Since its birth in 1884, Bulgari has spelled extreme luxury, with accessories that make you feel like an immortal Isabella Rossellini wafting about her Cali palace in Death Becomes Her. From its ten-storey tower in Ginza, Tokyo to its Tourbillon wristwatch collections, everything Bulgari touches turns to gold. But best of all is its palais royale in London: The Bulgari Hotel, a haven of splendour in the heart of Knightsbridge. For those in the dark, let’s break it down.

Deceptively simple from the outside with its chrome white exterior, the interior (Antonio Citterio’s slick handiwork) is so elegant it makes you wish you’d been born a duchess. Rooms are irresistibly luxurious, with beds large enough to sleep four (kinky) and bathrooms so rich in marble they double up as Roman Forums.

If you manage to drag yourself away from the call of Egyptian cotton, downstairs you’ll find the hotel’s sleek, darkened IL Bar, one of Wonderland’s regular trappings. Highlights from its well-worn cocktail repertoire include the Bardot and the Douceur de Vivre, perfect pre-meal tipples. Run by head chef Damien Leroux, The Rivea Restaurant next door marries glamorous, Mediterranean-inspired surroundings with pearlescent shades of white and blue.

Elsewhere the hotel’s 47-seat state-of-the-art cinema is the perfect place to kick off your Louboutins and watch Pretty Woman. The Bulgari Spa, however, is the real jewel in the crown: the urban oasis, complete with cabanas and a swimming pool tiled in gold leaf mosaic, is the ideal environment in which to release your inner mermaid — especially after one of their second-to-none ESPA facials. Bravissimo!