Near+Far The Emory review: 9/10

Why book The Emory

With its glass and steel exterior, almost reminiscent of a ship, The Emory feels like a new era for hotels. The new era is of unrivalled luxury – where niggly fees, rules and timings are forgotten, and service is stripped back and highly personal: designed for the modern elite. As the newest hotel from Maybourne Group (behind London’s Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley) – The Emory is everything the luxury brand has been working on for years – all the data analysis, guest research and feedback in one absolutely spectacular, all-suite hotel offering.

Adjoined to The Berkeley on the cobbles of Belgravia, The Emory is London’s first all-suite property, where all guests arrive via a stealth and silent electric BMW i7 (the hotel’s complimentary town car) – or helicopter (for those travelling in by private jet) – to the architectural masterpiece by the late Richard Rogers. It’s the epitome of quiet luxury and exclusivity, where check-in is done in your suite, and each guest receives their own Emory Assistant (a sort of PA during their stay). Breakfast can be enjoyed in said suite for no charge, alongside a complimentary minibar and daily beverages (including champagne). Each floor is designed by a luminary of the design world: André Fu, Pierre Yves Rochon, Alexandra Champalimaud, Rigby & Rigby and Patricia Urquiola, and suites offer draws of Dyson styling tools, the fluffiest bedding and delights like ‘proper’ mugs, high-tech coffee machines and more. Below, four subterranean floors hide health club Surrenne (complete with swimming pool, Pilates studios and more); above, a glass-box rooftop bar and cigar lounge offering the best views of London. Expect the best of all its hotels in one spectacular offering – so blissful you will feel a pang when leaving. This is a hotel built on Succession-inspired stealth wealth and the modern demands of the millionaire traveller.

The Emory location

While The Berkeley commands a striking position just off Knightsbridge, The Emory is discreetly tucked around the corner on Old Barrack Yard– ideal for arriving VIPs and those who want to sneak to their suite with minimal fuss. That said, it’s just a short walk to Brompton Road and Harrods, Hyde Park and Sloane Street and suites offer views of the leafy park and Knightsbridge with its iconic red buses. Guests have use of The Emory’s town cars on a first-come-first-serve basis for sojourns up to a mile away, and with The Berkeley adjacent, there’s constant access to one of the best vibes in the city. Head to The Blue Bar, Berkeley Bar and perennially packed Cédric Grolet afternoon tea – though there’s quite the buzz in The Emory, too.

The vibe

Discreet, exclusive and with everything taken care of. Staff is always around and never invasive, rooms are always turned down, and fresh ice is always supplied. Upon arrival, guests meet their Emory Assistant and are whisked past a lovely open-air courtyard with two sculptures, and artwork by Damien Hirst to their spacious suite (no smaller than 55 square metres).

Rooms and suites

Not rooms, but suites, as The Emory is officially London’s first all-suite hotel: nine floors housing 60 of these delightful pieds-à-terre (or penthouses). Each floor is masterminded by a world-leading designer who imparted their personal touch, and as a result, each is unique (some modernist with multiple bedrooms, some cosy with splashed pastel pinks, greens and blue).

We stay in an Alexandra Champalimaud-designed park-view suite – all soft and sumptuous with creamy furnishings, pastely artwork, and a gleaming white bathroom with a soaking tub and Surrenne toiletries. Our walk-in dressing has two drawers of Dyson hair styling tools and a high-tech hand steamer, making getting ready for anything a breeze (pressing on arrival is another general touch). Despite backing onto a busy road, it’s all but silent – apart from the whirr of the Toto toilet or the buzz of the bespoke Grind x Emory coffee machines (rooms have proper mugs for coffee addicts like this reviewer). A minibar houses snacks, soft drinks and guests who can enjoy a daily ‘suite treat’ – a daily bottle of champagne, fine wine, or spirits. There’s no niggly ts&cs and a tot of tequila is turned into two fresh Palomas by our Emory Assistant, served on a silver tray to our suite one evening. A drawer of Apple charges and other tech essentials means no emergencies, while the TV is loaded with complementary movies and all the channels you could dream of. This is a space you want to spend significant time in.

Food and drink

The Emory allows for easy in-room dining, be it breakfast, drinks or other bites throughout the day (a great way to make the most of your stunning temporary home). Breakfast is classically British and classically Maybourne, offering everything from acai and matcha to full Englishes and everything in between. We enjoy it in bed one day, and in the warm glow of abc kitchens the next – the hotel’s beating heart and the little sister to Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s three New York abc restaurants. Tables overlook the open kitchen, complete with dancing open flames, or onto bustling Knightsbridge – and organic dishes are made for sharing using British ingredients. The Orkney sea scallop and pork confit tacos were a real hit. The space has a real mid-century Mad Men feel: seductive and dimly lit with red and terracotta hue.

Exclusive to guests, and therefore a necessity of any stay, is the rooftop bar – a year-round destination with stunning views across the city. In colder weather, the Glass-Onion-type space is cosy with floor-to-ceiling windows, which open in the warmer months to create an open-air hangout. There’s also an adjacent cigar lounge for added drama. Of course, The Berkeley is right next door, so pop across for the Instagram-famous Cédric Grolet afternoon tea and drink and socialise in its iconic bars.

Spa and facilities

The spa is where this hotel shines – four gorgeous subterranean floors and perhaps the most impressive hotel wellness offering this reviewer has ever seen. Dubbed Surrenne, this is London’s chicest and most sought-after members holistic club, where hotel guests get full access during their stay (and non-guest for £10,000 a year). The 22-metre pool is fringed by Rémi Tessier cabins, a sauna, a steam and ice fountain and the Surrene Spa. Guests in the former wear floral Alice Temperley robes and enjoy a treatment from famous Face Gym workouts and four-hands and Japanese Ashiatsu massages (where therapists walk on your bag holding onto gymnastic-like ceiling bars). Pilates and gym studios are a plenty, including a roster of complimentary classes. The famous Tracey Anderson method has its own heated studio and retail boutique. Our only regret is we don’t carve out enough time here – so free up your diary as you’ll become addicted to the stunning space.

Anything to add?

The Emory feels like walking into a cloud of fabulousness, cocooned by the best service, any detail and need to be catered to. Maybourne has mastered what really matters: freedom, flexibility, comfort, design, generosity and meaningful touches which go so many miles – including breakfast, tipples each day and airport transfers. Maybourne 2.0 – an era which has birthed Maybourne Riviera and Maybourne Beverly Hills – has come to London.

Knightsbridge, London; suites from £1,440 (around AED6,700) a night the-emory.co.uk