As far as grand luxe London hotels are concerned, it has always been the battle of the high "C's"-Claridge's and The Connaught. And though I love The Connaught for its understated charm and its refined sense of detail, I am disturbed by the often curt reserve that the staff and management show to first-time guests. My late friend, Rene LeCler, once said that "(The Connaught is) a small hotel which doesn't really want to know you if you don't belong." Unfortunately, I share his view and though I love to return time-and-time again, I am wary to recommend it to a new visitor to London.

Claridge's, on the other hand, is never stand-off-ish; it is urbane without being pompous and truly polite without being deferential. A welcoming, dignified star, the "bastion of Brook Street" is, without hesitation, my choice for the hotel in London.

Opened in the early 1800's by a Frenchman named Milvart and purchased soon after by Mr. Claridge, this landmark hotel has played host to everyone from the French Empress Eugenie in 1856 to modern heads of state from all parts of the globe. Much of the interior decor in the lounge and dining room was designed in the 1920's by Basil Ionides, a foremost Art Deco designer, and remains in superb, pristine condition.

One enters Claridge's through revolving glass doors to a room filled with the air of ceremonious grandeur. The sweeping lines of the lobby draw you into the festive lounge filled with an international assortment of travelers, businessman, and social Londoners, all buzzing with exuberant chat and vigor. On one visit, a marvelous Hungarian string quartet bowed melodiously in one corner while in another, an obliging waiter appeared silently, unobtrusively at my side to offer me a ringside seat.

The rooms at Claridge's are traditional and quite superb. Decorated in chintzes and prints with toe-hugging carpets and well-lined drapes, even the smallest is quite spacious and light. Bathrooms are wonderfully enormous and well-fitted-the showers are perhaps the best in London. Every detail, from properly-hung doors to lined bureau drawers, is spot-on.

However, the hallmark of Claridge's is its service. The concierges have, unlike some, really earned their keys and I am convinced can arrange anything. Best of all are the spirited Italian waiters in the coral-coloured, etched-mirrored dining room-vigorous, professional and helpful, they add joy to an invariably excellent meal.

Subtly sublime, Claridge's unflagging charm and nobility remain as fresh today as when Queen Victoria became the first British Queen ever to call upon a hotel. Truly a gem.

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