The Best Luxury Hotels in London

Posted by Emyr Thomas

London is one of the greatest cities in the world, with fantastic luxury hotels to match its reputation. Emyr Thomas shares his thoughts on the best luxury hotels in London.

The Connaught, Mayfair

The Connaught, sitting neatly on the corner of Mount Street in Mayfair, combines its splendour with impeccable service and traditional English grandeur. The style of the hotel is a restrained glamour and elegance with fantastic restaurant and bar offerings.

Hélène Darroze at The Connaught has 2 Michelin stars, offering fine French haute cuisine, while its two bars, the glamorous Connaught Bar situated towards the back of the hotel with its art deco flare and the warm, homely Coburg Bar with its heavy fabrics and open fire, are both excellent places to enjoy a martini in London and features in our choice of the best bars in London.

Claridge’s, Mayfair

Claridge’s is perhaps best known for its popularity amongst royalty, dignitaries and the glitterati. It is also a shining example of the grace of art deco with its beautifully crafted interior and fin de siècle elegance.

Whether you are taking afternoon tea in The Foyer, dining in Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s or sipping on champagne in Claridge’s Bar, you will marvel at the flawless style and service.

The Corinthia Hotel, near Embankment

The Corinthia hotel is the ultimate destination for those looking for luxury, style and relaxation. You will find it located just off from Trafalgar Square and even at first glimpse it radiates glamour.

As you enter the hotel you will become aware of the striking chandelier crafted out of Baccarat crystal dangling above you, which sets the tone for one of the best luxury hotels in London.

The rooms are large and stylish, there are two very good restaurants, a lovely bar, The Bassoon Bar, where the bar stretches out from a piano, and possibly the best spa in London.

The ESPA, cascading three floors beneath the hotel, is as luxurious as you could imagine – it is encased in black Italian marble and offers an equally impressive range of treatments. The Corinthia is our pick for one of the best luxury hotels in London.

The Langham, Fitzrovia

The Langham is conveniently placed just off the fanfare of Oxford Street, where the style of the hotel is grand with stylish flourishes throughout.

The dining options are also notable, with Roux at the Landau and the beautiful yet creative afternoon tea in the Palm Court. There is also Artesian pictured above, a cocktail bar serving a fabulous selection of drinks.

The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner

This five star hotel on the edge of Hyde Park is a brilliant example of traditional elegance. Decorated throughout in a refined style that is reminiscent of a long forgotten era, the rooms are decorated with drapes, delicate flourishes and muted colours.

The restaurant, Apsley’s, is a stunning Venetian-style dining room complete with glass roof and plush upholstery, serving up light Italian food worthy of its Michelin star.

The Dorchester, Mayfair

The Dorchester exudes traditional glamour and a quintessential British elegance, and it is easy to see why it is so popular. The style is unmistakably thirties’ glamour with a modern twist.

The bedrooms delight with their mixture of delicate floral touches and traditional British grace. The Dorchester has three top quality restaurants including China Tang, The Grill at the Dorchester, and the 3 Michelin Starred Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester.

Four Seasons Park Lane

The Four Seasons Park Lane re-opened in 2011 after a full transformation. The rooftop spa has spectacular views of London, and the restaurant, Amaranto, offers Italian-inspired food with international flavours and a dark, sexy bar area.

The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel

The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel at St Pancras International Station is an architectural marvel, standing ceremoniously with a sweeping driveway set back from Euston Road in London’s King’s cross area.

The London hotel features 245 guest rooms split between two buildings – 207 rooms are located in a new annexe and 38 beautifully restored suites are found in the original building. The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel oozes history from every corner, which is its biggest asset.

The Bulgari Hotel, Knightsbridge

The newly opened Bulgari Hotel in the middle of Knightsbridge has a lavish and sumptuous feel with a decadent blend of marble and silver throughout. The Bulgari has one of London’s best luxury cinemas, seating forty-seven in pure luxury.

The Bulgari Spa is also worth a visit, most notably the beautiful swimming pool and eleven treatment rooms.

Brown’s Hotel, Mayfair

Brown’s Hotel is a traditional British Hotel in the heart of Mayfair, but holds a modern, stylish bar on the ground floor. The Donovan Bar is cool, stylish, intimate and a haven for fashionistas.

