The Connaught
London

Still buzzing from its £70 million 2007 refurbishment, The Connaught is a firm Ampersand favourite. Opened in 1815 as The Prince of Saxe-Coburg Hotel, nearly a century on The Connaught is still one of London's best hotels its Mayfair location, wonderful restaurants, rich history and traditionally beautiful rooms make for an unbeatable combination. Rooms are split between the original building and the new wing. New rooms are slick and sexy, down corridors lined with iconic photographs of Mick Jagger and Kate Moss and designed in greys, blacks and creams you'll find art and design coffee table tombs and soft as silk dressing gowns. Rooms in the original wing are a mix of traditional country-chic and timeless British elegance walls are adorned with interesting colonial-era photographs, countryside scenes and reproductions of fine art classics. The real piece-de-resistance is David Collin's designed 'The Apartment'. Decorated in rich blue hues and clean whites with a walk-in-wardrobe to die for and fantastic rooftop terrace, suites just don't get much better. Food at The Connaught is excellent for modern French Michelin-starred cuisine head to Helene Darroze where you'll eat on India Mahdavi divans and original Damien Hirst's hang from the walls. The Espelette, which faces out onto Carlos Square, is the perfect place to take tea while The Connaught Bar is consistently voted the best bar in London. If that wasn't enough you'll find the world's only stand-alone Aman spa in the hotel's basement look out for the sexy monochrome swimming pool.

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson