The Dorchester

The Dorchester in London is supposed to be a 5-star hotel, but it fell short of our expectations. Having stayed at The Peninsula down the street for a couple of nights prior to our stay at The Dorchester, we arrived with high hopes that The Dorchester could match our experience at The Peninsula, but they didn’t even get close. The Dorchester certainly feels more like a classic British hotel in the sense that the colors and decorations were less modern and more classically British. Our room had a nice reading nook and the flowers and sweets I ordered were set up nicely in our room upon arrival. However, the bathroom was weirdly situated in that the shower was directly next to the bathroom door so the shower mat (which was necessary due to the excess leakage from under the shower onto the shower floor) continued to get stuck under the bathroom door if you tried to open it. In addition, the actual shower door opened into the shower mat and would push it out of the way rendering the mat useless when actually getting out of the shower. Of the 3 elevators at The Dorchester, it seemed only one worked because it took way too long to get to the ground floor and up to our room on the 6th floor. We decided to take the steps on more than one occasion because the elevator was taking so long. The fitness center was small and cramped as compared to the fitness centers at The Peninsula and The Berkeley. There was also loud construction every morning that we were never informed of prior to booking or while checking in. The biggest disappointment was the apathetic nature of most of the staff. Unlike at The Peninsula and The Berkeley, the staff at The Dorchester (especially the valet area) acted bothered to help with bags, doors or anything else. What was an offer of assistance with a smile at The Peninsula and The Berkeley was viewed as an inconvenience at the Dorchester. To be fair, the beds at The Dorchester were the most comfortable compared to The Peninsula and The Berkeley, but that alone would not be enough to consider returning. In fact, The Dorchester is a property we would never return to.

We stay at the Dorchester always, and every visit is so so special. We were lucky enough to see the Christmas decorations appear the morning we departed, SPECTACULAR as always! The rooms are stunning, the beds are so comfortable, always a wonderful night's sleep. We had drinks in the Vespa bar, all the staff are amazing, so friendly, fast service, the ambience is perfection. Can't wait to be back! Mrs Osborne 💕

One of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Everything was perfection. From the room to the breakfast to the service and amenities. Couldn’t recommend this hotel more

The reason for our visit was to celebrate a 70th birthday. Prior to our arrival I had lots of communication with the Guest Relation Team, drilling down on exactly what was required to make the stay memorable, and in the main this was achieved. The suite, 517, a Prestigue Dorchester Suite was stunning. Spacious, immaculately presented, with flowers, balloons, a cake etc., On our arrival we were greeted by a Butler, Miguel. Sadly that was the last we saw of him or in fact any other Butler during our 3 night stay! I had paid for additional flowers to decorate the suite and Phill, from the hotel florist, excelled himself. There were perfect. I also made reservations in Vespers Bar for the evening, along with dinner reservations in each of the main restaurants; The Grill, Alan Ducasse, China Tang. A different dining experience in each one. I have to say it is the 'Dorchester Team' who made the stay so memorable. Everyone we came into contact with went above and beyond to make us feel special. Here are a few that deserve a special thank you: Butler Miguel - Thank you for making our arrival so special. Sad we did not get to see you or any other member of the Butler team during our stay. Sandro - Promenade Restaurant Jacomo - Vespers Bar. Such a gentlemen, excellent service, even walked us to the Grill Restaurant as well as on other visits to Vespers made a point of coming and saying hello. Alex and Charlote - The Grill. Thank you both for such a warm, friendly service. Michele - Promenade Restaurant for breakfast - highly professional, warm and engaging - even arrange a small birthday cake. Mateo - Artists Bar - Relaxed, professional service. Took time to engage. Athena - Vespers Bar - very friendly, with a warm character Rashid - China Tang - Even though the restaurant was very busy he made an effort to ensure we had a memorable evening Mayo - Artists Bar - Evening cocktails served with a most friendly service. Vilma - Room service - very professional as well as friendly. With a wonderful smile. There is a considerable amount of 'rooftop' construction. Something I was not made aware of until our arrival, which was somewhat disappointing. Our suite was on the 5th floor, there was some residual nice during the day, thankfully not enough to spoil the experience. The Butler Team - as I have said I would have expected more from them. They were quick to answer the phone however, anything I requested was passed onto another member of the hotel team. We ordered breakfast on our suite on two occasions and both were served by a member of the room service team. Not, as we had expected by our butler! Butlers in the past, at other hotels, have taken charge, as well as being a major part of the stay. All-in-all we had an amazing, memorable time, and I would definitely return and recommend a stay so you can experience all the Dorchester has to offer.

Enjoyed a breakfast here, ordering the eggs royale, toast and English breakfast served with their selected teas. Food was beautiful - although the price for toast and having to ask separately for butter could be improved. The decor is wonderful and makes it more enjoyable. All the staff we encountered were friendly, polite & helpful. Would return when visiting London again.