The walls are adorned with Terence Donovan’s iconic black and white prints, which adds a contemporary twist to the history of the surroundings. Brown’s Hotel also offers contemporary British dining in the form of Hix Mayfair from Mark Hix.

Mandarin Oriental London, Knightsbridge

The Mandarin Oriental has a prime address in Knightsbridge with views over Hyde Park and with Harrods and Harvey Nichols moments away. The hotel features restaurants from two superstar chefs, with Bar Boulud from the US’s Daniel Boulud and our own Heston Blumenthal.

Avoid the waitlists for his Fat Duck restaurant in Bray and try his special cooking techniques in the heart of London.

The Savoy, Covent Garden

The Savoy is an institution on London’s hotel scene and caused quite a scene when it re-emerged a couple of years ago with a new look. The American Bar is a huge draw for visitors, but walk to the rear of the hotel where you’ll fine the grand Beaufort Bar, which has live singers on certain nights.

Cafe Royal, Piccadilly

Café Royal opened its doors on 3rd December 2012, but its official full opening occurs in the summer of 2013, the culmination of a four-year transformation of a former London grand dame.

The stunning hotel retains the heritage of the original building with its imposing staircase and opulent design features.

There are currently 159 rooms and suites (including six historic suites), a restaurant under the direction of Andrew Turner, 2 bars (including the spectacular Grill Room), soon to be followed by a private members’ club (with its own more formal restaurant) and a holistic well-being centre.

The Best Luxury Hotels in London by Bon Vivant

At Bon Vivant we have excellent relationships with the best luxury hotels in London, with access to preferential rates and additional complimentary benefits. If you are thinking of visiting London, contact us now to enquire about our London travel services to help plan your perfect trip.

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The London Guide From Bon Vivant

Posted by Emyr Thomas

We hope that our members and readers enjoy our regular blog posts – we try to make sure we tell you about the best venues and experiences to help maximise your free time and to ensure you are ‘in the know’ before anyone else.

In addition to the blog, we have launched a new section on our main website called The London Guide – your one source for the best hotels, restaurants, bars, spas, exclusive events and cultural highlights in one of the greatest cities on Earth – London.

Whether you want to know about the best London hotels (luxury or boutique), want to find a suitable London restaurant for the right occasion (brunch, afternoon, business lunch or private dining room, for example) or need inspiration for somewhere to go for a drink (cocktail bar, rooftop bar or champagne bar).

Bon Vivant’s London Guide hopes to be your one source to return to time and time again for inspiration on the best that London has to offer – it has our best content in one place, easily accessible and in an easy format to navigate.

We also have a section on London neighbourhood guides and a selection of holiday destination and travel guides including the Caribbean, Mallorca, Barcelona and the South of France.

Bon Vivant’s London Guide will tell you what you need to book, for whom, when and how. Click here to read The London Guide.

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Great Northern Hotel, King’s Cross

Posted by Emyr Thomas

The Great Northern Hotel will reopen in London’s King’s Cross in April following a £40 million renovation programme. Located between King’s Cross Station and St Pancras International, the Grade II listed building was originally designed by architect Lewis Cubitt, and opened in 1854.

The 91-bedroom hotel has been restored and refurbished to highlight the building’s high ceilings, sweeping staircases, large sash windows and wide curved corridors. Room rates will start from £250.

The Great Northern Hotel’s 90-cover restaurant, Plum + Spilt Milk will have a menu of ‘classic British and European dishes’ with a brasserie style menu. The restaurant, bar and take-away kiosk will be under the helm of Mark Sargeant in his first London venture since leaving Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s in 2011.

The Great Northern Hotel’s Bar (pictured above) will take up almost the entire ground floor, with its interiors featuring striking glass chandeliers, a central polished pewter island bar and mirrored glass ceilings.

Address: Great Northern Hotel, King’s Cross, London, N1C 4TB

Telephone number: +44 (0)20 3388 0800

Our full review will follow, so sign up to our blog at the link below to be sure not to miss it!

In the meantime, read some of our best London content including our guide to the best afternoon tea, the best boutique clothes shops in London or where to sample the city’s best coffee.

