Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge

Like many luxury hotels housed in historic landmarks, the Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge exudes old-world grandeur. This stately Beaux-Arts building was once the home of the Port of London Authority, and during its 1920s heyday, more than a thousand people passed through its halls each day to pay port dues on goods arriving from China and the East Indies. Elements of the original structure remain, like towering Corinthian columns, decorative woodwork, and heavy crystal chandeliers, but it’s mostly the palatial scale that reminds you of the building’s history.

Four levels of rooms and suites are set around the lobby Rotunda with its magnificient glass-domed ceiling, a striking venue for breakfast, cocktails, and everything in between. Standard rooms, designed in muted shades of blue, gray, or beige, are on the lower floors. All feature polished wood paneling, writing desks, Nespresso machines, custom king-sized beds, and lavish white marble bathrooms with heated flooring, as well as high-tech amenities like complimentary iPads and Bose sound systems. Inside the building’s former executive offices are elegant suites with extra-high ceilings, original crown molding, hardwood flooring, and chic seating areas with fireplaces and sofas; on the top floor, a small collection of apartment-like hotel residences offer private terraces, full kitchens, and multiple bedrooms.

Meanwhile, no less impressive are the hotel’s renovated public spaces. Tower Bridge Spa and Wellness is among the capital’s most full-featured spas, and includes a stunning subterranean swimming pool and a Moroccan-style bath. And among the hotel’s handful of restaurants is La Dame de Pic, a two-MICHELIN-Star restaurant by the celebrated French chef Anne-Sophie Pic.