Traditional but unstuffy, austere yet playful – this legendary address is full of surprises. The hotel was opened by Otto Richard Goring in 1910 and remains family-owned, building on a legacy of superlative service, lavishly appointed rooms and royal connections. Visit the Dining Room for Michelin-starred British cuisine.
Hotel Location
Buckingham Palace, Victoria Station (for the Victoria Line and National Rail services) and Belgravia are all within a few minutes’ walk. The hotel sits on a quiet secluded mews and has a vast mature garden – ideal for picnics and fizz in summer.
Service and Facilities
From the fleet-footed doormen in bowler hats and gold ties, to the ebullient bartenders and velvet-coated waiters, the hotel’s staff are the industry’s nicest. Rumour has it many of the butlers (which serve the suites) trained at Buckingham Palace. They’re a tight-knit bunch, too: the staff’s camaraderie shines through, and many have worked here for decades.
Facilities are suitably old-school: think croquet on the lawn, shoe shining, trouser pressing and newspapers delivered to your door. Naturally, the concierge service is one of London’s best-connected. There is a miniscule gym with yoga mats and Technogym equipment.
Rooms
Accomodations overlook either Beeston Street or the hotel’s garden, and they range from single occupancy Classic rooms all the way up to a two-bedroom Royal Suite. The Superior category rooms are the hotel’s “entry-level” double-occupancy option and all are resplendent with silk embroidered wallpapers, large, lavish marble bathrooms (with separate tubs and showers) and artfully concealed televisions – either tucked inside wooden cabinets, or disguised as mirrors.
From silken tassels on the curtains to a fluffy “Barbara” sheep footstool beside your velvet armchair, the comforts are deluxe yet playful. Light switches feature pre-programmed modes such as “Bright”, “Cosy” and “Oooh!” so you need not fiddle with a thousand buttons to set the right mood.
I did have a few minor quibbles: the absence of a hand-towel hook in my bathroom, the reliance on single-use plastic (non-refillable toiletries, and plastic-packaged cosmetics at turndown) – and surely a hotel of this stature can do better than single-ply loo paper?
Hospitality and Cuisine
The Michelin-starred Dining Room adds a dash of theatre to its classic British fare – from the gleaming silver cloches and butter-gentle beef wellington carved tableside, to the flambé spectacle of its rum baba dessert. Service and quality are great (British growers and producers abound) and champagne is served from a dedicated trolley, with two pages of premium bubbly to choose from alongside more than 500 wines. My risotto starter was umami-rich and topped with edible flowers and the aforementioned wellington was superb.
The restaurant reopened in May 2024 after an extensive refresh, with all-new crystal chandeliers, hand-painted floral murals and bespoke nice china tableware – plus a chef’s table, positioned in the underground kitchen with a 360-degree view of the action. The Cocktail Bar is the heart of the hotel: pre-dinner, perch at its gleaming white marble counter and sip a fruity King Charles-inspired “Thank You Your Majesty”, one of its many signature creations.
Breakfast is served à la carte in the Dining Room with a large (though rather uncreative) selection including fruit salad, omelettes to-order and smoked salmon with scrambled eggs. Ingredients are premium quality, but service was rather slow (15 minutes for a bowl of cereal) and my cappuccino order was misplaced.
Family-Friendly?
Yes. Thoughtful extras range from in-room toys and teepees to hotel activities and baby amenities. Cots, pullouts and sofa beds are available on request and there is a children’s menu.