The Best Hotel Restaurants in London

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Bon Vivant’s Emyr Thomas discusses the best hotel restaurants in London.

Creating a successful restaurant inside a hotel can be rather challenging – combining a restaurant that placates the traveller that also attracts regular locals is not an easy task. Hotels need to have a very versatile restaurant that can offer breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and room service, all with impeccable standards and service.

The best hotels, however, are savvy enough to have more than one dining option, often including a special signature restaurant. Here we highlight the best hotel restaurants in London.

Dinner by Heston at The Mandarin Oriental

Dinner by Heston is Heston Blumenthal’s first foray into the London restaurant scene at the Mandarin Oriental. ‘Dinner’, one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of recent years, received immediate acclaim by critics, collecting its first Michelin Star in the 2012 UK Michelin Guide.

The signature ‘Meat Fruit’ is worth a visit alone at one of the best hotel restaurants in London.

Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley

Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley merges elegance and warmth in a luxurious setting in the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge. With intricate yet robust flavours, clean textures and a quality ethos the cuisine is something that entices you back again and again.

We would recommend the chef’s table in its own luxurious and intimate air-conditioned space at the heart of the restaurant, or the larger Pomerol private room, one of the best private dining rooms in London.

Bistro Bruno Loubet at the Zetter

The Zetter hotel in Clerkenwell welcomed Bruno Loubet back to the London scene with his restaurant, Bistrot Bruno Loubet. The space may be a bit tight, with tables packed in next to each other, but the crowds keep flocking here for the rustic French cooking with intense flavours.

Alyn Williams at The Westbury

Alyn Williams at the Westbury opened quietly at the end of 2011 in the Westbury Hotel in Mayfair from chef Alyn Williams, who was previously head chef at the two Michelin starred Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley.

Our reviewer describes it as ‘slick, elegant and contemporary cooking, as handsome as it is delicious’ where ‘the décor is luxurious and chic’ – the restaurant gained its first Michelin star in this year’s guide. Click here to read our full review of one of the best hotel restaurants in London

Cut at 45 Park Lane

‘Cut’ opened in the new 45 Park Lane hotel, the latest hotel from The Dorchester Collection. ‘Cut’ is a restaurant by Wolfgang Puck, the celebrated US chef, who opened the original ‘Cut’ at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills in 2006.

The London outpost serves excellent steaks in a suitably glamorous dining room, making Cut a contender for one of the best hotel restaurants in London.

Bar Boulud at The Mandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge

Daniel Boulud, one of the most coveted chefs in the US, opened his first restaurant in the UK at the Mandarin Oriental with Bar Boulud.

The room may lack real character, but the mix of rustic French brasserie fare and a New York style buzz made it an instant hit, with almost universal praise for the charcuterie boards and the burgers.

Viajante at the Town Hall Hotel

Nuno Mendes’s Viajante is situated in Bethnal Green’s Town Hall Hotel. The cooking at Viajante is experimental, creative and executed with real flair. The more casual Corner Room is also a big attraction, especially for a weekend brunch, meaning the hotel has two of the best hotel restaurants in London

Helene Darroze at the Connaught

The Connaught is home to two of our favourite bars in London, with the warm, cosy Coburg Bar and the glamorous Connaught Bar. The restaurant, neatly placed at the front with views over Mount Street, is equally wonderful.

Helene Darroze serves delectable French cuisine inspired by authentic regional and seasonal flavours, highly deserving of its 2 Michelin stars.

Hoxton Grill at the Hoxton Hotel

A part of the Soho House group, the Hoxton Grill offers a selection of classic American dishes in the Hoxton Hotel in Shoreditch. The restaurant is a contrast to the usual hotel dining experience in a cool, stylish but casual setting.

Dean Street Townhouse

Dean Street Townhouse is located on Dean Street in Soho, which is always buzzing with the Soho crowd perched at the bar with cocktails or enjoying the classic British menu.

The room combines vintage armchairs, cut glass chandeliers and wooden floors and the walls are scattered with the cream of contemporary British art. Dean Street Townhouse is one of the best hotel restaurants in London.

