A discreet Mayfair address, a private front door and Green Park as your front garden – The Residences at The Athenaeum Hotel offer a refined, family-friendly staycation that balances space, style and the quiet thrill of living like a Londoner.
There is a particular pleasure in arriving somewhere that feels immediately like your own. Set within a row of handsome red-brick townhouses on Piccadilly, The Residences at The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences deliver exactly that – a private entrance, a subtle sense of anonymity, and the rare luxury of space in the heart of Mayfair.
Travelling with my wife and our little family, the effect was instant: less hotel, more London home.
Step outside and the city arranges itself effortlessly around you. Green Park stretches directly opposite, its open lawns and tree-lined paths offering room to roam, cycle and simply exhale. Beyond the treetops lies Buckingham Palace, while a short stroll leads to Hyde Park, Fortnum & Mason and Hamleys. The cultural pull of Royal Academy of Arts and the theatres of the West End are all within easy reach, making this one of those rare London stays where everything feels both close and unhurried.
Inside our Residence, the layout is thoughtfully designed for family life. A generous living area becomes a natural gathering space, while a proper dining table encourages lingering breakfasts and relaxed suppers.
The fully equipped kitchenette proved invaluable – particularly with a child in tow – allowing for snacks, simple meals and that all-important morning Nespresso coffee without ceremony.
The separation of spaces means parents can unwind while children settle, and clever additions such as sofa beds ensure comfort without compromise.
It is, quite simply, the sort of set-up that makes a weekend feel expansive rather than contained.
Much of the charm lies in the seamless blend of independence and hotel service. The concierge team, intuitive without being intrusive, arranged bikes and even kites for an afternoon in Green Park. Watching our child race across the grass with one of London’s iconic parks as backdrop felt like a quiet luxury in itself – unstructured, joyful and entirely effortless.
Evenings draw you back into the main hotel, where dinner at 116 at The Athenaeum offers a polished take on modern British dining. The Artisan Bread, served warm with Netherend Farm salted butter, arrives as a simple yet telling introduction. The crumb is soft with a gentle chew, while the butter delivers a clean, deeply savoury finish that lingers pleasantly.
The Cobble Lane Cured Meats Platter is generous and well-balanced. Salami and chorizo bring depth and spice, offset by bright olives, tangy pickled artichokes and the pleasing sharpness of cornichons, all anchored by excellent artisan bread.
For mains, the Denham Vale 30 Day Dry Aged Rib-Eye is confidently executed. Cooked to a perfect blush, it offers a rich, mineral depth, lifted by a vibrant chimichurri and accompanied by crisp, golden skinny fries that disappear quickly.
The Slow Cooked Ox Cheeks are equally compelling. Meltingly tender, they sit atop a silken pomme purée, while BBQ grilled hispi cabbage introduces a subtle smokiness that rounds out the dish beautifully.
A bottle of Calafuria Salento IGT 2024 threads the meal together with ease. Light, fresh and gently aromatic, it complements both the richness of the meat and the brighter notes of the accompaniments without overpowering.
Dessert is where the kitchen leans into indulgence. The Chocolate Treats selection offers playful variety, each truffle delivering a different intensity and texture beneath its glossy shell.
The Sticky Date Pudding is a standout – deeply comforting, with a nuanced miso caramel glaze that adds a savoury edge, balanced by caramelised popcorn and cooling vanilla ice cream.
A simple duo of Salted Caramel ice cream scoops, its sweetness tempered by just the right hint of salt, provides a final, elegant note to the dinner. Then it was back to our Residence for a night of peaceful slumber.
Morning arrives gently here, best enjoyed without leaving the comfort of your Residence. Breakfast, delivered via room service from The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences, feels both indulgent and reassuringly effortless. Smoked salmon paired with softly scrambled eggs is impeccably judged – silky, delicate and deeply satisfying – while a croissant and pain au chocolat from the selection of freshly baked pastries offer that essential note of Parisian-style indulgence. For our eight-year-old, a generous stack of pancakes brings unfiltered joy to the table, light and fluffy with just the right touch of sweetness.
What lingers most at the end of the staycation is the ease of it all. The Residences at The Athenaeum allow families to inhabit London rather than simply visit it – to wake slowly, to explore spontaneously, and to return to a space that feels entirely their own. For a Mayfair staycation that combines five-star service with genuine family practicality, it is a quietly exceptional choice.
The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences
116 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7BJ
+44 (0)20 7499 3464
www.athenaeumhotel.com
