Review of The Ritz London

The Ritz London overlooks Piccadilly but also Royal Green Park to the west. The main entrance for hotel guests is located on Arlington Street. The borders of Royal Green Park are Piccadilly – one of the city’s main thoroughfares – and Buckingham Palace and Constitution Hill to the south. Just a few steps from the hotel are Old Bond Street – home to many of the major fashion boutiques and Jermyn Street – a mecca for men’s grooming & tailoring and Berkeley Square – complete with its beautiful gardens and luxury car showrooms. To the east of the hotel you end up at Piccadilly Circus, the Statue of Eros, and Leicester Square where many of London’s major film premieres are held. 

The Ritz London is located 25 kilometres from Heathrow Airport, just a short car journey from the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras Station, the Heathrow Express terminal at Waterloo Station and from Victoria Station (direct rail link from Gatwick Airport).

The Ritz London offers 111 beautifully appointed rooms and 25 individually designed suites set over seven floors. The design of all the rooms is in keeping with the Louis XVI decoration exhibited throughout the hotel. Pink, blue, peach, and yellow are the colours of choice used to make the look & feel comfortable, light, airy and luxurious. The high ceilings, spacious bathrooms, and floor to ceiling windows – along with the choice of views of either Piccadilly or the Park – help to give a guest a truly ritzy luxury hotel experience. Piccadilly can get very congested and noisy during certain times of day.

The Suites are sublime. The bedrooms increase in size, there are additional living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and dining suites. Guests of the signature suites also enjoy the service of a dedicated private Butler and limited complimentary use of the chauffeur-driven Ritz Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Guest room sizes start at 20 sq. metres (215 sq. feet) and increase to 177 sq. metres (1900 sq. feet) for The Prince of Wales Suite. 

The Ritz London boasts a minimum 2:1 staff to guest-room ratio – a sign of how serious service is taken at the hotel. The moment you arrive at the Arlington Street entrance and are greeted by the Doormen – complete with wide and welcoming smiles – you feel that you are almost staying with family rather than in just another luxury hotel. Valet parking is available through the Doormen.

The Concierge desk is on hand around the clock to book or source anything you require – whether it be a personal fitness trainer at a nearby gym or sightseeing/shopping expeditions. The Concierge Desk at The Ritz London is generally regarded as the most knowledgeable in the city.

The Ritz has created a club for the younger guests - kidz@TheRitz. Any guest under the age of 16 is entitled to a membership card, complimentary ice cream, bathrobes, slippers, and toiletries. 

The Ritz Club is – however – strictly for adults! It is open around the clock for guests of the hotel. There is a bar, restaurant, gaming salon and tasting room which also offers Shisha. 

While there is no formal spa, gym or swimming pool at The Ritz London, on the seventh floor of the hotel sits The Ritz Salon -  where Hiro Miyoshi – the celebrated Japanese hair stylist – offers massages, facials, manicures and haircuts, of course. The Ritz London is wheelchair accessible. The hotel is not pet friendly – although assistance and guide dogs are welcome with open arms.  

The exterior of the hotel is unashamedly designed in keeping with the late nineteenth century Belle Époque period. Coming just a few years after César Ritz built his hotel in Paris, he was keen to bring a touch of French beauty to central London. The Ritz London would not look out of place on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris – a stylish neoclassical apartment block with boutiques on the ground floor under arches. The hotel was one of the first in London to be built predominantly around a steel frame. If you look up at the roofline of the hotel, you can see large green copper lions – the emblem of the hotel.

The interiors of the hotel are inspired by the Louis XVI period. The last King of France and his wife – Marie Antionette – brought an excessive “joie de vivre” to Paris. The designs encouraged during the Louis Seize era used crowns of roses, pastel colours, stucco marble, ribbons and vines, gold gilt, mirrors, and chandeliers to bring an outrageous splash of luxury to any room. The interior design of the hotel is a treat to the eyes. During the refurbishments of the hotel, successive owners have insisted that The Ritz retains this neoclassical look. The wallpaper, tapestries and furniture would not look out of place in an 18th century Parisian palace.

The Palm Court is a British institution and is where The Ritz London “Afternoon Tea” is served. You are offered the choice from 18 loose-leaf teas and the hotel’s own Champagne – specifically produced for The Ritz by Barons de Rothschild - all to wash down delicately prepared finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries. The Palm Court boasts a tea sommelier to help you make your choice of hot beverage. The room itself is dominated by chandeliers, panelled mirrors, sculptures, and floral displays. Afternoon Tea at The Ritz is an event – one not to be missed. 

The Ritz Restaurant opened in 1906 and received a Michelin star in 2016. Its Head Chef John Williams is passionate about using only the freshest and finest ingredients available from the British Isles. His Isle of Mull Scallop with roast cauliflower and shellfish sauce is inspired. The dining room has all the hallmarks of those found in the 18th century Parisian palaces. Chef Williams also provides a superb vegetarian and vegan menu. In Summer, and on a warm, dry evening, diners can enjoy their meals on the Restaurant terrace. Every Friday and Saturday evening, the Restaurant hosts “Live at The Ritz”- fine dining with added entertainment. You do not have to dance but can just watch your fellow diners take to the floor accompanied by a live orchestra or band. 

À la carte breakfast is served in The Ritz Restaurant. There are also six exquisitely designed private dining rooms available. 

The Rivoli Bar was designed to resemble the interior of a carriage on the Orient Express. Art deco design dominates the Bar, and it is a refined location to enjoy a cocktail, a flute of champagne or an item from the decadent caviar menu.

The Ritz London – of course – offers in-room dining. 

The Ritz London takes its green responsibilities quite seriously and aims to reduce its energy use by 3% every year for the foreseeable future. On the sixth floor of the hotel, there are 3 beehives with 20,000 resident Buckfast bees that are looked after by 12 volunteer apiarists (staff members). It is hoped that these bees help with the pollination of flowering plants in Green Park. The hotel works with the charity CleanConscience. All the part used toiletry bottles and soaps are collected and donated to charities around the world. The Ritz only buys in green energy and practises a “zero waste to landfill” policy.