Seven Park Place at St James’s Hotel & Club

William Drabble’s dishes at Seven Park Place are modern French in style with fine British ingredients. Seven Park Place’s dining room is chic and intimate, with private dining available for groups of 9 or more.

William Drabble also oversees the stylish William’s Bar and Bistro. With comfortable seating and a relaxed, sophisticated atmosphere, the menu features classic bistro dishes, with afternoon tea also served daily.

Hix Mayfair at Brown’s Hotel

Mayfair’s Brown’s Hotel is home to Hix Mayfair from celebrated chef Mark Hix, which focuses on contemporary British food and art. The dining room is traditional with a twist – HIX Mayfair is home to a collection of work by leading British artists including Tracey Emin, Michael Landy and Bridget Riley.

Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester

One of London’s few 3 Michelin starred restaurants from super-chef Alain Ducasse. Our favourite feature is the Table Lumiere private dining room which is ideal for up to six guests.

Cocooned by a luminescent oval curtain, it is surrounded by 4,500 shimmering fibre optics that drop dramatically from the ceiling – stunning!

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Read some of our best restaurant reviews including Coya, 34 Restaurant and Portal.

The Best London Hotels With Swimming Pools

Posted by Emyr Thomas

There are many different services and amenities to consider when selecting hotels for our holidays, and for some the spa and fitness facilities make all the difference. Emyr Thomas shares his tips on the best London hotels with swimming pools.

The Berkeley Hotel, Knightsbridge

The Berkeley Hotel resides on a beautiful quiet street in Knightsbridge, but only a hundred yards or so from the area’s high end shopping boutiques. In addition to two world class restaurants, Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley and Koffmann’s, and the gorgeous Blue Bar, the hotel has a beautiful rooftop pool.

The location and position of the pool mean you will enjoy stunning panoramic views across Knightsbridge and Hyde Park – visit in the summer and you may even be lucky enough to see the roof retract.

Shoreditch House, Shoreditch

A part of the Soho House group of members’ clubs, Shoreditch House also has a number of hotel rooms that are available to both members and non members. The rooftop pool is a particularly popular destination in summer, so if you’re not lucky enough to be a member, you can check in to the hotel and have full use of the facilities.

When the weather starts to get cooler you can also take advantage of the Cowshed Spa.

The Bulgari Hotel, Knightsbridge

A 2012 addition to London’s luxury hotel scene, The Bulgari Hotel‘s spa is set out over two floors and offers a swimming pool, vitality pool, thermal experience with ice fountains and cooling showers, relaxation room, 11 treatment rooms and a fully equipped fitness centre and nail salon.

There are also private facilities with a hydro-massage tub. The layout is intimate with an elegant contemporary Italian design, making The Bulgari one of the best London hotels with swimming pools.

One Aldwych, Covent Garden

Perhaps the largest of the luxury swimming pools is located in One Aldwych on the edge of Covent Garden. At eighteen metres this is perfect for people wanting a more energetic swimming experience.

It also boasts an underwater music system and chlorine free water. The final finishing touch is soft mood lighting surrounding the pool.

Town Hall Hotel, Bethnal Green

The Town Hall Hotel is positioned in East London’s trendy Bethnal Green. The pool area is designed in sprawling white marble complete with touches of brass. It has all the charm of a traditional spa with the flourishes of modern luxury. It also comes equipped with loungers at the side of the pool and a fitness centre.

The Corinthia Hotel, near Trafalgar Square

There is a beautiful ESPA spa inside the Corinthia Hotel offering a full list of fitness solutions, beauty treatments and well-being services, making it a destination in itself. The pool is a stunning stainless steal affair sunk into highly polished black marble.

There is also a unique amphitheatre sauna, vitality pool and a black mosaic steam room, making this one of the best London hotels with swimming pools.

The Langham Hotel, West End

The pool, located on the lower ground floor, was previously a large bank vault, but now forms part of the hotel’s Chuan Spa. The 16m pool sits alongside the fully equipped fitness studio, vitality pool, salt sauna and separate sauna and steam rooms.

If you want advice on London’s best hotels or assistance with booking your trip to London, speak to the experts at Bon Vivant – contact your concierge for further details.

