The best hotels near Buckingham Palace
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As the excitement for King Charles III’s Coronation on Saturday 6 May continues to grow, all eyes turn to Buckingham Palace, the home of our new monarch. There’s never been a better time to book a stay near the regal residence, right in the heart of the action for the multiple celebrations that will be taking place across the capital that Bank Holiday weekend. Luckily, there’s a host of splendid London hotels in and around SW1, whether you’re after a charming boutique bolthole or a five-star grande dame fit for a king. All within 20-minute walking distance, here’s our edit of the best hotels near Buckingham Palace.
Nick Rochowski PhotographyThe Goring
As the only hotel with a Royal Warrant for hospitality services, a stay at The Goring is always a regal affair – particularly if you book the palatial Royal Suite, where Kate Middleton stayed the night before her wedding. Owned and run by the same family since it opened a century ago, the hotel wears its grandeur lightly. There’s no stuffiness here – instead, a quirky charm that extends from the opulent rooms to the Michelin-starred restaurant. The jewel in the hotel’s crown is its glorious private garden – the biggest of its kind in London – which is planted with a selection of the Royal Family’s favourite plants and flowers, including the late Queen Elizabeth II’s adored Lily of the Valley.
For the Coronation: The hotel is hosting a special afternoon tea and tasting menu in honour of His Majesty from 24 April to 28 May 2023, with the former featuring the King’s favourite Cream of Lemon cake and the latter serving up Welsh specialities and foraged ingredients, in a nod to his passion for the environment. It's also part of the exemplary PoB collection, which is running a special Coronation Concierge program – from now until the end of May, take on experiences with strong royal links such as the above tea or a Michelin-starred tasting menu.
The Dorchester
With the entire ground floor having recently undergone an extensive revamp – encompassing The Promenade, Vesper Bar and Artists’ Bar – The Dorchester is looking glitzier and more glamorous than ever. A long-time favourite with the royals, it was here that Prince Philip held his bachelor party on the eve of his wedding to the Queen, and the King has attended numerous state banquets at the hotel over the years. No doubt they were both drawn to The Dorchester’s sumptuous décor and staggering views over Hyde Park. Home to two of the best hotel restaurants in London in the form of Alain Ducasse and the Grill – not to mention notorious night-spot China Tang – it’s the perfect place for a celebratory knees-up.
For the Coronation: The hotel will be recreating the iconic decorations that covered its façade for the Queen’s Coronation in 1953. Originally designed by British stage set designer Oliver Messel, the decorations featured dramatic draping across the hotel’s balconies, transforming them to look like the interior of a theatre stage. Come to marvel at the eye-catching display from 20 April-19 May 2023.
Claridge’s
It’s not for nothing that Claridge’s is often referred to as the ‘annexe of Buckingham Palace’. While the hotel is always unfailingly discrete about which royals have passed through its famous revolving doors, it has long been the hotel of choice for foreign heads of state looking for a place to rest their heads after a ball or banquet at the Palace. And who can blame them? With its Art Deco beauty, grand Victorian flourishes and elegant contemporary luxe, it’s undoubtedly one of the finest hotels in London. Come to while away an afternoon in the newly opened spa, which sits 30 metres beneath Mayfair’s pavements, before sitting down to afternoon tea in the foyer and finishing off with a cocktail in the Lalique-panelled fumoir.
For the Coronation: Claridge’s Archivist Kate Hudson will be digging into the hotel’s historical archives to unveil some of its most memorable royal treasures. On display in the hotel’s ground floor windows throughout the month of May, highlights include pages from Queen Victoria’s diary and Claridge’s menus created for the coronations of King George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Jake EasthamLime Tree Hotel
If you’re on the hunt for a more affordable boutique option within walking distance of Buckingham Palace, look no further. This converted Georgian Ebury Street townhouse effuses cosy, countryside charm – no mean feat when you happen to be in such a central location. That’s all down to the clever owners Matt and Charlotte Goodsall, who opened the hotel in 2008 and relied on their own taste for the decorative details. The stylishly appointed rooms are kitted out with Pooky lampshades, teal velvet headboards and Sanderson wallpaper, and there’s a delightful pocket-sized back garden where you can sit in the sun and raise a toast to the King.
Address: Lime Tree Hotel, 135–137 Ebury Street, London SW1W 9QU
Mark WeeksDukes
Tucked away down an alleyway between St James’s Street and Green Park, this unfailingly discrete spot is a firm favourite with travellers in the know, who love it for its old-school ways and aura of hushed serenity. A mere 10-minute walk from Buckingham Palace, both the late Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales were fans of Dukes, where traditions are upheld and the Union Jack always flies high above its courtyard entrance. Make sure you order a martini while you’re there, expertly prepared by the hotel’s bar manager Alessandro Palazzi. It’s said this was where Ian Fleming first envisioned James Bond ordering his famous drink “shaken, not stirred”.
The Ritz London
For the last word in jaw-dropping glamour, it has to be The Ritz. Famed for its unabashed opulence and grandeur, the hotel has played host to numerous royal soirées over the years, including a party for the then-Prince of Wales’s 54th birthday in 2002 and the late Queen’s 80th birthday celebrations in 2006, which took place throughout the entire ground floor of the hotel and The Ritz Club. The spectacular Palm Court, with its gilded ceiling and crystal chandeliers, is home to the most famous afternoon tea in London, while the rooms and suites retain their original Louis XVI style in a sumptuous palette of pinks, yellows and blues.
For the Coronation: On Saturday 6 May 2023 The Ritz will be hosting a grand Coronation Ball, starting with a Champagne and canapé reception in the Palm Court before settling down to a five-course dinner with matching wines in the Michelin-starred Ritz Restaurant. To top things off, the night will end with a special performance by the BBC Big Band.
Address: The Ritz London, 150 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9BR
The Lanesborough
This Regency-era gem has really come into its own of late, thanks to the Bridgerton mania that has swept the nation over recent years. This is not the place to come if you like your hotels minimal and streamlined. With its dazzling gold-leaf embellishment, Baroque-style cornicing and a butler assigned to every room, it’s a gloriously over-the-top ode to decadence – making it the perfect place to see in the Coronation. The hotel’s main restaurant, The Lanesborough Grill, is known for being one of the most spectacular dining rooms in London, and there’s also a dreamy spa where you can soak in the subterranean pool and book in for a Tata Harper facial.
For the Coronation: From 2-12 May 2023 the hotel will be hosting a limited-edition five-course dinner menu, created as a homage to some of the King’s favourite dishes – think Coronation crab salad, roast Orkney scallops and Rhug Estate hogget, one of His Majesty’s preferred meats.
Jack HardyCorinthia London
During the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II in September, the Corinthia was a hive of activity, playing host to many of the visiting foreign dignitaries and heads of state who came to pay their final respects. No doubt the same will be true for the King’s Coronation, with guests flocking to book rooms at this elegant landmark by the Thames. Walking into the double-height, Victorian-pillared lobby here is always a wow moment, lit by no fewer than 1,000 Baccarat crystals. Just as impressive is the four-storey ESPA Life spa, which features a marble-and-leather lounge, glass-encased sauna and steel-lined pool.
For the Coronation: The hotel will be hosting a special Coronation Afternoon Tea from 5-8 May 2023, featuring traditional finger sandwiches and sweet treats made using products from the King’s own Highgrove shop, including Highgrove honey millefeuille and Highgrove damson Bakewell tart.