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LONDON
In the heart of the City of London, across the monumental, historical Tower Bridge and Tower of London sits yet another one of London's formidable landmark buildings, the neoclassical Grade II listed building, Ten Trinity Square, a former headquarters to the Port of London's Authority, now the home of London's second Four Seasons Hotel and possibly its most glamorous one yet. Grand and commanding it stands, this gorgeous façade enjoys the location of an area in London rich and rife with history and colourful tales. Upon arrival, one would find it hard pressed to not be awestruck by the towering pristine corinthian columns and the nostalgic grandeur of it all, yet you will find yourself among inured private members who frequent the exclusive Ten Trinity Square members club, available only to them.
Modern grandeur that somehow toes the line between classically ostentatious yet tastefully simple and elegant is what came to mind in describing the interior sompteux of the Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square. This is certainly a destination for couples and grown ups seeking out leisure in fine style. For dining options you have the riveting, red-washed Rotunda Restaurant which the hotel lobby opens right up into for breakfast, afternoon tea and upscale contemporary English fare, two-Michelin-starred haute French restaurant, Le Dame de Pic and Mei Ume, for traditional yet innovative Chinese and Japanese cuisine. For those looking to entirely disconnect, recharge or relax, the hotel boasts a truly luxurious, state-of-the-art spa and gym at subterranean levels, detached from the other decadent distractions of the hotel.
One need not wonder as to what standard Four Seasons hotels operates at because the answer is always: truly impeccable, but the outstanding and intuitive service from the chivalrous doorman to the gracious restaurant general manager in the establishment left a lingering impression that stayed with me for weeks to come. Each aspect of the hotel is a deliberate construction of modern elegance which also pays homage to its distinct history.
From the exquisite blooms arranged around the property dedicated to the Queen's platinum jubilee to the devastatingly ostentatious UN Ballroom – a magnificent event room overlooking the Trinity Square Gardens, Tower Bridge and Tower of London that was the setting for the inaugural reception for the United Nations General Assembly in 1964, the hotel is a cultivated celebration of the property and its area's folklore.
Executive Room
We stayed in the executive room, located on the first floor. The doors opened up to an incredibly spacious room one would easily mistake for a prestigious suite at any other establishment as the space is furnished with a sizeable sofa, coffee table, settee and armchair for a separate living area and an enchanting, large bathroom fitted with a generous bathtub, separate shower and toilet rooms and two wide sinks as well as desirable wardrobe space.
The room is a labour of lavish yet tasteful sophistication rivalling suite interiors you'd find in a Hollywood film with neutral cool greys, whites and blacks all around furnished with gorgeous deep oak wall panels and a simple, tempting pristine white king bed by the floor-to-ceiling guestroom windows peering out to the contemporary and tranquil central atrium. Some highlights of the room include lighting and shutters being completely controlled and adjustable by the bedside controls as well as the general state-of-the-art technology available in-room such as Google Chromecast available on their Smart TV and an iPad with the Four Seasons mobile app and chat help/concierge feature making service for the guest more convenient and accessible than ever.
With no end of nifty in-room amenities like premium teas with a variety of flavours from Julius Meinl, a generous assortment of Nespresso capsules, a fully stocked, refrigerated mini-bar and in-room dining available 24 hours a day, this is set to be your swankiest home away from home yet.
The focal point of the executive room is by far the palatial marble bathroom. Whilst the rest of the guestroom is lit in romantic, muted and soft lighting even at its highest setting, the bathroom's effulgent glow in comparison is mesmerising. The golden warmth envelopes and pulls you in past the stark, dark, oaky contrast of the wardrobes as you're drawn towards the glistening mosaic-tiled gold and white hammam-style bathtub, a grand and luxurious signature feature of this room.
A spacious, separate white marble shower room stands to the right of the tub and by the sinks, you will find a plethora of bathroom amenities including fragrant soaps and bathing products by Lorenzo Villores, heated marble bathroom floors and towel rails as well as heavenly, plush bathrobes and slippers available for guest use.
Rotunda Lounge
We sampled a sumptuous dinner at the Rotunda Lounge in their grand lobby, a seductive crimson circular space at the centre of the hotel. A classic black grand piano stands right in the middle of the red-carpeted lounge and although the space is technically open, the design of the Rotunda Lounge somehow manages to simultaneously perfect an atmosphere of intimacy despite that fact. Much like the rest of the hotel, the lounge's vibe is sophisticated, romantic and tasteful with a soft-lit, moody glow emitted from the luminous glass dome roof, bathing down around the imposing white, stone columns.
