Movie buffs can go location-spotting at the Hilton Hyde Park (once known as The Coburg), where Alfred Hitchcock shot scenes for his 1972 spine-tingler, Frenzy. This handsome turn-of-the-century
hotel by Bayswater tube station has no shortage of period charm, and the Library Lounge in particular is quite a hidden gem. With its original stained glass skylight and book-lined shelves it makes
an auspicious setting for afternoon tea (or a quiet dram by the fireplace). The menu itself is workaday rather than special-occasion stuff, though at just £12.50 per person for sandwiches, cakes,
scones with cream and jam, and a pot of tea, it’s not to be sniffed at. In short, a good-value, business-friendly heritage venue with honed Hilton standards.