Fodor's Expert Review The Langham

Hotel pedigrees don't come much greater than this one: built in 1865, The Langham was the original luxury hotel in the city, all but inventing the very image of what a great London hotel looked like. Good fortune didn't last: it closed in the 1940s, and spent much of the 20th century being used as office space by the BBC, before finally reopening in 2010 after a renovation that was rumored to cost nearly £100 million. The public spaces are flawless, from the spectacular, light-filled atrium, with its soaring marble pillars, to the restored ballroom, which now houses Roux at the Landau, Michelin-star chef Michel Roux's outstanding modern French restaurant. Guest rooms are spacious and modern, with sumptuously comfortable beds, although bathrooms in the basic rooms are small.