Piccadilly, right in the bustling heart of London, is home to a hotel that subtly combines the old with the new. The Café Royal, which opened in 2012, aims to be the prototype for 21st-century luxury hotels. Its 160 rooms, decorated in contemporary style, occupy three historic buildings, including a former firehouse. The traditional staircase and the Grill Room have been maintained in their original form. Built in 1865, the latter with its flamboyant Louis XVI-ambience is where Oscar Wilde fell in love with Lord Alfred Douglas.
