Keep tabs on The King in five-star style, from one of The Athenaeum's new penthouse suites

The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences, at 116, Piccadilly, has been a collector’s house, a gentleman’s club and an Art Deco apartment block. Take That also announced their split from one of its suites.

A hotel since 1973, I was there to stay in one of two new penthouse suites — The View Suites — born out of the former top floor lounge. Specifically the one-bedroom, Green Park View Suite, which more than lived up to its name.

The rooms

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There are two suites which interconnect, so a group or family can take both and have a three-bedroom penthouse to themselves. How well the larger suite suits a crowd was demonstrated by the laughter that drifted across from the next-door balcony.

Gideon, the front of house manager, showed us up. The suite’s floor-to-ceiling windows and private balcony frame Green Park, with Buckingham Palace peeking out of the trees beyond. He handed us a pair of binoculars and pointed out that The King wasn’t home, as the Union Jack flag was flying over the palace, not the Royal Standard. Then came a cheerful warning that he (Gideon, not The King) would know if we hadn’t had a good time unless the mini bar was empty.

The open-plan suite takes its cue from the view. British interior design studio Sims Hilditch — which is regularly featured in Country Life's Top 100 list of leading interior designers, architects, and makers — has echoed the park with greens, blues and soft neutrals and fabrics from Fermoie, Colefax and Fowler and GP & J Baker. The technology stays out of sight. Remote-controlled curtains let you watch the city wake up from bed and there is a Dyson Airwrap I was sad not to use it, having done my hair that morning.

The marble bathroom has double sinks, a rainfall shower and a freestanding bath you could happily lose an hour in, with Paul Smith Botanist toiletries exclusive to the suites. Turndown brought silk sleep masks and Paul Smith sleep spray, which we sniffed contentedly from the enormous bed.

Eating and drinking

Champagne and a very good view made us late for drinks at the bar, but we just made it down to 116 at The Athenaeum in time to try the cocktails Gideon had recommended. The gin-based Duchess of Duke Street and whisky-based Japanese Summer were excellent and dangerously easy to drink.

From the à la carte menu I had a salmon blini, then steak with peppercorn sauce and rhubarb crumble. A note on the table explained that the restaurant was supporting RABI, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, which helps farming people in difficulty, which felt particularly apt after such a punishing summer for the countryside.

The food left some room for improvement but a new chef, André Costa, is due to start soon, and I’d happily go back to see what he does with the place.

How they’ll keep you busy

You won’t be short of things to do, though the hardest part may be leaving the room. If you do make it downstairs, the spa offers massages and treatments, plus a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna. The sauna, however, didn’t quite meet my surface-of-the-sun expectations.

Beyond the hotel: you’re in the heart of Mayfair. In the evening we strolled past Annabel’s, Harry’s Bar and the Savile Club, with LAPADA setting up its annual antiques fair.

The next morning we walked through Green Park, a minute from the hotel. The personal concierge can offer more personal suggestions and expert recommendations.

Who’s it for

This is for anyone who wants to be in the middle of Mayfair, with everything on the doorstep, but would be perfectly happy staying in. The suite feels residential rather than hotel-like, and with the plush furnishings and that view, it’s easy to see why you might not leave.

What gives it the wow factor

The view. We kept finding reasons to open the balcony doors.

The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences is a luxury 5-star property located in Mayfair, London, and is a member of PoB Hotel. Standard rooms start from £337 per night on a room-only basis; View Suites are £1,800 per night.