The hotel
The Prince Akatoki occupies seven Grade II listed Georgian townhouses near Marble Arch, but the interior is entirely at odds with the facade. Since rebranding from The Arch London, it has quietly become one of the most distinctive places to stay in Marylebone, trading the neighbourhood’s familiar period charm for something cooler, quieter and considerably more considered.
Named after the Japanese word for dawn, the hotel brings a studied minimalism to one of the capital’s grandest residential streets and has held Forbes Five Star accreditation for five consecutive years.
The experience
Stepping inside The Prince Akatoki, the shift in atmosphere is immediate. Clean lines, natural materials and soft lighting replace the usual London hotel formula, and the effect is genuinely calming rather than clinical.
A library with an open fireplace, a small wellness space with Technogym equipment and a pillow menu in every room contribute to a sense of thoughtful comfort that accumulates quietly over the course of a stay.
One guest review described feeling “suspended between worlds” over dinner at TOKii, which is the kind of response that is hard to manufacture. The Malt Lounge and Bar, which opens to non-residents, is one of the better reasons to visit Marylebone regardless of whether you are staying.
The rooms
All 82 rooms share a coherent minimalist aesthetic, with natural materials, fusuma panel-inspired wall hangings above the beds, rainfall showers and marble bathrooms.
Executive rooms upwards include TOTO toilets and some categories also have a bathtub alongside the shower. The rooms are notably quiet despite the central location, which is one of the hotel’s most consistent strengths across reviews.
The Japanese-influenced turndown service, including yukata folding, lavender pillow treatment and a precisely placed glass of water, is a small detail that guests notice.
Food and drink
TOKii specialises in sushi, sashimi, Robata-grilled meats and an eleven-course Omakase experience, and is recognised as one of London’s better Japanese restaurants. Breakfast includes both a full English and a traditional Japanese option.
The Malt Lounge and Bar stocks over 100 whiskies and serves cocktails to residents and non-residents alike. Afternoon tea at TOKii is also available daily. Both spaces take reservations and are worth booking in advance.
The neighbourhood
Great Cumberland Place is five minutes from Marble Arch Underground and eight from Bond Street, making it well connected to the rest of the city. Hyde Park is immediately adjacent. Oxford Street, Selfridges and the boutiques of Bond Street are within comfortable walking distance.
The hotel sits on a quiet residential row that maintains a sense of remove from the busier streets nearby, which is a meaningful part of why the experience inside works as well as it does.
What makes it special
The Prince Akatoki has held Forbes Five Star accreditation for five consecutive years and carries it without making a fuss about it. The service is attentive in the Japanese sense, meaning it is responsive and considered rather than formal or performative.
The Malt Lounge and Bar, with over a hundred whiskies from Japan, Scotland, Ireland and America, is the best whisky bar in Marylebone. TOKii is the only Japanese restaurant of serious standing in the neighbourhood.
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Best for
Couples and solo travellers who want a genuinely different kind of London stay — Japanese hospitality, serious whisky and a hotel that earns its five stars through service rather than spectacle.
