Hotel review: Waldorf Astoria, London

A glitzy new Waldorf Astoria may sit oddly next to the refined elegance of Robert Adam and Capability Brown's Syon Park estate, but its luxurious pampering proves seductiveThe guest relations woman is showing me a special treatment card. Non?surgical procedures one can book at the hotel's Kallima Spa. They are carried out by staff specially trained by a top London cosmetic surgeon and include laser hair removal, chemical peels and something called micro needling (which I can't quite bring myself to read about). Very LA.Woken by the sound of planes (yes, this 167-room hotel is under the Heathrow flight path), I slipped into the basement spa early for a (wonderfully solitary) swim and steam (the hottest ever). Now I'm returning, after breakfast, for a treatment custom chosen for me from a choice of brands that include current spa fave Anne S�monin, a "sensorial" French range called Terrak� and organic Voya.The original New York Waldorf Astoria is a legend. Cole Porter wrote about it; Marilyn Monroe lived in it. Waldorf Astoria is now Hilton's luxury brand, with hotels in countless capitals and beach resorts. The latest in its portfolio is here, newly built on the Syon Park estate just across the Thames from Kew Gardens.Syon Park is the home of the Duke of Northumberland, known for the dome on its magnificent conservatory, its Robert Adam interior and its Capability Brown park. The hotel is next to the stable-block-turned-upmarket-garden-centre, and poses no threat that I can discern to Syon House on the architectural front.The lobby has something of the Dubai shopping mall about it. Glass display cabinets house sapphire-, diamond- and ruby-encrusted pieces by a Swiss jeweller. A glass butterfly house (yes, really, complete with tropical plants but also rotting fruit) divides seating areas of pale yellow butter-soft leather. At one end is a sundae bar serving ice-cream, coffee and crepes. Eventually you reach the martini bar, Peacock Alley. Mirrors glint, powder-blue leather bar stools hug the semi-circular bar, lime velvet sofas clash with multicoloured Warhol portraits, and a champagne trolley shimmers with ice.Things are calmer in the bedroom. My first-floor room is reached along a glassed-in walkway with extraordinary piped-in sound effects (geese, birdsong, voices) and seems to owe much to the monochrome, wenge wood-obsessed 1990s. No arguing with sheets so fine they feel like silk, a private balcony, bathroom with TV, lights on dimmers and Ferragamo toiletries. Wi?Fi is free, but only in the communal areas.Service at tea, down in the courtyard when I arrived yesterday afternoon, was hit and miss until a man (who turned out to be the sommelier) took control, ran through the loose tea selection and got it delivered in half the time we waited for a menu. "Very Silence of the Lambs," said my friend, examining the butterflies on Villeroy & Boch china.The very same sommelier persuaded her to try an English sparkling wine in the Capability restaurant later that evening. We liked the menu from executive chef Lee Streeton (ex-Browns and Caprice Holdings), which made much of Cornish seafood and lamb, 28-day-aged Aberdeen beef, wild garlic, English cheese and even cider. For once, there were three vegetarian options, though none (noted my nutritionist pal) contained any protein.Now, after Anne S�monin's black Polynesian sand scrub, then skin massaged and brushed as part of Terrak�'s Of Air and Light detox treatment, and chilling in the spa's candlelit purpleness, I have resurfaced, glowing and relaxed, into the lobby. All this glitz on a very English estate is plain weird, but I must admit I feel great.? Around �50 for three-course dinner, excluding drinks WHAT TO DO IN THE AREA: BY THE LOCALSA picnic spotThe Duke of Northumberland's family has lived in Syon House (syonpark.co.uk) for more than 400 years. Take a tour of the magnificent estate and private apartments; enjoy the spectacular glass conservatory and 40 acres of gardens. Then you can have a picnic in the "secret garden" at the back. (The hotel will pack a spread and deliver it to you, with some bubbly.)Kelly Jackson, marketing manager, Syon Park Wardorf AstoriaA bike rideThere are lots of great bike rides right from the door. You can explore the Syon Park estate or nearby Richmond Park. Or you could ride to Kew Gardens (adults �13.90, concessions �11.90, under-17s free, kew.org) just over Kew Bridge. It's one of four Unesco world heritage sites in London, with 43 listed buildings and more plant varieties than at any other point on the Earth's surface. Children will like it here too: there's the Climbers & Creepers interactive play zone for under-nines, the Treetop Towers adventure playground and the Treetop Walkway, which teenagers will enjoy. Bicycles and even some tandem bikes can be borrowed from the hotel without charge. KJA great pintO'Riordans, up the road in Brentford (3 High Street), is a traditional Irish pub with great stout and an excellent informal band that assembles every Thursday evening and jams the night away. All are welcome and the atmosphere is great.Nigel Taylor, curator at Kew GardensA long walkTake the Grand Union Canal towpath northwards from the bridge on the A315 London Road, a few minutes from the hotel. This makes for an interesting walk, with good interpretation of canal history and local industry, while getting you away from busy traffic. You can reach Southall and experience a complete Indian community with colourful culture and great food. The River Thames towpath is also beautiful in either direction, but much more popular and can get crowded, especially with cyclists. NTRetail therapyWest London's super-shopping centre ? Westfield in Shepherds Bush, with more than 300 shops ? is nearby and easily accessible from Syon Park on the 237 bus. NTCatch a matchIf you are a rugby union fan, Twickenham Stadium (rfu.com/TwickenhamStadium) is close by ? the Barbarians are playing England on 29 May, tickets from �27. Catch the 267 bus from Syon Park. NTHotelsLondonUnited KingdomEuropeSally Shalamguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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