London's Style Palaces

Located at the hub of Covent Garden, London's West End and Trafalgar Square, St Martins Lane is a dramatic and daring reinvention of the urban resort. Designed by Philippe Starck it combines modern and baroque décor. Unique features include the acclaimed Asia de Cuba restaurant and interactive light displays in every guest room.

If you can cope with room service giving you a run for your money in the style stakes (the staff are kitted out in designer duds), you'll feel very much at home in this nugget of minimalist eclat. Get the Park View room at The Metropolitan for a spectacular, panoramic view of Hyde Park, and take advantage of the fact that Nobu is your in-house restaurant.

Premier-league designers Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck have created a series of visually gobsmacking hotels around the world. The Sanderson is one of their 2 London projects. The rooms are contemporary, with unique touches and surprises. Beds are in the middle of the rooms, and the theme is white, with everything from the sheets to the curtains in the same, minimalist shade.

You could almost play frisbee with the guards at Kensington Palace, former home of Princess Diana, from this distinguished niche. The first thing that hits you at The Baglioni Hotel is the striking, black-and-gold trappings, which give the place a palatial feel. And if that's not enough to make you feel like a sultan, how about this? The concierge is one of the best connected in town, and can get you into members-only clubs with just one telephone call.