Hotel Café Royal first opened in 1865, when French wine merchant Daniel Nicholas Thévenon and his wife Célestine established the property. The building has since taken on many different identities, but it is perhaps best known for the Café Royal, created when Daniel Nicols transformed a former oilcloth warehouse into a more glamorous setting. It became one of London's great meeting places, offering the capital its own answer to a Parisian salon. Oscar Wilde dined there, Sir Winston Churchill entertained there, David Bowie celebrated there, and figures including Virginia Woolf and Muhammad Ali also passed through its doors.
When the property reopened as a hotel in 2012, following a renovation overseen by Sir David Chipperfield, neighbouring buildings were incorporated into the development. This expanded the hotel into the extensive site it occupies today. Hotel Café Royal now combines the role of a contemporary luxury hotel with that of a custodian of its remarkable past. The result brings together historic grandeur and modern expectations.
The Rooms
The rooms at Hotel Café Royal broadly follow a tranquil and understated approach, with a familiar neutral palette. The accommodation is divided between two main design styles: Portland and Mansard. Portland takes its inspiration from the Portland stone of Regent Street, while Mansard features fumed oak panelling. The hotel's signature suites each have their own distinct character.
The Grand Regent Suite includes a particularly notable freestanding marble bath, while the Dome Suite is defined by its vast domed ceiling. The ceiling can transform into a star-filled night sky at the flick of a switch. The suite also includes an enormous bed, a double-sized bath, a large television and sound system, along with expansive terraces overlooking London. Its design allows it to work as either a romantic retreat or a setting for a lively gathering.
Eating And Drinking
Hotel Café Royal offers several options for eating and drinking. Alex Dilling serves refined French cuisine in an intimate setting, while the Café Royal Grill presents classic British dishes and afternoon tea. The grill follows the format of the original 1865 grill room, with gilded ceilings creating a distinctive setting for dining.
Other choices include Cakes & Bubbles by Albert Adrià and The Gallery, which offers a more informal breakfast. The hotel is also home to the Green Bar, whose name and colour scheme reference former patron Oscar Wilde and his fondness for absinthe. Ziggy's Bar also looks to the hotel's past, taking its inspiration from David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust farewell party.
How Hotel Café Royal Keeps Guests Busy
The Akasha spa occupies three floors and covers more than 1,200 square metres. Guests can choose from a full range of treatments and make use of the pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. The spa forms a substantial part of the hotel's facilities and offers a destination within the property itself.
The hotel's Piccadilly location also places guests in the heart of the West End. Soho, Mayfair and many of London's best-known landmarks, theatres, restaurants and bars are all within easy reach. Guests staying in Deluxe Suites can also use a chauffeur service for up to five hours each day, as well as a house car for local drop-offs.
Who Hotel Café Royal Is For
Hotel Café Royal presents itself as a modern grand hotel with an approach intended to appeal to a wide range of guests. Its visitors form a broad international mix, while the atmosphere and clientele change with the seasons. A businessman may feel as comfortable there as a family on holiday or a couple enjoying a romantic city break.
This varied appeal reflects the hotel's combination of different spaces, styles and facilities. From its historic associations to its contemporary accommodation and central London setting, the property brings together several different experiences under one roof.
What Gives Hotel Café Royal Its Wow Factor?
The hotel's appeal is found in its attention to personal touches and precision. On arrival, guests may find Champagne, fruit, chocolates and a welcome message on the mirror, alongside details such as monogrammed pillowcases. These elements contribute to an experience in which individual details are carefully considered.
Triple-glazed windows help shut out the noise of the city, while the turndown service includes a soft mat beside the bed. Hotel Café Royal also welcomes dogs. Together, these details form part of the hotel's approach to comfort and service.
One Thing To Consider
The hotel's wide-ranging approach can also raise questions about whether it attempts to be too many things for too many people. With several different styles and identities brought together across both its appearance and offering, the overall sense of cohesion can occasionally feel diluted.
Even so, Hotel Café Royal remains a property shaped by its history, its location and its extensive range of accommodation and facilities. From its origins in 1865 to its reopening as a hotel in 2012, it has continued to combine elements of its past with the expectations of a contemporary luxury stay. Rooms start from £600 per night, while the Grand Regent Suite starts from £3,165.
Hotel Café Royal brings together a remarkable London history, distinctive rooms, varied dining, a substantial spa and a central West End location. Its long association with figures ranging from Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf to Winston Churchill and David Bowie remains part of the character of the property today.
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