St Ermin’s lobby

While it is strikingly apparent that the history of the hotel has really been embraced, its also notable that the hotel has been recently restored and has an unusually pleasant ‘contemporary sheen’ after a £30 million refurbishment that was undertaken through 2010 which has really added to the grandeur and luxury of the establishment.

Just outside the hotel’s grand cast iron gates is the quintessential London – St James’s park, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are literally a stone’s throw away from the hotel which made this hotel the ideal spot for a first timer tourist in England’s capital.

As a famous saying goes ‘when a man is bored of London, he is bored of life,’ and I can now vouch for this. After spending a mere two days at this hotel (and frankly, saw what I thought was a lot of London) I gained a further appreciation and lust for exploring more of London. I think its only once you’ve had a small taste of the fascinating capital that you can really appreciate the magnitude of the place and the amount of exploring that is open to any tourist or traveller.

Caxton Grill Beef

For those that perhaps plan to stay a little longer in London than I did you’ll be pleased to hear (but likley unsurprised) that the hotel is in the perfect spot for exploring a little further too as there is an underground station just a five minute walk away. Or alternatively, there’s the low cost rental bicycles (otherwise known as ‘Boris bikes’ after the cities eccentric mayor) nearby if you fancy taking a more scene route!

Oh, and before I forget – if you’re a fan of steak don’t forget to check out the St Ermin’s on-site restaurant the Caxton Grill if you’re a steak fan, their Josper Grill (one of only 3 in the country) is sure to give you a steak experience you are unlikely to forget!

Written by Alex of The Luxury Holiday Blog.

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The old castle was built on the place of today’s castle in Pierrefonds already in the 12th century. This great military strength has undergone a number of refurbishment over the centuries as well as its owner changed frequently. In March 1617, during the troubled reign of King Louis XIII, the castle was conquered by troops of the Chief minister Cardinal Richelieu. He decided to demolish a castle. However thanks to a huge range of construction, the work of destruction was not completed. The roofs have been destroyed and the walls were devastated by the canons.

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Pierrefonds Castle then remained as a ruin for the next two centuries. Napoleon I bought the wreck in 1810 for just 3,000 francs. In the 19th century began a period of fashion traditions of medieval knights. The ruins of Pierrefonds Castle were captured between 1834 and 1866 by the French painter Corot in his paintings.

The future French emperor Napoleon III visited the castle in 1850. Later, as emperor, asked the architect Viollet-le-Duc in 1857 to carry out reconstruction of the castle. The project grew and later they wanted to build a royal residence here. Viollet-le-Duc built it much under the influence of his ideas about the Middle Ages. The fort was changed to the castle. Yet as a builder proved very good knowledge of military fortifications of 14th century.

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