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BY MIRA FRIEDLANDER

I recently discovered a perfect hotel for any woman travelling alone and another for anyone with money to burn.
But we’re talking London and the British pound, so if you have to ask how much, you probably won’t like the answer. But special occasions and special places go hand in hand, so when you’re planning that overseas anniversary, honeymoon or birthday, you should know about The Beaufort and The Lanesborough.

The Beaufort is a small and charming Victorian row house hotel located in tranquil Beaufort Gardens behind Harrods. It is run almost totally by women and adopts a country house atmosphere.  Guests are treated like friends come to stay.
The Lanesborough is the latest in a long line of deluxe hotels in England’s premiere city. It offers service par-excellence, including personal fax machines, a direct phone line complete with hold button and conference call into every room, and your own butler summoned at the mere jab of a button.

At The Beaufort an unusual all-inclusive pricing policy takes in not only room and breakfast (separate at The Lanesborough), but also a 24-hour in-room, light meal service and a complimentary lounge bar full of everything from soda to champagne. Just pour and carry away.

When my friend from Manchester visited, we ordered a delicious lunch of soup and sandwich one day, an extra breakfast the next. On check-out, there was a minimal charge for my friend’s lunch, nothing for mine or the extra breakfast.

What owner Diana Wallis has achieved with her 28 individually decorated rooms is wonderfully personal and attentive. Both hotels include service charges in their fees so there’s no running for change every time the maid comes in and at The Beaufort you’re even handed a front door key.

For the business executive there are direct dial lines, personalized voice mail and faxes, and all telephone calls are billed at cost, which at London prices could make a huge difference on your final tab.

The Beaufort’s well appointed room boast little treats like chocolate Easter eggs, and fruit. At The Lanesborough, fresh flowers and fruit arrive daily, along with fragrant pot pourris, but that’s not what got me. It’s the buttons.

There are so many to push for so many different reasons, that it took Marvin, my butler, more than ten minutes to settle me in and explain everything. There are lighting panels with dimmers and individual heating and air conditioning controls, but most amazing of all is the bedside panel which slides out of the night table’s top drawer.

From there, a mere feather-light touch will summon butler and maid, as well as control lights, a world clock and the television. No reason to get up, really, except that the pesky fax machine keeps spitting out notes and the personal telephone sounds much like the one at home - insistent.

No request is considered too large or too outrageous here. Except maybe for the guest who decided at 3 am that the colour of his curtains were irritating and requested they be removed. That time there was a gentle refusal; he was moved to another room the next day.

At peak times that might not have been possible. With only 95 rooms and suites, business is fairly brisk. I wanted to have a peek at the Royal Suite, which has been home to Madonna, but it was booked by a businessman. (They turned Michael Jackson down though.)

If Madonna entertained in her room, as I did, she would have been able to serve guests complimentary soft drinks from the bar, which Marvin cheerfully replenished for me. He also brought in some classical CDs for atmosphere, from the large in-house CD and video library. But liquor, though self-served from crystal decanters, is discreetly charged to your tab.

The Regency-style rosewood-panelled building (it was a hospital originally) doesn’t strike me as quite Madonna’s style and she might well complain about the lack of health club facilities in so posh a palace. It’s an oversight the Texas owners, Rosewood Hotels, are working on and they do store exercise machines for guest use. The butler will be only too happy to place a treadmill or stairmaster in the room. Or you could do what one guest did and turn a second room into your own personal gym.

If you prefer to go out, chauffeurs and limos dot the drive, although the hotel’s location right at Hyde Park Corner couldn’t be more central and the tube is literally outside the front door.

But despite the supreme comfort and opulence afforded by The Lanesborough, my one reservation is its over-riding masculinity. The period panelling and large furniture pieces are glorious, a designer’s delight, but I kept imagining my grandfather replete in waistcoat and gold watch, sitting behind that huge desk.

In complete contrast is the sunny, garden conservatory, where informal meals and tea are served. Modelled after Brighton Pavillion, it is supremely comfortable and luxurious without being snooty. In fact, a Texan bonhommie permeates the hotel despite the tux and tails of its mail staff.

Travel Tips:
Always ask on booking whether your hotel has an airport transfer service. In the case of The Lanesborough, complimentary limo service to either airport comes with all suites.

If you’re on business, avoid flying into Stanstead if you can, because of the travel time into London. If you’re vacationing, Stanstead is closer to Cambridge than London and a great stop-over for a trip north.

England can still be a good deal off-season. Many hotels will come down from their regular rate at off-peak times. If you can, try late September and October, or late May and June, for reasonable weather, fewer crowds and better hotel rates.

It pays to question aggressively when booking. Don’t take the first offer, ask again.

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