Fodor's Expert Review Beaverbrook Town House

Now a smart boutique hotel, this was not the actual London town house of Lord Beaverbrook (newspaper tycoon of the 1930s and '40s and confidante of Churchill), but its 1930s-style decor mixed with Japanese touches evokes his sophisticated life at the center of London's intellectual set. The luxurious but comfortable rooms, all named after London theaters, have velvet loveseats, flat screens that rise up from ottomans, retro landline phones in pastel colors, and mini-cocktail trolleys with glass tumblers and pre-mixed cocktails (in case Nöel Coward stops by for a drink, presumably). The Japanese theme is continued in the restaurant and its adjoining Omikado bar which serves a 20-course small plate menu. Guests receive keys to Cadogan Gardens, one of London's largest garden squares, across the street.