJenny Holzer, and stained glass windows byBrian Clarke.[9] In 2023, The Connaught Bar placed 5th onThe World's 50 Best Bars list.[10]
The Connaught has hosted guests such asEdward VII,Charles de Gaulle,U.S. Admiral Alan G. Kirk,Princess Grace of Monaco,Cecil Beaton,Cary Grant,David Niven,Lauren Bacall,Eric Clapton,Jack Nicholson andRalph Lauren.[11] The hotel was a particular favourite of actorSir Alec Guinness, who from the 1970s until shortly before his death in 2000 would often stay at the Connaught when working in London. A suite was always at his disposal and he would often entertain friends in the Grill or in a private dining room.[12]
