Claridge's

Such a hugely disappointing experience. Staying at Claridges was something we’d said we’d do for years but never got round to until now, an experience we’d looked forward too for a long long time. I’ll start by saying, we’re a mid 30’s couple from Glasgow with a 10 year old son. We are in London almost monthly for a couple of nights at a time, as we love the shops and restaurants of the greatest city on earth. Around 70% of the time we stay The Ritz, unless we want a spa and we use other hotels such as the Mandarin, the Londoner, Jumeirah etc etc. I was always under the impression Claridges main competitor was the Ritz. I couldn’t have been more wrong, it couldn’t lace the Ritz boots. It falls MILES short of the ritz standards on absolutely everything. Firstly check in, this was one of only two positives, the young Irish girl at check in desk was welcoming and wonderful, can’t fault her. Door staff were fine, nothing special, just fine. Unlike the ritz where you are made to feel a million dollars before you even step inside with the customary “welcome home”. Next up was the room, we had a “Mayfair suite”, not sure what makes it a suite, it was tiny, I’ve stayed in bigger Travelodge rooms. The decor was horrible, wooden everything, multiple different woods that simply don’t match. Only positive was an amazingly stocked minibar. Mattress and pillows were horrible, we both had a terrible sleep. It was also made very clear before the stay at booking originally and at check in it was my wife’s birthday, absolutely nothing done, not even a little card or small cake. The spa- absolutely terrible, pool is tiny and water freezing, broken tiles (dangerous), and steam room doesn’t work. Disgraceful to be honest, if you love a spa go to Mandarin instead. For dinner we ate at the Foyer, this is where the second positive came in the form of a male member of staff, he was AMAZING (forget his name but his girlfriend works in the bar he told us and I’ve included a photo of him, make him a manager he is amazing). The starters were wonderful, however for mains We had the Lobster Wellington (soggy and wet, and nothing special which devastated me, I genuinely expected this to be the best dish of my life I have watched videos about it for YEARS). And the Cote D Beuf which was a plate of fat basically, hardly any meat and simply rubbish. Breakfast the next day was average, nothing special, and toast arrived as everything else was finished. Staffing throughout the hotel is of a very low standard generally with the odd exception. It’s also worth stating the renovation is TERRIBLE, it doesn’t know if it wants to be old opulence or ultra modern, it’s a mix of the two that simply doesn’t work. Overall don’t waste your money, London has FAR better options, this place clearly lives on an old reputation.

Decided to stay here for an early Christmas treat and to make a change from our usual London hotel of choice but unfortunately the stay didn’t meet our expectations. Location was really convenient. Lacked Christmas atmosphere compared to other London hotels. Rooms lacked basic amenities (we stayed in a suite that was without tea making facilities, USB ports and noisy air conditioning). Mediocre stay. Cleanliness in the hotel lobby was immaculate but in the suite itself, clothing tags and colouring pencils were left behind from previous guests.

Wonderful stay at Claridge’s. Simply the best hotel we have ever stayed in, beyond any Aman, Belmond or O&O property. There’s simply nothing else like it, with this extraordinary mix of Art Deco elegance and modernity in details, old-school professionalism of every staff and yet an easy friendliness. Our 9 year-old son maybe had the best words to summarize this: « Papa, I don’t want to go skying, sailing or snorkeling any more. Now I want to spend every holiday at Claridge’s ».

Stayed in a Mayfair Suite for two nights Suite so spacious and luxurious all the facilities you could want quiet on the second floor and the bed so comfortable Breakfast is a treat with all the choice you could imagine and lovely homemade pastries The painters Room is a lovely space for a glass of champagne and the service from all the staff befits this luxury getaway This was our second visit and we will be back soon

We opted to book Claridge's at the tail end of our trip as a little treat and taste of a real London experience. From the moment we were greeted by the doorman to checking in, everyone was so attentive and friendly. We were gifted a complimentary drink at whichever bar we preferred so we opted for the Cigar Lounge. Every single staff member was attentive and completely on top of service. Our Room was HUGE! we booked the 2nd tier room option which came with a massive walk in closet area which was perfect for hiding away all of our bags and toiletries. The bathroom was lovely, the soaking tub necessary and the complimentary Bamford bath salts was the perfect touch (we had just come back from the Daylesford Farm/Bamford Spa). The room had a lovely bar area with complimentary beverages and optional souvenirs/chocolates/snacks. The closet had their signature umbrellas for us to use while staying. The people and the service is what makes this hotel. You feel seen, treated with respect and every employee is incredibly friendly and on top of it. The only downside to our visit was that we didnt do our research as to what time/days the Claridge's shop is open. We unfortunately booked our stay on the two days they were closed so we couldnt do any last minute shopping. We will be back most definitely