Review: Hotel Café Royal
Review: Hotel Café Royal
A luxurious retreat where history unfolded
If you like your hotel stays to come with a rich history, then Café Royal – now known as Hotel Café Royal – is one of London’s most storied establishments. It celebrates its 160th birthday this year and has seen through its doors, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf, Winston Churchill, and Princess Diana to name but a few. David Bowie retired his Ziggy Stardust persona here with a legendary party. And there was even a boxing ring with black tie dinners before bouts.
Café Royal closed its doors in 2008, before expanding into neighbouring buildings and reopening in 2012 as a luxury hotel. David Chipperfield Architects oversaw the renovation, blending contemporary rooms with opulent historic features. Three types of marble were used – including 1,000 tonnes of finest Carrara. To restore the Grill Room to its rococo splendour required 45,000 sheets of gold.
So, that was back in 2012, how does it stack up for a stay today? Entering from the melee that is Piccadilly Circus, you are whisked in by the doormen to a grade-II listed lobby, complete with a beautiful stained-glass window. Arrive from the rather quieter Air Street, and you’ll enter via the dramatic double-height reception, created in 2018 by Piero Lissoni, with its Murano glass chandelier by Italian firm Vistosi
We checked in and were shown to one of the Westminster Suites. The walls feature large Portland Stone tiles, which reference the architecture of Regent Street. Photos don’t quite capture their tactile quality, but they certainly add a unique touch to the space. A large atrium leads onto a vast marble bathroom, complete with a separate shower room; the other side opens onto the bedroom. The room works well for a family, with the seating area able to offer space for two extra beds as well as the exceptionally large main bed.
The views out over Piccadilly are wonderful. You can watch the comings and goings down at street level and then cast your eyes up to a glimpse of the Houses of Parliament and beyond to the London Eye. Another window looks out over Regent Street. Remarkably, you don’t hear a sound through the triple-glazed windows.
If you want to really push the boat out, the hotel’s rooms range right up to 13-bedroom Royal Suites and a three-bedroom penthouse – I got to take a look and the view from the terrace over Piccadilly is quite something. There’s a mix of both contemporary suites and the more lavish-looking historic style.
We had booked for afternoon tea in the Café Royal Grill. Its gilded walls reflect on to the many mirrors to breath-taking effect, making it an incredibly atmospheric spot. Luigi is the manager and hugely knowledgeable tea sommelier, and he recommended we try a number of teas so that we’d get a good match with both savouries and sweets.
Up first were the white teas – delicate and beautiful, they and went well with sandwiches that included roast beef, celeriac and horseradish remoulade, and Forman’s smoked salmon. We also tried a smoky oolong and a first and second flush Darjeeling. What’s particularly lovely is that the sweet course is served after the savouries so the scones are still warm from the oven.
If you need to work all of that off, you can spend the rest of the day in the gym or the spa. Note that children’s hours apply if you’re bringing the offspring. The pool is long and perfect for a length or two, it is nicely lit, and there is a large sauna, hammam and hot tub.
The hotel is home to Alex Dilling’s two-Michelin starred restaurant, which offers a modern take on French cuisine. There’s also a chic café by Michelin-starred chef Albert Adrià (we tried the legendary ‘cheesecake’ – an indulgent sweet wheel of cheese into which you dip small biscuits – divine).
With a hotel of this calibre, you expect the staff to be at the top of their game. Here, they are not only excellent but genuinely welcoming.
You could quite easily spend your entire stay without budging. That said, you are on the corner of Soho and Mayfair so there is much to do on the doorstep. Decisions, decisions.
Nightly rates from £810
