The Lancaster London

Four Stars and a hell of a lot of bees...and Honey

Location: Lancaster Terrace, W2 2TY

Description: Now not only is this hotel superbly located opposite the 600 acres of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, but it's also home to a colony of bees!

But fear not, they are not going to be frequenting the 416 deluxe en suite rooms, or the award-winning Thai restaurant, or the super-chic Island restaurant and bar, or the lounge bar and 24-hour room service...

No they will be resident on the hotel roof - half a million in fact - in an attempt to halt the decline of the species.

Beehives are to be in stalled, staff are to be trained, and 40kg of honey a year is to produced, served straight from the honeycomb in the hotel's Island restaurant.

It's also featured in The Italian Job; after being released from prison, the dapper Charlie is picked up by his girlfriend Lorna in the Pakastani ambassador's car and driven to his tailor and then on to this hotel - then known as the Royal Lancaster - for a coming out present of scantily clad young ladies. Now, what would you like? asks (perhaps the best girlfriend in the world?) Everything.

The 416 rooms of the Lancaster London no longer boast the stylish 60s decor seen in the cult film but the four-star hotel still offers some of the best views over Hyde Park.

It's also where former Take That cheeky chappie Robbie Williams held his stunning freedom press statement on 26th June 1996 about leaving BMG with new manager Tim Abbott.