The Churchill: a London hotel fit for a prime minister

Chris Carter checks in to a posh retreat in Marylebone with sumptuous décor and splendid food

Churchill Hotel front
(Image credit: Churchill Hotel front)

Sitting outside at the elegant Churchill Bar & Terrace, part of the “Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill” hotel, in Marylebone, I couldn’t help but notice, out of the corner of my eye, somebody watching me. I played with my Thousand Islands cocktail, a heady mix of Zacapa rum and Barolo Chinato, pretending not to notice, my lady companion all the while absorbed with her Air Safari of gin and corn liquor, parcel-tied neatly in a corn husk. Was it me?

The folk at other tables chatted happily on this spring evening in Marylebone, the smart end of town just round the corner from Hyde Park, Marble Arch and Oxford Street. Finally, I looked over. There, to my left, sat the likeness of the great Winston Churchill, rendered in metal and clutching a brandy and trademark cigar.

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.