Continuing our search for some of the best luxury dog-friendly hotels around the UK, we started the New Year in style at Royal Lancaster London. Perched on the edge of Hyde Park, the iconic Royal Lancaster London is known for its panoramic views, world-class hospitality, and prime location in the heart of London. Originally designed as a modernist landmark, the hotel has undergone extensive renovations, most notably a £85 million transformation in 2017, reaffirming its status as one of London’s premier luxury destinations. Privately owned by the Thai-based Landmark Lancaster Hotel Group, the hotel seamlessly blends contemporary sophistication, with 411 beautifully designed rooms and suites across 18 floors, ideal for both business and leisure travelers.
The Room
We stayed in one of their Park Deluxe Suites which boasts views of Hyde Park, the Italian Gardens, and the iconic London skyline. The elegant suite had a spacious living area with sumptuous velvet sofas and striking glass dining table, on which laid a welcome card, pre-mixed bottled cocktails, and some sweet welcome amenities. There was also a Nespresso machine with complimentary tea and coffee making facilities. The lavish Carrara marble bathroom featured twin sinks, an oversized rainfall shower and luxurious bathtub, complete with Jo Loves amenities, under-floor heating and Hyde Park views. At the other end was a cosy bedroom where I enjoyed a blissful night’s sleep in a luxuriously comfortable King size bed, with crisp white linens and plump, feathery pillows. The hotel also provides an evening turndown service which is always a nice touch. The electric-controlled day and night blinds were a handy novelty, although with such a location and view, I kept ours up most of the time to make the most of the natural daylight and admire the twinkling skyline at night.
The hotel also extends a warm welcome to four legged family members, at no additional cost, as long as you inform them at the time of booking. Charlotte was welcomed with her own dog hamper and dog afternoon tea, a dogbed and bowls to use during our stay, as well as her own personalised welcome card, which was sweet – it’s nice when hotels address pets by name. They also offer a ‘Paw-Cierge’ pet-sitting service, available at £35 per hour, which requires a minimum of 24 hours notice. Pets are not allowed in the restaurants, apart from the Park Lounge Bar and the Living Lounge.
The Food
We had dinner and drinks at their cosy and intimate Park Lounge Bar, tucked away on the first floor, which serves an all-day dining menu along with a carefully-crafted bar menu, including the finest spirits and tempting cocktails. We sampled a couple of their Signature cocktails; a gin-based Dandelion, and Forget Me Not which contained blue butterfly pea tea that changed colour when mixed and came with a sealed envelope that contained seeds to bring home to plant. For food, we enjoyed a medium rare 28 day aged Aldens of Oxford sirloin steak served with confit cherry tomatoes, grilled king oyster mushroom and hand cut chips, and the grilled fillet of lemon sole served with a creamy mash and brown shrimp velouté.
Room service breakfast is often one of the many luxuries that I love to indulge myself in when staying at a hotel (although breakfast buffets can sometimes be equally tempting!). To place my order in advance for the following morning, I filled in their in-room dining card and made sure to hang it outside our room before 2am, stating my desired time for it to be served – the hotel generally strives to deliver within 10 minutes of the stated time. Our breakfast spread was neatly laid out on the dining table for us upon arrival; my eggs were perfectly poached and I loved the generous selection of pastries.
Getting There
The closest stations to Royal Lancaster London are Lancaster Gate station, which is just round the corner from the hotel (accessible via the Central line), or Paddington station, which is roughly a 10-minute leisurely walk away.
A word of thanks to Royal Lancaster London for hosting us, we look forward to returning soon.
View rooms at Royal Lancaster London here.
- My experience at Royal Lancaster London was complimentary – all views and photos are my own.
