The Athenaeum
Mayfair, London. A five-star hotel opposite Green Park with a Living Wall, afternoon tea and private transfers to Sunningdale, Walton Heath and the Kent links.
The Athenaeum is a five-star hotel on Piccadilly in the heart of Mayfair, opposite Green Park and steps from Buckingham Palace. The site was first built on in 1850 and became a hotel in the early 1970s. Today it offers rooms and suites with views over the park or the Mayfair rooftops, penthouse suites on the tenth floor and 18 private townhouse residences. Its Living Wall, a vertical garden designed by Patrick Blanc, rises from street level to the tenth floor.
There is no golf at the hotel, which suits groups who want a central London base for a golf trip that includes the city. From here Golf Tours London can arrange private transfers to courses outside the capital, with Sunningdale around 50 minutes away by road and St George’s Hill and Walton Heath around an hour. The Kent links, including Royal St George’s at Sandwich, are about two hours away. Tee times at these private clubs need to be arranged in advance, and Golf Tours London can build them into a bespoke itinerary.
Back at the hotel, 116 at the Athenaeum serves modern British cooking, the Terrace offers open-air dining on Piccadilly, and afternoon tea is a fixture. The spa has a steam room and relaxation area, and there is a 24-hour gym.
Green Park station is a five-minute walk, Victoria is a five-minute cab ride away, and Waterloo and Paddington are each about 15 minutes away. Bond Street, Burlington Arcade and the Royal Academy are all close by.
