The Arch London is a bit of a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ sort of Hotel, but if you do, you’ll be most sorry that you did…

Tucked away just a couple of minutes walk from Oxford Street and Marble Arch station, The Arch Hotel is a perfect respite from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Despite having over 80 rooms, the Hotel is labelled ‘boutique.’ And despite it having over 80 rooms- it feels it. Retaining an intimate and homely atmosphere, this is a place to stay with so much more than an enviable postcode and notable neighbours.

As soon as you walk in the front doors you are embraced with the feel of walking into your home after a few weeks away. It has that comforting and cosy ambience and the smell of burning candles mingled with the scents of the Hunter 486 restaurant mean all of your senses instantly spring to life.

The Room
We were put up in the deluxe suite on the second floor, with views overlooking the street below. The room encapsulated the same theme as the rest of the Hotel- a taste of English Heritage combined with a contemporary edge. Aswell as a large king-sized bed we had a lounge area and large bathroom. (One of the highlights being a television embedded to the wall above the bath!)
Free tea and coffee and complimentary soft drinks from the mini bar were all nice touches, as were some delicious “welcome” macarons! Sky is included in the room and although we didn’t have much time to watch television, it was nice to be able to use the music channels whilst we were getting ready for dinner.

Dinner
For dinner we ate in the restaurant’s popular Hunter 486 restaurant- its namesake paying credit to the 1950s dialling code for Marylebone. The restaurant has an eclectic and fresh arty ambience with an open plan kitchen allowing diners to watch the chefs at work. Through the large Georgian windows you can sit and watch the gentle bustle of the neighbourhood mews pass you by and as night falls, soft lighting provides an intimate and romantic setting for dinner and drinks.

Upon arrival we were presented with some of the chef’s handmade crisps (utterly delicious and well worth a try) to sample whilst we surveyed the menu. Head Chef Gary Durrant & Henrietta Green- a food and hospitality consultant, food writer and broadcaster have worked to create an enticing array of dishes providing an array of cuisine to satisfy even the fussiest of palette. For starters I opted for the soup of the day (celeriac) and my partner for the rare beef salad with winterslaw and horseradish dressing. The soup was flavoursome and aromatic- a real winter warmer and the beef salad  succulent with a real zing from the dressing.

Upon arrival we were presented with some of the chef’s handmade crisps (utterly delicious and well worth a try) to sample whilst we surveyed the menu. Head Chef Gary Durrant & Henrietta Green- a food and hospitality consultant, food writer and broadcaster have worked to create an enticing array of dishes providing an array of cuisine to satisfy even the fussiest of palette. For starters I opted for the soup of the day (celeriac) and my partner for the rare beef salad with winterslaw and horseradish dressing. The soup was flavoursome and aromatic- a real winter warmer and the beef salad  succulent with a real zing from the dressing.

For mains I chose the Roast Black Leg free range chicken. This came with roast potatoes, roast garlic, greens and jus and is priced at £19. The chicken was cooked in their very own stone oven and the taste difference is more evident than you might expect. The meat is tender and succulent, very easy to cut from the bone and not in the least bit dry. These tastes are perfectly complimented by the richness of the jus and the accompanying garlic and I was more than pleased with my choice. My partner went for the Braised lamb shank and that was accompanied by traditional vegetables and a side of chips. Again, everything was cooked wonderfully, full of flavours and piping hot when brought to the table.

There was a choice of five desserts on the menu and I chose the chocolate fondant !with burnt orange ice cream” and my partner the sticky toffee pudding, which was partnered with caramelised banana ice cream. We accompanied our desserts with a bellini cocktail each- with prices starting from £12 their cocktails are of a reasonable price and utterly delicious.
Our bill came to just over £60 a head (including a bottle of red wine with our meal) so whilst it won’t break the bank, it is certainly a restaurant for a treat.

After dinner you can go and relax in their bar area and lounge- sophisticated, contemporary and alluring, the opulent decor is ideal for a quiet post-dinner tipple.  

Breakfast
Breakfast is served in the Hunter restaurant and offers a whole myriad of choices to kick-start your day. From the classic continental and full english to smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on sourdough toast. Unlike some ‘full english’ breakfast whereby you have to select items from a buffet this was all brought out fresh and raised the bar for hotel breakfasts that little bit higher.

The Arch 
A beautiful hotel nestled in the centre of London without feeling so, the Arch is ideal for a romantic getaway or city break. Be sure to take advantage of its close proximity to Oxford Street and head to the shops and make sure you sample one of the Hotel’s cocktails…

The Arch
50 Great Cumberland Pl
London
W1H 7FD

We were hosted by Pride of Britain Hotels for one night.