4. The Connaught
Venerable 121-room hotel the Connaught, which has welcomed guests in monied Mayfair for over a century, may seem an unlikely place to find London's beautiful people, but this stately dowager has recently had a seductive makeover. Its old-fashioned values are still intact, with top-notch service, English grandeur and elegant antiques, but now you can also hang out at the glitzy Connaught Bar (revamped by Brit interiors whizz David Collins), sip ****tails at the contemporary Coburg Bar (with witty cameo portraits, styled by Parisian designer India Mahdavi) and dine on sophisticated cuisine by chef Hélène Darroze. Fashionistas will also love Europe's only Aman Spa, where the green-tea foot bath soothes paws fatigued by gadding about the area's high-end shops.