The walls around the lounge create an almost mythical or heavenly atmosphere with delicate carvings of mountainous, stratospheric and elemental landscapes and forces similar to that of the famed Mount Olympus or a monastery high up on the summits of Nepalese mountains. It suggests to the guest that where they are sat is a temple or shrine to the exemplary intricacies of the lifestyle offered here at the Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square.
From their all-day dining menu, we started off with a Fresh Burrata - Heritage Tomatoes, Capers, Sweet Basil, Vincotto. As far as burratas go, they nailed the creamy, thick consistency of the cheese where it perfectly dances between the line of spilling out and staying just a little firm and bouncy in texture, a wonderful treat to the palette in combination with juicy, colourful heirloom tomatoes both in taste and in presentation. The capers present some notes of brininess just as the onions lend a subtle crunch and the bread.
Another of our starters was the Beef Tartare - Vine Ripened Tomatoes, Shaved White Onion, Rocket. A tried and true European bistro favourite served with delicious, perfectly crispy, golden frites fried with duck fat. The beef tartare was seasoned excellently with savoury, black pepper, piquant herbs and pickled vegetables bursting through in each bite. The serving was a generous portion for a starter, an unexpected but pleasant fact about all the dishes served at the Rotunda Lounge – despite the posh location and refined settings, they won't be scrimping on quality or quantity.
One of our main courses was the Cornish Crab Cakes - Chopped Egg Gribiche, a fresh, fish-tasting, herb-packed and gorgeously golden and crisp dish encased in a perfect, light breadcrumbed outer shell. The meat was delicate, sweet and plump with zesty lemon notes, eggs and parsley coming through.
Crisp Fried Whiting - Fries, Caviar Tartare, Minted Pea Purée, in other words, fish and chips with a posh and innovative upgrade. The black sesame batter was divine – lightly crispy and flaked off wonderfully with the tender fish simply bursting with natural juices. The sweet pea purée was a fine compliment to the lemon-doused fish as well as the flavoursome caviar tartare – a zesty and tangy, creamy sauce suffused with flavors of lemon and egg.
By the end of the meal, we were at our limit and could barely just finish our mains. However when I saw Eton Mess - Vanilla Chantilly, Coconut Meringue, Strawberry Sorbet on the dessert menu, my sweet stomach came to life with a roar and we were treated to a gorgeous, authentic strawberry sorbet presented in a sophisticated and simple layout, bursting with tangy and refreshing flavours. The perfect dessert to offset a relatively heavy dinner. The meringue was simply to die for, a creamy, heavenly concoction that melted in the mouth along with fresh, sweet strawberries.
Ten Trinity Square Spa
After slipping into our bathrobes and slippers, we made our way down into the spa. A blissful, luxurious space that offers a completely immersive sensory experience of wellness and relaxation with refined decors and designs found on their gigantic spa floor. Gender-separated changing rooms with private lockers, full-sized mirrors and dim lighting allow for some quiet, personal prep time with all the bathroom and vanity amenities you could possibly require before choosing to pop into the heated vitality pool, the sauna, or if you fancy, perhaps a workout in their fitness centre.
I was led to one of the treatment rooms where my lovely therapist spoke to me about my treatment and enquired what I would hope to get out of the treatment. At a most professional level, we discussed massaging techniques and the holistic purpose of acupressure and blood flow in eastern massage practices. With the breakneck pace at how we go about our lives and our increasing dependence on constant stimulation in an ever-connected world, it's more important than ever to disconnect and relieve the physical and mental tensions built up within.
Four Seasons Ten Trinity Spa uses specially selected oils from top-of-the-line skincare leading brands such as Voya, Serenergised, Angelicus Seratus and more all geared towards achieving guests' specific treatment outcome desires from revitalisation and re-energising to destressing and improving sleep performance. Mindful dream by Voya is a blend of lavender, citrus and rosemary essential oils that delivery an uplifting effect that improves the experience of lucid sleep. Her specialist techniques and deep, slow motions focused on pressure points found throughout the body to increase blood circulation was a serene and stress-alleviating 60-minute experience.
The enormous indoor pool is a stylish and contemporary space offering ample area to practice on your laps, and for those looking more to unwind in the sparkling turquoise waters, multiple hydrojet, massage jacuzzi spaces are available throughout the soft-lit heated indoor vitality pool just behind.
Fruit and cucumber water is readily available all throughout the spa to be consumed at your leisure. There are a number of spa treatments available from traditional, Morrocan hammam rituals that make for a wonderfully unique retreat experience to skin-specific tailored signature facials. Don't forget to find some time to check out their fitness centre with state-of-the-art training equipment and treadmills.
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10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ, United Kingdom
Website: fourseasons.com/tentrinity
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