Site Inspection at London’s Dorchester Hotel

The Dorchester Hotel was established in 1931 utilizing a reinforced concrete construction that allowed it to become one of the safest buildings in London during the second World War. The hotel was a political “who’s who” during World War II, with several British War Ministers keeping both offices and homes there, and General Eisenhower moved his office and staff to the first floor in 1944. Post-war the building continued to see an influx of celebrity clients, including Hollywood, rock stars and models. Elizabeth Taylor celebrated two honeymoons there and a painting of her is in the Promenade Bar, one of her favorite places in the hotel.
The hotel saw a refresh of public spaces and bedrooms in 2023, opening them to the public in June. At our Fora site visit we had the opportunity to see almost all of these iconic spaces. We were welcomed by Susannah Lurie, Area Director of Sales, responsible for North America, and started our morning in Vesper Bar. This bar is located off the main hotel lobby, and can also be reached from the street if guests have friends joining them who are not staying at the hotel. There are two levels in the bar and the upper level can be exclusive if you would like to hold a private event.

Since we are talking about bars, the hotel has Artists’ Bar, located towards the end of the Promenade, off the lobby of the hotel. The bar at the end of the Promenade is spectacular. It makes you want to jump in a seat, order a martini and never look back. Unfortunately for me, it was 10 a.m. and the bar was closed. The entrance to Alain Ducaisse’s three-Michelin star restaurant and The Grill by Tom Booten are on opposite sides of this Promenade, setting up a lively atmosphere as people enter and perhaps wait for their tables for dinner. Other restaurants available include China Tang at the Dorchester (rumored to be very authentic Cantonese), Parcafe (for coffee, tea, and pastries), and Spatisserie (part of the Spa, offering healthy options pre- or post-spa services). The Promenade is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea.

Amy Thyberg

We moved on to look at some of the beautiful accommodations offered at the Dorchester. There are a total of 290 total guest rooms divided into either standard, executive rooms, suites, or signature suites. Standard guest rooms are either “Superior” or “Deluxe”. Superior rooms all have a city (‘Mayfair’) view and range in size from 312 to 367 square feet. Deluxe rooms (108 of the rooms are in this category) can have either a city or Hyde Park view and are slightly bigger, ranging in size from 366 to 419 square feet. The rooms are beautifully decorated, the deluxe room shown to us in a gorgeous gold and blue. Despite being directly on Park Lane and Hyde Park the room was quiet, due to the Dorchester’s excellent sound proofing.

Amy Thyberg

The next room we viewed was the Dorchester Prestige Suite. This category of room has a large living room, a bedroom and bathroom. The living room is very large, making it perfect if you have guests who are planning longer stays or those who need to entertain while in London. One of the highlights of this room is the chair that sits in the window cubby in the corner of the room. I could just imagine curling up there with a book and a cup of tea and spending the afternoon reading and watching the traffic and people go by. There is a lovely bedroom, and bathroom with dual vanities and an extremely large walk-in shower with bathtub. The Dorchester is known throughout London for having the deepest bathtubs.

Image 1: Prestige Suite Living Room Corner Seat ; Image 2: Prestige Suite Bathroom

The final category of room shown to us was another one-bedroom signature suite. The suite has a generous living room including a dining room table seating six, was fabulous. This accommodation provides plenty of space for an additional bed or the hotel can provide information on connecting room information. The bathroom was particularly spacious and would allow enough room for two people to get ready in the morning at the same time. Susannah stressed during our visit that the Dorchester team is happy to work with Advisors requiring room configurations to fit family needs, including connecting rooms or multiple beds (but did not have any double-double bed options).

Image 1: Signature Suite Living Room ; Image 2: Signature Suite Bathroom

Guests at the Dorchester can use the pool found at 45 Park Lane as there is no pool in the Dorchester Hotel itself. The hotel does have a Spa with all the amenities you would expect. One other added surprise was the “Cakes and Flowers” shop, located directly to the right of the front door. The name says it all. Walking in was a joy to the senses! The smells were wonderful and then trying to walk out without buying something to eat was a chore!

Image 1: Cakes and Flowers ; Image 2: 45 Park Lane Pool

The Dorchester Hotel is an iconic, historic London hotel that has amazing character, ambiance and style. It is perfect for couples, families, and anyone who wants to experience the level of attention to detail and comfort you desire from a fabulous five-star property. The recent renovations have brought it thoroughly up to date allowing it to shine like the gem it is.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to London. In need of further inspiration? Check out Ciani Rey Walker’s guide, Top Five Markets in London for Foodies and Explorers.