Inside The Peninsula London, a five-star masterpiece 35 years in the making

Inside the newly opened Peninsula London, which is home to some Peninsula signatures including a Cantonese fine dining restaurant, traditional afternoon tea served in a triple-height lobby, and second-to-none service

The Peninsula Hotels certainly have an eye for real estate. Whether it's the flagship "Grand Dame" of Hong Kong on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, the ultimate Beverly Hills digs at the intersection of Wilshire and South Santa Monica Boulevards, or three beautifully restored heritage buildings along the Bosphorus in Istanbul.

Now, The Peninsula is parking its fleet of Rolls-Royces at its posh new London address situated alongside Hyde Park Corner and Wellington Arch. Calling London the "crown jewel", chairman of The Peninsula Hotels Sir Michael Kadoorie's long-sighted vision for The Peninsula London ultimately led to a 35-year search for the perfect hotel site.

After all, he's not one to settle for anything but the gold standard—The Peninsula London is only the brand’s 12th hotel in its 157-year-old history.

Above Chinese lions guard the entrance to The Peninsula London

The Peninsula London was designed by London-based Archer Humphryes architects, while its interiors are the work of the eccentric leather-clad New York-based designer Peter Marino.

Its charming courtyard garden is designed by Swiss landscape architect, Eneo Enea. Embodying The Peninsula Hotels' "East meets West" philosophy, the garden features English signatures of cascading ivy and wisteria, with two beautiful 120-year-old Kaede, or Japanese maple trees.

There are a total of 190 guest rooms and suites which, starting at a generous 550 square feet, are some of the most spacious in the city. The most opulent is the sprawling 14,000 square-foot Peninsula Suite on the sixth floor, which includes a private terrace, a cinema, gym, formal dining room and a living room with a fireplace and baby grand piano.

Above A suite overlooking Wellington Arch at The Peninsula London

Fans and regulars of the hotel brand will notice that some Peninsula signatures have made their way to the London property.

On the ground floor, an airy triple-height lobby featuring soaring columns welcomes guests—it's also here that the traditional Peninsula Afternoon Tea is served.

And no Peninsula hotel is complete without Cantonese fine dining restaurant, of course. At The Peninsula London, it's Canton Blue helmed by chef Dicky To. Henry Leung of Hong Kong-based CAP Atelier—who also worked on The Peninsula Beijing and The Peninsula Paris—was commissioned to design the restaurant, taking inspiration from the Keying junk, a Chinese trading ship that sailed from China to the United States and Britain in the mid-1800s, docking at one point at the Isle of Dogs in the Thames.

Above The triple-height lobby at The Peninsula London

Despite the nearly four-decade wait, The Peninsula London is still taking things slowly with a phased rollout to ensure the hotel group's standards are met at every turn. This of course means there's still plenty to look forward to—like its rooftop restaurant Brooklands, headed by Michelin-starred chef Claude Bosi of Bibendum fame, which will open in early October.

Named after the airfield and historic racetrack, the restaurant’s design pays tribute British aviation and automotive history—starting with the restaurant's dedicated ground floor lobby, which features an actual Concorde nose hanging above a rotating vintage race car exhibit from Brooklands Museum. From there, guests ascend to Brooklands via two elevators built to resemble hot air balloon baskets.

And finally, by the end of the year, the signature Peninsula Spa and Wellness Centre will open. The space will include seven private rooms where guests can receive massages, face and body treatments, and balancing rituals incorporating Ayurvedic aromatherapy.

Watch this space.

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The Peninsula London is finally open after 35 years in the making