London: The Dorchester (5 Star Hotel)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Address: Park lane , London W1K 1QA, United kingdom
Show on map

Lonely Planet review

If you want to pretend you're rich and famous then there's no better place than the Dorch. This is the hotel where celebrities come to hide from (or court) the media. After the Jude Law 'nannygate' scandal, Sienna Miller escaped to a suite at the Dorchester, and Mickey Rourke, while in town filming, chose this address to entertain a bevy of young blondes.

This opulent tour de force has long been the hotel of choice for movie stars, fashionistas and those with a wallop of cash to spend and an image to cultivate. Ever since it opened for business in April 1931, the Dorchester has been synonymous with luxury and elegance. The lobby is possibly the most lavish in London and the enormous ballroom with its sparkling mirrored walls remains one of the most grand today. The bedrooms, all with views over Hyde Park or the landscaped terraces of the hotel, are the epitome of understated grandeur. A mixture of antique and individual furniture, four-poster beds, chaise lounges and roaring fireplaces evoke an English country-house feel, while plasma TV screens are hidden within specially designed armoires. It's all extremely beautiful and exceptionally indulgent.