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13 January 2023 3:41 PM

DUKES London: ‘A hotel fit for a king’

We discover the royal prestige and over a hundred years of heritage at DUKES London

By Markus Bidaux

Within a quiet Mayfair courtyard on St. James’s Place, just a few blocks from Piccadilly with its lush arcades, and the Fortnum & Mason department store, is DUKES hotel, a property steeped in royal history.

My partner and I stayed at the hotel to celebrate a birthday and were given a suite to enjoy. Upon opening the door to The Duke of Portland’s Suite, we are welcomed to a scattering of rose petals around and on the bed along with a small stuffed dachshund toy, the hotel’s mascot – dog-friendly rooms are available.

DUKES London Suite (Image: DUKES London)

Both the bedroom and lounge feature high ceilings, bright neutral colours, and thick blackout curtains. The bathroom is classic in its fixtures and finished with white marble. It has a prestigious heritage décor, but thankfully, due to a recent refurbishment, nothing feels tired or worn as you can find in some of these Old Dame hotels.

DUKES reception (Image: DUKES London)

The 90-room property is all very different from its past as St James’s Palace, the hunting lodge of King Henry VIII and where he secretly had meetings with Anne Boleyn, before she became his second wife. It remained a royal residence until the mid-19th century when Queen Victoria made Buckingham Palace her home. The place is brimming with history – it was the birthplace of King George IV, it hosted seven royal weddings and it’s where Bloody Mary died.

It reinvented itself as the DUKES hotel in 1908, but with the King Henry VIII link this could be the perfect stay for an evening to see the fantastic SIX: The Musical about his long-suffering wives.

And before heading to the West End, a quick nip of something strong in DUKES bar is just the ticket. Ian Fleming is known to have downed the bar’s infamous martinis.

DUKES’ Bar (Image: DUKES London)

For breakfast, we head downstairs to the hotel’s Great British Restaurant, which clearly serves up classic British cuisine as the name suggests. The all-day brasserie offers beer-battered monkfish, slow-cooked lamb, or baked heritage beetroots, but it’s morning and we are after some eggs Benedict.

DUKES’ Great British restaurant (Image: DUKES London)

Two coffees arrive with dachshunds stenciled with cocoa on top, which we enjoy as we read the news in the elegant setting. The restaurant is a mix of booth and chair seating, the ceiling is mirrored, and an enticing cocktail bar serves as the breakfast buffet.

DUKES London (Image: DUKES London)

If we had more time, we would have utilised the small gym or if we were feeling naughty, puff away in the canopy-covered Cigar and Cognac Garden.

DUKES was the perfect spot to celebrate a birthday, it being walking distance to all the shops, but far away from the night-time noises of bustling central London. It really is a hotel fit for a king. 

Nightly rates at DUKES London in a DUKES room start from £425 inclusive of VAT and breakfast. For more information ple­­ase call 020 7491 4840 or visit www.dukeshotel.com­­