The Dorchester

A magnificent hotel in an ideal location, the Dorchester lays its luxury on thick and has long been the first choice in London for both international dignitaries and celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Karl Lagerfeld.

• Hyde Park views from every room
• The fantastic spa, which is one of the best in London
• Excellent dining options, including China Tang and Alain Ducasse

Opened in 1931 and completely refurbished in the late 1980s, the 249-room hotel between Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner welcomes guests at a porte-cochère facing Hyde Park that has been featured in several Hollywood films, including Woody Allen’s Match Point. The actor-director may have chosen it as a backdrop because the Dorchester is where he likes to stay in London—and that may be because it reminds him a bit of New York’s iconic Carlyle Hotel.

All the rooms overlook Hyde Park (you can sometimes see people on horseback in the early morning). The simpler rooms are decorated in a supremely comfortable English style with floral chintzes; the suites have more elaborate Art Deco– and Regency-style furniture and fabrics. David Tang added some additional glamour to the property when he unveiled China Tang, a stylish restaurant inspired by Shanghai in the 1930s. The Grill is open all day serving British fare and the Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester specializes in upscale French cuisine.

Unlike many hotels in London, the Dorchester boasts an amazing spa, which is both glamorous and contemporary with a slight feminine touch. The enormous lobby foyer is always abuzz with arrivals, departures and rendezvous, making the Dorchester a place to be seen (if not heard above the crowd).

Serious luxury hounds who love the hotel’s power scene and glamorous suites.