The Langham London: a hotel with pedigree.

London's Langham Hotel has a history spanning almost 150 years and has always been the preferred abode of the rich and famous

The “hotel nerds” here at London Hotels Insight jump at every opportunity to look at the history of some of London’s grandest hotels.

We’ve shown this already through our peek at the colourful past of the top-rated Milestone Hotel (currently the TripAdvisor number 1 from more than 1000 London hotels), our timeline of the Savoy’s “firsts” and our examination of the historic claims of Brown’s as London’s oldest hotel.

So it’s now the turn of one of the city’s oldest dames: the Langham.  London Hotels Insight was one of the first to visit this impeccable luxury hotel soon after it reopened following a huge £80m refurbishment last year.

We’ve also featured the Langham’s magnificent refurbished suites , including one of the four most expensive rooms in London.

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Rooms at the Langham are as comfortable and well-equipped as you'd expect in a hotel with its pedigree

Let’s review some milestones in the hotel’s long and distinguished past:

• 10 June 1865: the Langham is opened by the then Prince of Wales as one of Europe’s first “grand hotels”.

• Facilities at the hotel were designed to suit the quirks of the day’s mega-rich.  For example, corridors were designed to allow “two ladies in crinolines to pass by each other”.  No, I can’t explain that either!

• The hotel had a number of innovations not seen previously in the hotel business: the first hydraulic lifts, air conditioning, its own steam-pumped well, WCs in every bedroom. etc.  Not quite as many “firsts” as the soon-to-reopen Savoy but still a fairly impressive list.

• In 1879, the entrance to the hotel and courtyard were illuminated with electric light.  In the 1890s the hotel installed its first telephone.

• Poets, playwrights and writers like Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and George Orwell swarmed to the Langham.  Indeed, it is said Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was inspired to write “A Scandal in Bohemia” featuring Sherlock Holmes after visiting the Langham.

• Sir Donald Bradman and the legendary 1930s Australian cricket team stayed at the Langham during their famous “Ashes” battle with England.

• The hotel was bombed during the 2nd World War and it is rumoured that the ghost of a German soldier haunts the corridors to this day.  This may (or may not!) attract you to stay during Halloween.

• Royalty and political figures from across Europe including Edward VIII, General Charles de Gaulle, Sir Winston Churchill and HRH Diana, Princess of Wales were regularly seen at the hotel throughout the 20^th century.  The Langham is still favoured by celebrities today.

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Afternoon tea at the Langham holds the award for "Best Afternoon Tea" 2010

The above is just a quick overview of this grand hotel’s heritage.  It also has an award-winning afternoon tea, recently recognised by the Tea Guild.  We have also written about the history of the Langham’s afternoon tea.

And we’ve posted some gorgeous historic photos of the Langham too.

The Langham is currently in the top 50 London hotels on TripAdvisor and climbing steadily.  If you like the idea of staying in a hotel with a sense of history then the Langham certainly deserves to make your shortlist.

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Photo credits: Langham Hotel London (Langham Hotels International).

Tagged as: Brown's Hotel, Langham Hotel, Milestone Hotel