Claridge's

Service

What I remember most about Claridge's is how quickly it stops feeling grand and starts feeling friendly. Plenty of the staff have been here for decades. They have your name by the second time you cross the lobby, they remember how you take your coffee at breakfast, and they're funny with it. For a hotel this famous, there's very little stiffness.

The small things are done well. If you're here for a birthday or an anniversary there's chilled champagne and a handwritten card in the room. The concierge desk is one of the best in London for getting a table that looks fully booked, and they'll ask you afterwards how dinner was. I'd email them as soon as you've booked.

It does slip, and at these prices you should know that. This is a big, busy hotel with 269 rooms and a lobby full of people who aren't staying, and the welcome at the front door can be cooler than the welcome inside. I've had to push the door myself, and the bars will turn you away when they're full, guest or not. Regulars will tell you the little slips are more common than they should be.

Rooms

The rooms came out of a seven-year rebuild that added new floors on the roof, so nothing feels tired. They come in two looks, art deco or traditional English, and you can't choose between them when you book online. If you care, tell us and we'll ask. The bathrooms are the best part: all marble, most with a deep tub and a separate shower and, in the newer rooms, a heated floor and a Japanese toilet. Soft drinks in the minibar are free, and the beds are superb.

Be careful with the entry rooms. The Superior Room is about 375 square feet and looks into the inner courtyard, and so does the Mayfair Room above it. They're quiet, but they can be dark, and a few face a wall. I'd skip both and book a Claridge's Room, which is around 540 square feet with tall windows over the street. If you're celebrating, a junior suite with a balcony is the one that feels like the photographs.

The same category can look completely different from one floor to the next, so don't fall in love with a picture. And until the offices going up opposite are finished at the end of 2027, the Brook Street and Davies Street side can wake you with lorries in the morning. If you sleep late, ask for a room on the Brook's Mews side or a high floor.

Food and drink

My favourite thing here is afternoon tea in the Foyer, under the huge Chihuly glass sculpture, with a pianist and a cellist playing. The sandwiches keep coming until you say stop, the scones are warm, and they'll do the whole thing gluten free without it feeling like second best. It's about $130 a person and it fills up weeks ahead, so book it when you book your room. From early November it switches to the festive tea, which costs more.

The big change this year is the restaurant. Claridge's Restaurant closed in May 2026 and reopened in June as Dante Mayfair, a permanent home for the New York bar. It's fun and loud in a good way, with a piano, shrimp cocktail, lobster linguine, a very good burger and a martini hour from three to five. I'd go for a Garibaldi and a long lunch. I wouldn't go expecting a great dinner, and when the room is full the service drags.

The bars are where Claridge's is at its best. The Fumoir is tiny, dark and all Lalique glass, and it doesn't take bookings, so go early. The Painter's Room is prettier and you can reserve. Claridge's Bar does excellent fish and chips if you just want supper. There's also a bakery round the back on Brook's Mews.

What you won't find is a serious restaurant, and a hotel of this standing should have one. The Connaught is a ten-minute walk and has three, and you can charge them to your room here.

Setting

Walking into the lobby is half the reason to stay. There's a black and white marble floor, a fire burning, enormous flowers and mirrors everywhere, and it's a real 1930s room. It's also busy from breakfast until late, with tea guests and people who've come in for a look. If you'd like a hotel that feels private, this isn't it. From late November the Christmas tree brings queues to the door.

The location is the best in London for a first trip. Bond Street is at the end of the road, Hyde Park is ten minutes' walk, Soho is fifteen, and the Elizabeth line from Bond Street station gets you to Heathrow in about half an hour. The Mayfair streets around the hotel are quiet at night. The one blot is the building site across the junction, which you'll notice every time you step outside.

Downstairs there's a spa by Andre Fu, all pale stone and timber, and it's beautiful. Be realistic about the pool. It's a small pool for floating, not for lengths, the gym is compact, and children can only swim between eight and ten in the morning. There are no views to speak of from any room, so this is a hotel you book for what's inside.

Value

It's very expensive. The Superior Room starts at around $1,100 a night in January and February and is nearer $1,400 for most of the year. The Claridge's Room I'd book is about $1,600, and junior suites start around $2,800. Breakfast isn't included and comes to well over $100 for two.

For a first London trip or a big birthday, I think it's worth it. You're paying for the building, the address and the people, and nowhere else in London feels quite like it. You're not paying for space or a view, and newer hotels give you more of both for the same money. January to March is the time to come for a better rate, and the hotel often has a fourth-night-free offer.

Booking through an advisor makes a real difference here. Breakfast for two and a hotel credit come with the same rate, and upgrades when there's space are generous, which matters in a hotel where the room you land in changes the whole stay.