Lonely Planet Review

Imagine if Donatella Versace did hotel lobbies and you'll have a good idea what the Baglioni looks like. Jet black marble floors, black Murano glass chandeliers, a cascading water feature and a brilliant gold reception desk are just a few of the designs on show as you enter the hotel.

There's something wonderfully refreshing about the Baglioni's opulence. The British are sometimes too modest with their wealth: there are any number of five-star hotels in London that have probably spent the same, if not more, on interior design as this Italian palace and yet they don't come close to the Baglioni's out-and-proud design. It's a wonderfully decadent nod to over-the-top luxury: lavish, magnificent and unashamedly brazen. Of the 68 rooms, over 50 of them are suites and the majority command views of Kensington Palace and Gardens. The design is Italian contemporary with soft colours, modern fireplaces, copper washbasins, grand lighting installations and polished wood floorboards. Every floor has a personal butler and every bedroom has its own espresso machine. You can't get more Italian than that.