Claridge’s is one of those hotels that exists as much in the imagination as in reality. The name carries a century of accumulated mythology — exiled kings, Noël Coward, the Christmas tree that Karl Lagerfeld once designed — and the building itself, a stretch of Art Deco perfection on Brook Street, does nothing to discourage the legend. The question worth asking in 2026 is whether the hotel behind the mythology still justifies rates that start at £750 a night for a standard room.
I stayed in Room 427 for two nights in January, paid my own bill, and ate dinner at Davies & Brook on the second evening. This review covers everything: the rooms, the spa, every dining venue on-site, the location, and three specific problems that Claridge’s needs to fix before it can honestly claim parity with the best hotels in London at this price point.
In This Review
Claridge’s London — 2026
The £4,000 Question
What are you actually buying?
The Rooms — Art Deco Preserved
Room 427 reviewed in detail
Service — When It’s Magic vs When It’s Missing
The doorman, the butler, the gaps
Davies & Brook — Perfect Execution, Zero Surprise
Dinner for two, £400
The Verdict — Who Should Actually Book Claridge’s
My honest conclusion
At a Glance & Pros/Cons
- Style
5★ Historic · Art Deco - Price From
£750 / night - Pool / Spa
No pool · Spa on-site - Dining
★ Michelin - Rooms
203 rooms & suites - Check-in / out
3pm / 12pm - Best For
Couples · Celebrations - Loyalty
Preferred Hotels LVX
- Unmatched Art Deco interiors
- Davies & Brook is excellent
- Service has rare genuine warmth
- 5 min walk to Bond Street
- Standard rooms feel dated
- Breakfast not included
- No pool on-site
- Rear rooms lack natural light
Puente Romano — First Impressions
My taxi pulled up just as the sun began its descent over the Mediterranean, casting everything in that particular golden light that only happens in southern Spain. Through the entrance, past the valet stand, I could already hear music drifting from somewhere deeper in the property.
The Roman Bridge
What stopped me wasn’t the music. It was the Roman bridge — there it stood, barely ten meters from the modern reception building: an actual 1st-century stone structure that once carried Roman legions along the Via Augusta. Moss clung to its weathered arches, bougainvillea tumbled over nearby walls in violent shades of magenta.
The public spaces at Claridge’s are worth the price of a coffee alone. Sitting in that lobby watching London’s finest drift past is one of the great free pleasures of the city — except it costs £28 for a flat white.
JP · DineWithJP
Hotel variant (map pin):
Restaurant / Dining variant (fork):
Book at least 3 months ahead — tables at Ossiano go within 48 hours of each month’s release on the first Monday.
Standard rooms at Claridge’s face the rear courtyard. Always request a Brook Street-facing room when booking — it makes a significant difference.
Puente Romano has three separate pool areas. The main pool fills up by 11am in July and August — the garden pool is quieter and more scenic.
JP’s Verdict
Still Worth the Legend
Claridge’s remains one of London’s most iconic hotels — the Art Deco interiors are unmatched and service has genuine warmth. But at £4,000/night for a suite, minor inconsistencies in room maintenance feel inexcusable. Book it for the experience, not for perfection.
Art Deco charm, slightly dated fittings
Memorable, personal touches throughout
Davies & Brook is excellent
Unrivalled Art Deco grandeur
Steep — even for Mayfair
Awards & Recognition
-
One MICHELIN Star
Retained 2022 – 2025★ Michelin
-
No. 5 — MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants
2025#5 MENA
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5 Stars — Forbes Travel Guide
2025Forbes ★★★★★
← scroll to see all →
| # | Hotel | Area | Price | Best For | Category | JP Reviewed | Full Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claridge’s | Mayfair | £££££ | Old money glamour | 5★ Historic | Reviewed | Read → |
| 2 | The Connaught | Mayfair | £££££ | Cocktails & spa | 5★ Classic | Reviewed | Read → |
| 3 | Mandarin Oriental | Knightsbridge | £££££ | Park views & spa | 5★ Modern | Reviewed | Read → |
| 4 | Shangri-La The Shard | Southwark | ££££ | Skyline views | 5★ Design | — | Book → |
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Puente Romano Beach Resort
The gold standard for Marbella luxury — garden pools, multiple Michelin-starred dining, and unbeatable beach access on the Golden Mile.
Marbella Club Hotel
Old-school Marbella glamour with legendary history, intimate bungalow rooms, and a beach club that defines the Costa del Sol aesthetic.
Grand Hotel Timeo
The finest address in Taormina — perched above the ancient Greek theatre with uninterrupted views of Etna and the Ionian coast.
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DineWithJP Block System v1.3 — Dark used intentionally: Verdict, CTA, Card numbers, Table headers only
History & Arrival
Claridge’s has been on Brook Street since 1812, when William Claridge — a butler from Chelsea — opened a small hotel trading on a reputation for discretion built during years in private service. What stands today is largely the product of a 1929–1931 Art Deco refurbishment: black-and-white marble floors, the sweeping Lalique-lit staircase, the entrance hall that has changed so little in ninety years that photographs from the 1930s are almost interchangeable with the lobby you walk into now. The Savoy Company acquired and expanded the property in 1855; Daniel Humm opened Davies & Brook in the former Gordon Ramsay space in 2019, earning a Michelin star within twelve months. That’s the shape of the place — a century of accumulated elegance with a single significant recent addition.
William Claridge opens on Brook Street, Mayfair.
The Savoy Company acquires and expands the property across several adjacent townhouses.
Art Deco interiors installed — the lobby, staircase and entrance hall that define Claridge’s today.
Daniel Humm opens Davies & Brook. Michelin star within twelve months.
