Arrival/Check-in: When I checked into the Four Seasons Park Lane earlier this year, the hotel had just reopened after a 28-month, entire-property renovation. The front desk staff, mostly former employees who spent the past two years working at other Four Seasons hotels around the world, have apparently returned to Park Lane with a renewed enthusiasm. The entire check-in experience was fast, and smiles were evident throughout the lobby. The plush red leather strips on the elevator walls smelled so good that I felt like I was taking a vertical ride in a new Rolls-Royce. (29/30)

Guest Quarters: Although the façade of the former Four Seasons Inn on the Park remains, the interior of the property was gutted, and every space within the structure is brand-new. My king room was extraordinarily comfortable, with beige carpeting, a Herman Miller-style desk chair, a large black desk with a beautiful Artemide desk light, a 42-inch wall-mounted LCD TV and six framed black-and-white photos of architectural building elements. A large fridge/minibar was placed near a snack counter, where the items displayed could have come from a high-end United Nations grocery store, including jars of Esprit olives and nuts (France); chocolate bars (U.K.); dried mango, fruits and nuts (Burkina Faso); organic Ecuadorian dark chocolate truffles and Italian candies. Large windows provided city or park views. The bathroom, with a large glass shower stall, Roja toiletries, marble and brushed steel details and a vanity mirror with integrated TV added to the overall luxe accommodations. (28/30)

Services/Amenities: The Italian-inspired Amaranto Restaurant is open daily, serving three daily meals as well as afternoon tea and weekend brunches. The Amaranto Bar is exquisitely designed, and a huge chrome and glass wine wall is stocked with more than 250 fine wines. The modern, rooftop Spa at Four Seasons and Fitness Centre is enclosed by glass, and the views of London’s most iconic structures including Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye are fabulous. One of the hotel’s best services offers early-arriving guests the option to spend time in the Tenth Floor Lounge while waiting for their rooms to be ready; guests can relax after a long flight, take a shower or have breakfast while watching the city of London wake up as pedestrians and taxis fill the streets. Runners who shun indoor treadmills will love the trails in Hyde Park, just across the street. (39/40)

The Experience: Located in London’s Mayfair district across the street from Hyde Park, the former Four Seasons Inn on the Park (a London landmark for 41 years), sports an interior designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon and a spa that has been called the “most dazzling urban spa in London.”

Total Score: 96/100

Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane

Hamilton Place, Park Lane
London W1J 7DR, United Kingdom
tel 44 20 7499 0888
www.fourseasons.com