ERIC ROSEN\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nLords and ladies who lunch, mingling ministers and a nonstop parade of international jet-setters trooping through the lobby with their latest luxury purchases make for an entertaining scene as you sit down to a coffee or the decadent afternoon tea at The Dorchester’s flower-filled and gilt-crowned Promenade. This is, after all, one of London’s most storied addresses and has played host to royals and celebrities alike, including the late Queen Elizabeth II and Somerset Maugham. Don’t believe us? If you hear some piano music drifting toward you, steal a glance toward the mirror-tiled piano that once belonged to Liberace and still sounds as finely tuned as ever.<\/p>\n\nERIC ROSEN\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAfter a multiyear, multimillion-dollar renovation at the hands of designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, the hotel’s public spaces and accommodations are looking more lavish than ever. Meanwhile, Martin Brudnizki Design Studio was the force behind the transformation of the once-staid Dorchester Bar into the swanky Vesper Room, named in honor of frequent guest and James Bond creator Ian Fleming. Those with a discerning eye will notice the nature-inspired art pieces by British artists, including a cascading honeycomb-like installation behind the reception desk by Sophie Coryndon, throughout the hotel.<\/p>\n\nERIC ROSEN\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nNo request is too trying or outlandish for the staff of on-call butlers who are just the push of a telephone button away at all times, and you might just find a personalized amenity or two in your room to commemorate your stay.<\/p>\n
The room<\/h2>\n As part of the Rochon-directed revamp, the hotel’s hallways and guest rooms have adopted palettes inspired by England’s famous gardens, with dominant tones of daffodil yellow, pale mint green, heather blue and antique rose pink. The guest corridors, with custom-made Spanish Alarwool carpets replete with rococo flourishes and floral motifs resembling baroque tapestries, lean into the historical rather than the hip.<\/p>\n
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My Belgravia Suite on the first floor, adjacent to the elevators and overlooking the hotel’s facade, comprised capacious living quarters. There was a handsome wooden Chippendale-style dining set in case you wanted to order a meal in.<\/p>\n
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Tucked into the corner was a small work desk and the minibar stocked with fancy treats, including a full bottle of Dom Perignon, as well as an espresso machine.<\/p>\n
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The sitting area included a sofa and armchairs with floral upholstery, chinoiserie lamps and a large glass coffee table, where I found a welcome amenity that included a framed photo of me and my husband, all surrounding the wall-mounted flat-screen TV.<\/p>\n
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Just past this, I could open the French doors to enjoy some fresh air on the suite’s enormous private balcony, complete with lounge chairs and awnings, that was perched just over the hotel’s sign.<\/p>\n
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A short corridor from the living room, in which there was ample closet space, brought me to the bedroom and bathroom, which felt like an entire suite unto themselves.<\/p>\n\nERIC ROSEN\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe bedroom’s main lemon yellow hue was reflected throughout, including in a scalloped headboard and a de Gournay silk wall hand-painted with flowers and trees that framed the bed, which featured a cushy Vispring mattress that was a pleasure to sink into each evening.<\/p>\n
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The room had its own French doors out to the balcony, as well as a wall-mounted, flat-screen TV and a small vanity for primping.<\/p>\n
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A few steps beyond, the Carrara marble bathroom had heated floors, dual sinks, a deep soaking tub and a separate walk-in shower.<\/p>\n
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The hotel stocks custom-made, cruelty-free Wildsmith Skin products made specially for this outpost to reflect the locale, in this case with a heady scent of neroli, geranium and angelica root.<\/p>\n\nERIC ROSEN\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Belgravia Suite felt like an opulent London pied-a-terre thanks to its generous footprint, gorgeous 18th-century-inspired textiles and panoply of luxurious touches like live orchids and ornate yet unfussy furnishings.<\/p>\n
Food and drink at The Dorchester, London<\/h2>\n The hotel is home to an impressive slate of diverse dining options. Front and center is the all-day Promenade, which resembles nothing so much as a drawing room belonging to a heroine from an Anthony Trollope novel thanks to the profusion of flowers and daintily set tables, the antiquity-inspired crown molding and the gold leaf accents.<\/p>\n\nERIC ROSEN\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAt breakfast, you might enjoy options like ultrahealthy linseed oat and hazelnut porridge with raspberry, banana, pistachio and bee pollen ($21) and avocado with heritage tomato, tahini, basil and poached egg on toasted rye bread ($33).<\/p>\n\nERIC ROSEN\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nOne plus? If you book through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, the hotel actually serves breakfast 24 hours a day via room service, so you can do as I did and luxuriate in bed until noon and then place an order via tablet and still have it count as part of your booking benefit.<\/p>\n\nERIC ROSEN\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nLater on in the day, you’ll find ladies lunching or lingering over a lavish afternoon tea service before the space transforms into an after-work drinks scene, especially around the Lalique-crystal Artists’ Bar toward the back.<\/p>\n
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The all-day a la carte menu includes everything from club sandwiches ($47) to caviar ($120 to $430), plus specialties like Cornish lobster and shrimp cocktail ($45) and Dover sole meuniere for two ($90).<\/p>\n
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Set off the Promenade, the hotel’s prime power lunch spot is a British celebrity chef steakhouse, The Grill by Tom Booton.<\/p>\n
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Tuck into specialties like speck-wrapped creamy stracciatella on witloof chicory ($8) and duck and almond pate en croute ($11) before slicing into a prime cut of beef like the filet mignon with classic bearnaise ($100) or a massive rib-eye with wild garlic and bone marrow butter ($93). You’d be remiss not to order a round of duck fat-fried chips with watercress mayonnaise ($13) and the fondantlike chocolate box ($12) for dessert.<\/p>\n
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Those who are really out to splurge, however, should make a reservation at the Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. The three-star restaurant’s seven-course tasting menu (don’t be fooled, you’ll be treated to plenty of amuse bouches and mignardises in the meantime) costs $380 and might include delicacies like hand-dived scallops with citrus beurre blanc and Kristal caviar and Cornish turbot filet with Provencal green peas and cardamom.<\/p>\n
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If you’re there for a special occasion, see if you can reserve the Table Lumiere, a dining area shrouded with curtains of fiber-optic lights that makes you feel like you are dining among the stars. You can even choose your own china to dine upon.<\/p>\n\nERIC ROSEN\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWith an entrance right off Park Lane, the hotel’s new Vesper Bar feels like the swankiest spot in town thanks to art deco elements, a luminescent bar and velvet vignettes for confabulations over cocktails.<\/p>\n
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