Could We Have Stayed In The Same Room As Lady Gaga? Our Thoughts On A Luxury Hotel In Marble Arch

After a day of sightseeing in London, the last thing you want to do is make the long trek home. But luckily, you can secure yourself both a room for the night and somewhere to discover more of the city's rich history at The Cumberland Hotel by Marble Arch (opposite Hyde Park) - formerly known as Hard Rock London - as everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Lady Gaga and Madonna have stayed here in the past.

You really can't get a much more convenient location for this four-star hotel, as it's literally right behind the iconic landmark and less than a one minute walk from the tube station. And as soon as you step off the busy street, you're met with an ornate reception area complete with high ceilings and friendly staff waiting to help with your every need. Since we were staying in an Executive King room (starting from £318 per night), we were whisked off to the Backstage Lounge to be checked in, an exclusive area full of well-stocked drinks fridges and comfy sofas that can be used by anyone who books an executive room or higher. 

You can see why all the celebrities flock to The Cumberland Hotel London.

And if you thought that was impressive, wait 'til you see the rooms. The decor is very much in keeping with the hotel's musical past - we were met with an electric guitar on the sofa, alongside paintings of iconic artists and our very own record player paired with a stack of vinyl to suit all tastes. This showcased the soundproofing of the room too, as I couldn't hear music from any of the other rooms - and hopefully no one could hear my terrible attempts at playing the guitar either.

But don't panic if you're not a musician at heart - there's plenty more to be excited about at this place. These rooms come with a huge walk-in wardrobe, ideal for longer stays, while the gorgeous and spacious bathroom was covered entirely in white marble with a powerful rain shower over the bath. And maybe I'm easily impressed, but what blew my mind the most was that the centre of the sizeable mirror remained clear of steam after showering, which was a game changer when it came to getting ready for dinner.

The Cumberland Hotel's restaurant, sports bar and colourful main drinks area can be found on the ground floor, all merging into each other seamlessly but offering slightly different things. We took our seat in the SOUND Cafe, right in front of the stage where a talented live band were performing classic tunes throughout our meal.

This bar and restaurant looks as good as it sounds.

To make it really feel like a holiday, we began with one of the many cocktails on offer. I selected a classic pornstar martini (£14.50), a fruity, vanilla flavoured blend that came topped with the half passionfruit that bars often miss. My partner chose one of their signature serves, the Blue Colada (£15.50), combining Malibu coconut rum with blue curacao, lime juice and a pina colada mix to create an ultra-sweet, tropical taste with a vibrant appearance.

Shortly after, our two starters arrived to kick off the American-inspired meal - jalapeno poppers (£8) and house nachos (£9). The former was a plate of absolutely huge breadcrumbed bites, filled with smooth cream cheese and fiery peppers - with a red onion chutney dip that balanced out the heat perfectly with its sweet flavour. The nachos were equally delicious, loading lightly salted tortilla chips with a smoky cheese sauce, as well as grated cheddar, and topping that with two generous scoops of sour cream and guacamole, alongside fresh pico de gallo.

One word of advice for the main course? Make sure you're hungry. I ordered their Pretender burger (£19), a vegan beef-style patty loaded with pulled barbecue jackfruit, plant-based cheese and salad. This was my first time trying jackfruit and it didn't disappoint - and I couldn't quite believe that they'd made something which resembled smokey chicken from a fruit. Speaking of, my boyfriend's choice was the Clucky (£19), a crispy buttermilk chicken burger coated in Buffalo spice and a tangy blue cheese sauce, finished off with a red cabbage slaw. Both meals came with fluffy skin-on fries, and our only criticism was that the burgers were so massive that it made them difficult to eat.

There are all sorts of American dishes on The Cumberland Hotel menu.

We finished up with some Devonshire ice cream - one vanilla and one chocolate (£5 each), before heading back upstairs. After a few drinks from the complimentary mini bar, we had a peaceful sleep in the roomy kingside bed, with enormous pillows that pretty much swallowed your whole head while you slept. To finish off our stay, we headed down to The Cumberland Hotel restaurant in the basement for breakfast, where we were greeted with a huge buffet of full English components, as well as pastries, cakes, fruit, cheeses and so much more. And if you fancy a walk after all that feasting, Hyde Park is just over the road.

The DesignMyNight Digest

The Cumberland Hotel reviews all promise classy, welcoming service, and that's exactly what you get here. The rooms are spacious and well-equipped, with luxurious beds and quirky personal touches like the record player singing to the musical history of the destination. You don't need to head far to find great food here either, as the SOUND Cafe and sports bar are slinging out American-inspired eats all day long. So if you're after an elegant stay in central London? You can't go wrong here.

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