The Stafford
The Stafford London is a 5-star boutique hotel in St. James’s, London, England.
| The Stafford London | |
|---|---|
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  Location within Central London | |
| General information | |
| Location | 16-18 St James's Place, St James's, London, England |
| Coordinates | 51°30′20.7″N 0°8′25.9″W |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 107 |
| Website | |
| www.thestaffordlondon.com | |
The Stafford has 107 rooms, a wine cellar, an American Bar, a small museum, a private cobbled courtyard and British restaurant, The Game Bird, which opened in 2017.
16-18 St. St James's Place were originally built as private residences in the 17th Century. Number 17 was owned by Lord and Lady Lyttelton, the latter of whom was the daughter of the then Earl Spencer. With the addition of number 18 in 1912, The Stafford Hotel was completed as it exists today.
History
The Stafford was founded as a hotel in 1912, but its existence goes back to the 17th Century, when its buildings were private residences.
Numbers 16-18 St James’s Place were originally built as private residences in the 17th century. Number 17, most famously owned by Lord and Lady Lyttelton, remained in the family until 1849 when Lady Lyttelton, daughter of the then Earl Spencer, was pressed into service as nanny to Queen Victoria’s children.
In the years that followed, the house changed hands many times, becoming the Richmond Club Chambers, Green's Private Hotel and St James's Palace Hotel. The Stafford Club, originally housed in number 18, was added in 1886, and in 1912, the hotel was extended to include number 16; The Stafford Hotel was born.
During the Second World War, The Stafford served as a club for American and Canadian officers stationed overseas. This led to the formation of the Better 'Ole Club whose membership comprises guests recognized for services above and beyond the call of duty to The Stafford; one of its most famous members is the Prince of Wales.
In 1947 Costain, headed by Sir Richard Costain, purchased the hotel and in 1985 it was sold to Trafalgar House, to complement their ownership of the Ritz and Cunard Cruise Lines. Cunard oversaw the development of the world-famous Carriage House rooms in the late 1980s and established the hotel as a favourite with North American visitors.
In 1995, the hotel was bought by Daniel Thwaites plc, a family-controlled Lancashire based brewery. The hotel underwent a program of continual reinvestment, including a six-month closure for major refurbishment in 1996 and an annual spend of over £1 million on redecorating and replacing fabrics and furniture. In 2007 the ‘all suite’ Stafford Mews building was opened.
In 2009, The Stafford was purchased by Britannia Hospitality Limited and in 2010 it became part of the Kempinski Hotels collection. In 2014 The Stafford redirected its focus, moved away from Kempinski and was accepted into membership of The Preferred Hotel Group. In 2017 a multimillion-pound redesign took place of the Stafford’s Carriage House suites, which were once the former stables of British nobleman and politician, Lord Francis Godolphin. In collaboration with designer Alexandra Champalimaud the suites were enhanced with a chic countryside look. In March 2017 The Stafford launched its new restaurant The Game Bird, overseen by Executive Chef, James Durrant.
Rooms
The Stafford has 107 different rooms in three separate buildings.
Nancy Wake
Nancy Wake was an eccentric female spy, who frequented the American Bar of The Stafford during WWII and who resided at the hotel during her final years.
Wake was the Allies’ most highly decorated servicewoman of WWII, and on the Gestapo’s most-wanted list with a five million-franc price on her head. They code-named her ‘The White Mouse’ because of her ability to elude capture. When war broke out she was a young woman married to a wealthy Frenchman living a life of luxury in cosmopolitan Marseilles. She became a saboteur, organiser and Resistance fighter who led an army of 7,000 Maquis troops in guerrilla warfare to sabotage the Nazis.
In 2001 Wake became a full-time resident at The Stafford. In the mornings she would usually be found in The American Bar, sipping her first gin and tonic of the day. Wake celebrated her ninetieth birthday at the hotel, and in 2003, when she chose to move to the Royal Star and Garter Home for Disabled Ex-Service Men and Women, in Richmond, London, the hotel owners absorbed most of the costs of her stay at The Stafford London. Wake died on 7 August 2011.
Wine cellars
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The Stafford is home to 380-year-old Wine Cellars, which are thought to be the oldest wine cellars in London. The cellars house over 8000 bottles of wines and Champagnes, including many rare and precious vintages and a selection of Armagnac, port and single malt whiskies, some dating back to the 1920s.
The Wine Cellars were built in the 17th Century by Lord Francis Godolphin. It is reputed that certain doorways led directly to the palace of St James’s, which was the original home of the British monarchy right up until the time of Queen Victoria. Much later in their history, the cellars housed the famous Madame Prunier wine shipping company and acted as an air-raid shelter during WWII.
During WWII Simone Prunier, a restaurateur in Paris and London, housed her collection of wine in the cellars of The Stafford London to ensure that they were safe and that there was a regular supply of fine wines for her clientele.
The cellars host an informal museum, where some of the artefacts left behind in wartimes by American and Canadian officers during their time in the hotel are displayed. The last remaining casket and wine corking machinery are also on show in the main chamber of the cellars.