London Hotels|London, United Kingdom

The Ritz London

Name: The Ritz London
Telephone: 44-0-20-7493-8181

Setting the standard in splendor

VERIFIED LUXURY

Learn How We Inspect

Located in the heart of the city, The Ritz London is one of the most iconic hotels in the world, first opened in 1906 by Swiss hotelier César Ritz, the former manager of the Savoy Hotel and founder of Paris’s Hôtel Ritz.

An opulent, neoclassical Louis XVI décor distinguishes the Four-Star hotel and its lovely guest rooms in which no luxury is spared, and the hotel preserves a traditional way of travel with its semi-formal dress code in its eateries.

The hotel’s sumptuous Palm Court provides the setting for the five daily seatings of its famed afternoon tea, while The Ritz Restaurant offers a simply grand setting for dining, and the underground Ritz Club is a sophisticated venue for gambling.

Service is professional yet ebullient, with some of the friendliest concierges in the city. When you want to be puttin’ on the Ritz, well, simply head to 150 Piccadilly.

Our Inspector's Highlights

The restaurants and public spaces at this hotel scream luxury, but the spacious rooms do, too. They have rich Louis XVI-style décor and antique furniture.
Don’t miss the vintage cocktails list at Rivoli Bar, which crafts drinks with rare spirits. On the list is a classic Sazerac with your choice of Louis XIII cognac or Woodford Reserve’s Master’s Collection aged cask rye whiskey, Peychaud’s bitters, sugar and 1950s absinthe.
The Piccadilly hotel occupies a perfectly central spot for sightseeing, minutes away from Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus and the high-end shopping on Bond Street, where you can pursue wares at Gucci and Prada.
While its name makes it sound like a country club of some sort, The Ritz Club is an underground casino. Only hotel guests and members get to play blackjack, roulette and poker in the outrageously dazzling space.
The decor at this London hotel is truly over-the-top: the sumptuous Ritz Restaurant has a sky with plump clouds painted on its ceiling with gold chandeliers and gilded bronze garland circling it; the centerpiece of the cream-marble-filled Palm Court is the gold woman statue sitting and looking up at gold angels.

Things to Know

The Ritz maintains a strict dress code in its restaurants and lounges. Men must wear jackets and ties and women should choose tasteful dresses or slacks for afternoon tea in The Palm Court and meals in The Ritz Restaurant.
While the formal atmosphere and rigid dress code don’t translate to family friendly, the luxury hotel tries to make up for it with its Kidz@TheRitz program. All children who check in become members and receive perks like a “Very Important Kid Card,” a welcome gift, free ice cream, kiddie-sized bathrobes and slippers, and milk and cookies at turndown.
If you like understated elegance, this isn’t your hotel. This is the spot for those who enjoy over-the-top experiences.

The Rooms

The Ritz London’s distinctive guest rooms look like they are from belle époque France with Louis XVI-influenced décor and furniture.
The large off-white room has gold accents all over it — including a gold ring on top of ceiling’s crown molding and an “X” pattern on the bottom, cream furniture with gold details and knobs, and a gold square umbrella holder.
Near the desk is a mauve marble fireplace, whose mantel holds a small potted plant and a Bose radio/CD player.
The sumptuous bathrooms are covered in white and mauve marble complimented by gold fixtures. A gold tray in the vanity holds luxurious Asprey Purple Water products.

The Look

The main floor is filled with grand Louis XVI-style décor, cream stone archways with gold borders and gold chandeliers.
The Ritz Restaurant overloads on opulence with gilded bronze garland and chandeliers circling a painted-sky ceiling and a wall of mirrors.
Maroon upholstered light wood chairs and navy sofas surround marble-topped gold tables to give you spots to congregate. Gold sconces with mini lampshades emit a soft glow, as do the lamps with red shades lined with gold fringe.
The only departure from the decadent Louis XVI design style at the London hotel is the art-deco-influenced Rivoli Bar. A Murano glass chandelier hangs from each of the five gilded ceiling domes while dark burr camphor wood walls with gold horizontal stripes hold framed metallic art and flower-like glass sconces.

Amenities