Check in: Chancery Rosewood

London’s most talked-about opening of the year has long been a place prohibited. A former fortified US embassy, the vast Chancery building in London’s Grosvenor Square has been given a jovial new lease of life, reimagined under the design prowess of British architect Sir David Chipperfield and Parisian designer Joseph Dirand. Chancery Rosewood has arrived.

Entering the hotel below Theodore Roszak’s soaring eagle sculpture (after which the rooftop bar is named), there is an instant buzz about the GSQ deli - an all-day Mayfair hangout. The soaring hotel lobby is hung in artwork curated by London-based art consultancy, Cramer & Bell, who hand-picked and placed 700 pieces from both emerging and established artists throughout the hotel. Specially commissioned works include those by British painter Sir Christopher Le Brun, multidisciplinary textile designer Sussy Cazalet and Anthony Grace, known for his American Surrealism.

Rising up from the lobby are 144 suites that make the most of the building’s proportions, with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame views out over London. Sleek lines give way to plush textures in warm and earthy tones, with design details testament to Dirand’s vision of "celebrating craftsmanship." On the seventh floor are two penthouses fit for a party - Charles House and Elizabeth House (complete with landscaped terrace) while the subterranean belongs to Asaya Spa, a cocooning sanctuary of a space designed by Yabu Pushelberg, centred around a 25-metre swimming pool. The main event here is the Taktouk Clinic, integrating advanced dematological expertise with a holistic approach.

And the hottest ticket of all? Carbone - the first European outpost of the iconic New York Italian-American restaurant. Not to be missed.