Four Seasons Hampshire – Hotel Review

Posted by Emyr Thomas

“Now this is what they call bucolic” said my companion as we meandered along narrow country lanes towards the Four Seasons Hampshire.

Barely an hour’s drive from London, yet a hundred miles away in your mind, you are greeted by an imposing manor house with the countryside very much at its feet.

The restored Georgian manor and its new wings contain 111 rooms and 22 suites amongst two hectares of parkland. The rooms are modern traditional in style, with our room very much on the traditional side, which is exactly what you’d want from a manor house room in the middle of the main house with glorious views of the fields directly in front of you.

The Four Seasons Hampshire offers a range of country pursuits – an on-site equestrian centre with 6 horses and 6 ponies, clay pigeon shooting and falconry. But you’ll probably want to wrap up in your scarves, gloves and wellies and make your way past ducks, rivers and gorges, jumping over fences and splashing in puddles of water as you explore the grounds of the hotel.

Well, that’s what the country’s for, right? We did just that before making our way to the spa to steam, scrub, bathe and relax.

The spa is housed in the 18th Century stable block with the large indoor pool blending in to the warmer outdoor pool, which could do with being a few degrees warmer in winter for the contrast from the bitterness outside.

The Four Seasons group is known for its service, and this shone through at every level at the Four Seasons Hampshire. From the simple ‘welcome back, Mr Thomas’ at the front desk, to the warm, friendly greeting at the spa and attentive, yet unobtrusive, service at dinner.

The Seasons Restaurant is designed not to offend, but I was pleasantly surprised to find accomplished cooking that would hold its own against some of the best of its kind back in the capital.

While the presentation and the live piano music at first seemed a little dated, it also seemed just right for the setting, and the cooking was highly accomplished, with dessert being a particular highlight.

On Sundays, the hotel offers a Farmer’s Market lunch – to describe it as an all you can eat buffet would be doing a huge disservice. Yes, you can eat all you want and yes, you do serve yourself, but there’s some real quality ingredients and cooking – from cold fish to 5 different meat roast dinners with countless vegetables, to a dedicated cheese trolley, cold meats, a huge dessert table and special sweets for the kids.

No wonder one of the guests flew in and out by helicopter for lunch.

The Four Seasons Hampshire provides us Londoners with everything we want from the countryside – open fields stretching into the distance with a warm fire to return to, and somewhere to relax, eat and drink like a lord of the manor. And what a manor to call your own for the night.

For further information on the Four Seasons Hampshire or for special privileges when you book, please contact your concierge. If you would like more inspiration, read our guide to the best luxury hotels near London.

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La Suite West Hotel and Restaurant

Posted by Emyr Thomas

La Suite West is London’s latest boutique hotel, located on the edge of Hyde Park, a short stroll from Paddington Station. Amongst a row of townhouses, La Suite West has 80 rooms designed by Anouska Hempel with individually crafted four-poster beds and black and white rubber chairs.

The hotel is a stylish mix of black and white, with dark corridors in stark contrast to the bright reception area with its long white marble reception desk.

The Restaurant at La Suite West has a capacity of 50 seats that is open to hotel guests and the public for all day dining with food prepared by Marcello Kaminski and Victor Garvey.

The menu is ‘tapas-style’ with ‘clean, simple flavours and creative sharing plates’ for ‘informal, social dining’. On our visit, we noted the stylish, contemporary feel of the decor, which would work well with the buzz of a design conscious local crowd.

The smaller dishes were inventive and thoughtfully presented, but the overriding feeling was that more thought had gone into the presentation than the food, although on reviewing the menu it seems that these items have been removed from the menu, which is a positive sign of a chef perfecting his craft.

The larger dishes were much more accomplished, especially the 65 day aged Bone-in-Rib eye with pepper crust, wild mushroom jus and marrow bone, and the gnocchi with Champagne, morel mushrooms and Parmesan Reggiano.

It’s clear to see that the chef has great intentions and aspirations, but needs time to find his stride, which I’m confident he will. The changes to the menu clearly reflect this is indeed the case.

La Suite West has a lovely outside terrace with topiary and long communal oak tables, which will be a big hit in the warmer months.

