Europe’s first “Grand Hotel.”

The Langham London, known as Europe’s first “Grand Hotel,” is a star in the Langham Hotels & Resorts portfolio. Designed by John Giles between 1863-1865, this grande dame at the top of Regent Street and in the shadow of BBC headquarters has been a playground for celebrities and dignitaries alike ever since. More than 150 years after its inception, the hotel surprises with an abundance of contemporary touches. Local firm Richmond International recently created the six-bedroom Sterling Suite, the largest in London, which is decked out with gold leaf furniture, a hand-blown Murano light fixture and a dressing room with hand-painted chinoiseries. The firm also dreamed up a townhouse-inspired executive club lounge, flaunting modern artwork like a hand-stitched aerial map of London. The 380 guestrooms are stately and filled with natural light. But when guests fancy leaving them, imaginative cocktails await downstairs at the acclaimed lounge Artesian, named for the 360-foot well found underneath the property.