Chances are you’ll have heard of The Dorchester – it’s one of those London grande dame, five-star hotels known around the world. But is it actually any good? Short answer: yes. Is it very expensive? Also yes. But wow is it a once-in-a-lifetime amazing experience. Overlooking Hyde Park (and the six lanes of traffic of less scenic Park Lane), The Dorchester stands like a huge proud ship, containing inside a perfectly fine-tuned symphony of hospitality excellence. From the moment a butler greeted me by name on arrival, I was hooked. But it’s not just the service that makes it so supremely pleasant: the food, the rooms, the multiple thoughtful touches, the flowers including the signature ‘Dorchester Rose’ which pop up everywhere – it was all so well done that you can almost understand why people cough up such huge amounts to stay here.
Why stay at The Dorchester?
As soon as you step into the supremely grand foyer of The Dorchester, you can feel the legacy of this monumental building. In 1931 construction mogul Sir Robert McAlpine set out to build the ‘perfect hotel’ and The Dorchester is what he came up with. It’s now owned by the Sultan of Brunei (something that’s produced its fair share of controversy). Although it has had plenty of refreshes (one costing a mere $100 million), it still retains plenty of the original flourishes. There are ornate domed ceilings, twinkly chandeliers, splendid marble floors and so much gold. Everything that could have been gilded has been: no picture frame, table or column flourish has escaped the bling treatment. The list of historic celebrity guests is just as sparkly including Elizabeth Taylor, Alfred Hitchcock, Barbra Streisand and Queen Elizabeth II (Prince Phillip even had his stag here). There’s also been lots of drama here from attempted assassinations to jewellery heists. This all adds to the decadent storied atmosphere and a big weighty legacy.
What are the rooms like at The Dorchester?
There are a whopping 180 rooms and 57 suites, as well as two penthouse suites, one rooftop suite and one royal suite. With prices starting at £900 in low season for the smallest rooms, a stay here is a serious investment. We were treated to a very luxe suite overlooking the entrance and the iconic plane tree that has been outside since it first opened and Hyde Park. My kind butler did my check-in in the suite itself once he’d shown me up and even offered to unpack my luggage (which I embarrassedly declined). The floral decorated suite itself was absolutely huge including a living room with a big sofa, massive Bang & Olufsen gold framed TV, a six-seater dining table and a desk. Down the corridor was the bedroom, walk-in closet and bathroom which had a robot toilet, much to the delight of my 3 year old. It was ridiculously large, lavish and full of extra OTT flourishes like a teddy bear with my daughter’s name embroidered on its t-shirt, a fluffy kids robe and an option for in-house clothes alteration. But alongside all the old fashioned touches like the shoe shine service, it felt like they were making an attempt to be more sustainable – the toiletries were all-natural brand Wildsmith, there were refillable water bottles everywhere and all the old Dorchester roses are turned into the signature Dorchester rose-scented candle. The room itself was heavenly comfortable, well soundproofed and although the decor style was a bit old-fashioned, everything else felt modern and fresh. I managed to have a bath while my daughter watched CBeebies in the other room and I couldn’t hear a thing. The dream. The only downside is that this particular suite will set you back a cool £4000. Ouch.
Which are the best restaurants at The Dorchester?
There is no shortage of places to eat at The Dorchester. If you want to go all out, it has to be dinner at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, a three-michelin starred stunner that serves exquisite French fine dining in a serene quiet dining room. As we were with my daughter, we opted for The Grill by Tom Booton, a slightly more relaxed eaterie still covered in lashings of gold with a dramatic fire-inspired chandelier centrepiece. The food here is contemporary British and I can hands down say that the beef wellington was one of the finest things I have ever eaten. Just wow. In fact, everything we had was delicious and beautifully presented. Special shout out to the rhubarb and custard ice cream which came with a crunchy rhubarb-filled pie (a riff on a McDonalds apple pie). There’s the central foyer restaurant, The Promenade, where they serve delightful afternoon tea, and China Tang, a glam Cantonese basement restaurant and cocktail bar which feels a tad surreal in contrast to the rest of the hotel’s very English decor. Be sure to have a cocktail in the Vesper Bar, which is slightly cringingly inspired by James Bond but is actually just a very slick little watering hole or the Artist’s Bar, where someone plays the mirrored piano while you sip champers and scoff cheese and charcuterie from the snack trolly. There’s even a little cake and flower shop outside which are worth a visit.
What is the service like at The Dorchester?
The service here was unreal, like next level good. So attentive. So charming. So friendly. From the personal butler greeting to the wonderfully camp waiter serving finger sandwiches at Afternoon Tea, every interaction we had was genuinely lovely. The standout was during dinner at The Grill restaurant when our daughter was welcomed into the main kitchen underneath the hotel (you get down there via an escalator!), given a chef’s toque and got to pull her own soft-serve rhubarb and custard ice cream. See? Next level.
What is the spa like at The Dorchester?
The spa in the basement of The Dorchester has its own brass button on the lift to take guests down to a subterranean world of relaxation full of Dorchester roses and the biggest towels you’ve ever seen. There you can splash out on lavish diamond facials from Natura Bissé where they rub an actual diamond all over your chops (and yes it does make your skin look better), Dr Uliana Gout’s ‘Celebrity' facials and a relaxation room to zone out listening to psychedelic meditations. If you want to swim or use the gym, just hop across the road to the sister hotel 45 Park Lane to use their dreamy facilities. There are kids swimming sessions too.
What’s the area like around The Dorchester?
The Dorchester is one of the many plush hotels on Park Lane right opposite Hyde Park. This is one of the poshest parts of London – Park Lane is the most expensive square on the Monopoly board – but you don’t have to be loaded to enjoy it, although it helps. It’s close to Oxford Street, the fancy boutiques of Mayfair and Hyde Park which has the Serpentine lake (bring your swimmers if you like a cold dip) and the Serpentine Gallery. You can easily walk to Piccadilly and the Royal Academy, across the park to Knightsbridge or up to pretty Marylebone. It’s also well connected to explore the rest of the city: Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner and Green Park tube stations are close by.
Why you should you book a stay at The Dorchester
We had a totally otherworldly stay at The Dorchester, a glimpse at a life usually reserved for royalty, celebs and incredibly rich people. This is a seriously high end establishment where they have thought of everything to make you as comfortable, happy and pampered as you possibly could be. Yes, it’s wildly expensive but if you can afford it, you really do get a lot of bang for your buck and will definitely have a memorable stay. Our daughter is already asking when we can go back to the ‘big hotel room’. Better start saving.