Perfection is the only word to describe the Bulgari Hotel & Residences in London’s Knightsbridge. Bulgari has been setting the pace for Italian style since 1884. Now they are doing it with hotels. This London jewel has been open since 2012 and is favored by international connoisseurs who seek the very best. Located on the edge of Hyde Park, London’s Bulgari Hotel is both a haven of calm in the center of the city and yet under a minute’s walk from such landmarks as the famous Harrod’s department store. Elegant contemporary architecture and Bulgari’s legendary flair for design are matched by class-leading quality of service, always polite, always charming. Design and service along with generously proportioned rooms (ours was all fine, rare woods and polished chrome and fitted like a jewel box; the jumbo bathroom had a huge carved stone tub, perfect in which to play with all the Bulgari amenities) and suites combine with unrivalled facilities such as a full gymnasium and physical training center with on-site personal training team, Bodyism; 11 single spa treatment rooms and one private spa suite; 25 meter, three-lane swimming pool; 47 seat cinema; unique Cigar Shop and sampling lounge, a stunning Ballroom; to deliver a city hotel experience that is unique in the world. The Bulgari Spa is regarded by many as the crowning achievement of the hotel, the Bulgari Spa has curated a selection of the most advanced beauty, grooming and health-enhancing treatments available today, offering the flexibility of one off specialist treatments to long term life-improvement programes uniquely tailored to the needs of the individual.  Open to guests and a restricted membership from 6:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. the Spa and fitness centre at the Bulgari offers a unique universe of wellness five storeys beneath, and a world away from the fast paced bustle of modern metropolitan life.  This tranquil, spacious and blissfully uncrowded two storey complex comprises fitness room, steam rooms, saunas, ice showers, 11 treatment rooms, one luxurious private spa suite and a relaxation room with a dramatic vertical fireplace and offers an urban oasis of experiences that soothe the mind, invigorate the body and revive the senses. At the heart of the unique Bulgari Spa experience is the most dramatic private pool complex in central London:  the main 25 metre colonnaded swimming pool with its loungers and cabanas is clad in the textured Vicenza stone that has been the signature of great Italian architecture since the time of Palladio   Providing a counterpoint to this architectural simplicity is the vitality pool with its variety of full body massage jets, and which, finished with tiny tiles of gold leaf glass, recalls the glittering gorgeousness of the Byzantine mosaics of Venice and Ravenna. When it’s time for a Negroni, the cool glamour of Il Bar beckons. Centered around the central hammered metal bar this unique and arresting piece of functional sculpture in white metal was created by Italian artisans in honor of the hammered finish that used to distinguish the exquisite silverware of Sortiro Bulgari. With its dramatic mirror-polished black granite floor, walls of polished Sapele mahogany and ceiling of titanium the atmosphere is one of contemporary elegance: the chuckle of wine being poured, the melodious chime of ice cubes on crystal and polyglot conversation mingling with a selection of soft tunes chosen by Bulgari’s dj.  Il Bar is popular with diplomats and fashion people, visitors and Knightsbridge residents alike as a place for drinks and light food throughout the day; the early evening apertivo; cocktails or after dinner drinks and in the summer outside tables along Knightsbridge Green, provide a perfect space to experience la Dolce Vita London style. Best of all, the hotel’s restaurant, Rivea, serves over-the-moon cuisine inspired by the vibrant food markets in Italy and Provence. Rivea was concepted by no less than the great multi-starred Alain Ducasse, and serves French and Italian cuisine in a chic, convivial and relaxed setting with informal yet impeccable service. The menu of small plates incorporates the classic flavors and vivid colors of the Riviera, with a focus on simple flavors and the best ingredients mainly sourced within the British Isles. Head Chef Damien Leroux has spent more than 10 years under the tutelage of Alain Ducasse in Provence and Monaco, sharing his passion for “La Cuisine du Soleil.” Renowned Italian architect and designer Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners has created a light, airy and glamorous room with sea-blue and white pearlescent themes that directly reference the Riviera.  The adjacent private dining room seats up to 12 guests and provides an intimate space for a bespoke experience. Bulgari has set new standards among the luxury hotels of the British capital. Like their fabulous jewelry, Bulgari’s London hotel is pure, unadulterated luxury, formed by the fusion of precision, innovation, and distinctive service, a glamorous and exciting style that blends classic with contemporary. Credit the urbane and dashing General Manager Sylvain Ercoli with setting the tone here: an unmistakable mood that transcends time and passing fads. Visit www.bulgarihotels.com/en-us/london/the-hotel/overview.