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Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeriah

Posted by Emyr Thomas

With a prestigious position on the corner of Mount Street and Park Lane in London’s Mayfair, the Grosvenor House Apartments is a new addition to Jumeirah’s London portfolio.

With all the amenities of a hotel, but designed for extended stays of 7 days or longer, the Grosvenor House Apartments offer a home away from home for the regular traveller.

The building was completed in 1930 by Sir Edwin Lutyens and has been home to the Grosvenor House Apartments since February 2012.

With 133 apartments in total, ranging from studio apartments to a five bedroom penthouse, each one is tastefully designed by Anouska Hempel to be stylish and comfortable yet neutral enough to please everybody without winning any style awards.

Our one bedroom apartment had an open plan kitchen with a large dining room table that was ideal for entertaining or, indeed, for a business meeting during the day. The large 5 bedroom penthouse comes with a host of extra amenities including the use of an Aston Martin Rapide and a personal butler.

Our room had gorgeous views of Hyde Park, although many rooms have views of the inner seven-story atrium, which is also home to the building’s restaurant. The restaurant serves a mixture of Middle Eastern cuisine with some classic British dishes, with food available 24 hours per day both as room service and at the restaurant itself.

Amenities available to all residents at Grosvenor House Apartments include a 24 hour on site concierge service, daily maid service, at-home business solutions, a fully equipped gym, and at-home spa treatments from Spa Illuminata.

We’re huge fans of hotels at Bon Vivant and London has a wealth of luxury 5 star hotels to cater for every visitor, but for extended stays, I can see the appeal of choosing an apartment-style option like the Grosvenor House Apartments.

While it lacked the buzz and warmth of a hotel, the Grosvenor House Apartments is a good alternative for those who might need the extra space or use of a kitchen and proper in-room dining facilities, especially when travelling with the family, along with the excellent central location.

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South Place Hotel from D&D London

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Restaurant group D&D London has launched its first hotel, the South Place Hotel, in September 2012, located between Moorgate and Liverpool Street in the City of London.

South Place Hotel aims to be ‘more meet than sleep’ drawing on D&D’s focus on restaurants, with interiors designed by Conran with specially commissioned work by contemporary London artists throughout the hotel.

South Place Hotel has 80 bedrooms, two restaurants and three bars, including a rooftop terrace and a ‘secret’ garden that is well worth finding on a mild London evening.

The Angler restaurant on the seventh floor of the South Place Hotel with views of London’s skyline is a British seafood restaurant overseen by Tony Fleming, previously Executive Chef at One Aldwych.

On the ground floor, 3 South Place is a relaxed, informal, all-day restaurant with a bar next door with a late licence.

On our visit to 3 South Place, there was a nice buzz in the restaurant, which benefited from the lively bar. A menu of classics with a nod to comfort food, the Lobster Mac was indulgent and satisfying, with the smaller portion making a hearty starter portion.

The all day menu has headings of ‘Seafood’, ‘Pies, Offal and Braised’, ‘Classics’ and ‘Meat’, which is designed to suit the crowd and its location, which it does well.

Our mains of Hereford fillet steaks were well cooked as ordered, but lacked a real depth of flavour and could have benefited from more of the accompanying peppercorn sauce on the side. Service was efficient and friendly and the restaurant is definitely a nice addition to the area.

A member of Design Hotels, South Place Hotel hopes to bring a bit of lively ‘edginess’ to the City hotel scene.

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Firmdale Hotels: Dorset Square Hotel

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In 1985 Tim and Kit Kemp opened their first property, the Dorset Square Hotel and introduced the Firmdale Hotels concept to the London hotel market.

It was sold in 2002 but the hotel was reacquired last year and will reopen as part of the Firmdale collection on 18 June, adding to their other luxury boutique hotels including the Covent Garden Hotel, Charlotte Street Hotel, Haymarket Hotel and Soho Hotel.

The Regency townhouse has 38 bedrooms, many of which look onto the private garden square which was originally the site of Thomas Lord’s first cricket ground. The Dorset Square Hotel’s Potting Shed bar & restaurant will open all day, serving English brasserie style cuisine using locally sourced and seasonal produce.

Address: Dorset Square Hotel, Dorset Square

Reservations: 020 7723 7874 or reservations@dorsetsquarehotel.co.uk

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