Arrival
The doorman sees you before you see him. That’s the thing about Claridge’s — the choreography starts on the pavement. By the time your cab door opens, someone has already moved toward it. Inside, the lobby is smaller than you remember from photographs, which makes it better: the marble floors and gilded staircase have the intimacy of a private home rather than the grandeur of a hotel atrium.
Sitting in that lobby watching London drift past is one of the great pleasures of Mayfair — except it costs £28 for a flat white.
JP · DineWithJP
Check-in takes four minutes. They already know your name before you give it, which is either impressive or slightly unsettling depending on your temperament. Your bags are gone before you’ve finished signing.
The Rooms
I stayed in Room 427, a Classic Double facing Brook Street — always request a street-facing room, more on that below. The Art Deco detailing is genuine: panelled walls, chevron-parquet flooring, the original 1930s wardrobe joinery. Better preserved than you’d expect for a room at this price point. The bathroom has been updated but keeps period-appropriate fixtures — deep soaking tub, decent pressure, no fussy spa product arrangement. The room is 32 square metres, which sounds modest but the 3.8-metre ceilings and large windows stop it feeling tight.
The minibar is stocked intelligently rather than optimistically — the water is complimentary, the wine is not. Turndown service is thorough without being theatrical. The one maintenance gripe: an air conditioning unit that cycles audibly through the night. At £750, that’s not acceptable.
Studio Suites (from £1,400) add a sitting room but the same bedroom footprint — worth it only for stays of 3+ nights. Mayfair Suites (from £2,800) give you a proper second room and corner-position light. Skip the Junior Suites — 40% more for a marginally larger bathroom.
The Claridge’s Spa
✓ On-site spa
The spa occupies the lower ground floor and has been comprehensively updated — six treatment rooms, a swimming pool (15m), a steam room, and a sauna. It’s intimate by London five-star standards, which works in your favour outside peak hours. The pool is heated to 30°C and genuinely usable; the changing facilities are excellent. Book treatments at least two weeks ahead in summer.
£185
£260
£85 / person
15 metres
30°C
6
Complimentary
2 weeks (summer)
Genuinely good — not a token amenity
Dining
Davies & Brook ★ Michelin
Daniel Humm’s London outpost is the hotel’s centrepiece and arguably one of the best restaurants in Mayfair right now. The tasting menu runs seven to ten courses and changes seasonally — the turbot with capers and brown butter and the Scottish langoustine with cucumber and dashi were the standouts on the January menu. Service matches the ambition: informed, unhurried, never precious. One honest caveat — the room itself lacks atmosphere early in the week. Book for Thursday onwards.
The Foyer & Reading Room
Breakfast is served here and is not included in the room rate — a meaningful omission at this price point. The full English is competent, the pastries excellent. Afternoon tea is one of London’s finest: finger sandwiches precise, scones warm, the whole affair genuinely unhurried rather than conveyor-belt. Book six weeks ahead for weekend sittings.
Location & Getting There
Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR
Claridge’s sits on Brook Street in the heart of Mayfair — which is both its greatest asset and its only real constraint. You’re equidistant between Oxford Street (too busy) and the quiet elegance of Mount Street (exactly right). The neighbourhood rewards walking and punishes driving: parking is expensive and the one-way system is a maze. Arrive by taxi or tube. Bond Street station is four minutes on foot; the Heathrow Express plus a short cab is faster and cheaper than a direct taxi from the airport.
Within walking distance: Mount Street restaurants at three minutes (Scott’s, Sexy Fish), Bond Street shopping at four, The Connaught bar — the best martini in London — at six. Hyde Park is twelve minutes. Marylebone High Street is eighteen and worth it on Sunday morning.
Bond Street (Central / Jubilee)
4 min walk
Oxford Circus (Victoria / Bakerloo / Central)
9 min walk
Heathrow — Taxi direct
45–75 min · £65–95
Heathrow Express + cab
25–35 min · £35–50
How Claridge’s Compares
| Hotel | Area | Price From | Pool / Spa | Breakfast | Best For | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claridge’s This Review | Mayfair | £750 | Yes (on-site) | Not included | Art Deco, celebrations | Unmatched interiors, Michelin dining |
| The Connaught | Mayfair | £900 | Spa, no pool | Not included | Cocktails, old-money quiet | World’s best bar; more intimate scale |
| Mandarin Oriental | Knightsbridge | £800 | Full spa + pool | Packages available | Park views, spa-focused | Hyde Park views, modern rooms |
| 45 Park Lane | Mayfair | £950 | No pool, spa access | Not included | Art lovers, design stays | Contemporary; Damien Hirst throughout |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Your Questions Answered
No — breakfast is not included at any rate tier. The full English is £42 per person and the continental option is £32. For a couple staying multiple nights this adds up quickly and is worth factoring into your total budget when comparing against hotels that include it.
Yes — the spa is on the lower ground floor with a 15-metre heated pool, steam room, sauna, and six treatment rooms. Access is complimentary for hotel guests. Book treatments at least two weeks ahead in summer as slots go quickly.
No — Davies & Brook is open to non-residents. Tables book out 6–8 weeks in advance. Book Thursday to Saturday for the best atmosphere; early-week sittings can feel quiet.
A Classic Double facing Brook Street is the sweet spot. Always request a street-facing room in writing — rear courtyard rooms are the same category but significantly darker. Studio Suites are only worth the premium for stays of three nights or more.
The Heathrow Express to Paddington followed by a short taxi is faster and cheaper than a direct cab — around 25–35 minutes and £35–50 total. A direct taxi runs £65–95 and can take over an hour in traffic. Bond Street tube is four minutes on foot if you’re travelling light.
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