Mayfair is the poshest district of London. This is where all the venture capitalists and hedge fund managers hang out - far from the dirty, cramped confines of the City. It’s old genteel London, with its rows of Georgian townhouses and exclusive shops.
And if you’re looking for luxury, you can get it here, in Brown’s Hotel.
It’s now part of Rocco Forte’s chain of luxury hotels, but it was founded in 1837 by the eponymous Mr Brown, formerly a servant of Lord Byron. (Hence the apostrophe in the hotel’s name, still there after all those years.) Presumably he was used to demanding customers - Byron was noted for his ability to throw a strop if he didn’t get exactly what he wanted.
While Brown’s is not by any means an antique hotel - the furnishings are contemporary though classical, and you won’t find too many hunting prints on the walls - it retains that feeling of understated elegance that is the true sign of the English gentleman. You’ll get a friendly welcome without the pretension that accompanies it in many five-star hotels.
The price, of course, matches the luxury of Bang & Olufsen televisions and a concierge who can do anything, as well as the Mayfair address. You won’t get much change out of nine hundred dollars a night, unless you book very cannily.
But for a honeymoon or anniversary stay in London, it’s the bees’ knees - and staff really will look after you, with fruit bowls and bottles of champagne.
The downside? Mayfair isn’t the most convenient location for the traditional tourist sights - or for trendy night life.
If you can’t afford a night in the hotel, soak in the traditional ambience with afternoon tea - the oak panelling is original, though the smart new chairs lighten the atmosphere and there are some rather tasty patisseries as well as the more traditional Dundee cake.
Photo credit~: Matt Brown on flickr
译文:
布朗酒店
梅菲尔是伦敦最高级的地区。这里是所有风险资本家与对冲基金经理人喜欢聚集的地方——它远离城市肮脏与喧闹的区域。这里有一排排的格鲁吉亚排屋，一家家的高级精品商店，是旧伦敦的上流社会。
如果你要体验豪华，你可以到这里，到布朗酒店来。
现在，布朗酒店是罗科.福尔特豪华酒店旗下的一家，但是它却是在1837年由布朗先生用自己的名字命名建立的。老板布朗以前做过拜伦勋爵的贴身男仆。（因此，在过了那么多年之后，这个酒店一直沿用这个叫法。）也许，是用他来吸引顾客——都知道，拜伦如果没有得到他想要的东西，他是不会吃亏的，他一向以吃小亏得大利益的能力而著称。
但是，无论如何，布朗不能算是一家古老的酒店——陈设虽然很古典但是当代的，在墙上你很难发现太多的印刷画——它仍然保留着英国绅士的标志—感受优雅的感觉。在这里你会感受到真诚的欢迎，而不是像许多五星级酒店给人的傲慢感觉。
当然，豪华的邦•奥陆芬电视与周到的服务需要与之相匹配的价格，就像梅菲尔本身这个地址一样。一晚花九百美元，你不会得到太多变化的惊讶，除非你精打细算。
但留在伦敦度蜜月或是纪念周年，这里却是再好不过了——服务员会拿着水果篮和香槟，非常周到的为你服务。
缺点？从传统旅游者的角度看---或是对于时尚的夜生活来说，这里并不是最方便的地区。
如果你无法负担这里住一夜的费用，你可以喝下午茶，沉浸于传统的氛围中——松子格子饼原汁原味，虽然小巧的新椅子会破坏一点气氛，但是还有很多美味的法式蛋糕和更传统的邓迪蛋糕。
照片提供：马特。布朗发布于 flickr