The Ritz London
Daily price line
Upcoming nightly rates
Review
Character and identity
A Piccadilly institution opened in 1906 by César Ritz, this 136-room hotel trades in full-throttle Louis XVI grandeur: gilded bronze, painted clouds and chandeliers in The Ritz Restaurant, cream marble and gold statuary in the Palm Court, antique-furnished bedrooms (some with grand pianos) that hold nothing back. Five daily seatings of afternoon tea anchor the social calendar, the Michelin-starred dining room turns out a serious Sunday roast sirloin, and The Rivoli Bar pours vintage cocktails built around rare spirits. A semi-formal dress code and notably warm, polished concierges define the register: traditional, theatrical, unembarrassed about ceremony.
Who's it for
Best for:
First-time London visitors who want a properly grand, central base within walking distance of Buckingham Palace, Bond Street, Soho and Covent Garden, and travellers who actively enjoy ceremony: jackets and ties at dinner, afternoon tea in the Palm Court, cocktails poured with reverence. Couples and Anglophiles with a taste for maximalism will be in heaven.
Should look elsewhere:
Anyone drawn to understated, contemporary luxury will find the décor too much. Families can use the Kidz@TheRitz programme, but the formal dress code and hushed restaurants make this a difficult fit for younger children or anyone who bristles at rules around what to wear.
Bottom line
What you are buying here is theatre: the painted ceilings, the gilded Palm Court, the rituals of tea and tie-required dining are the product, and they are delivered with genuine warmth. Book if that prospect thrills rather than tires you. Couples celebrating something should request a Piccadilly-facing room, and Sunday lunch at The Ritz Restaurant deserves a reservation well in advance.