A haute hideaway in the heart of London: A review of the Hotel Cafe Royal

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Editor’s note: Hotel Cafe Royal provided TPG with a complimentary two-night stay so that we could get an inside look at the hotel and its amenities. The opinions expressed below are entirely those of the author and weren’t subject to review by the hotel or any external entity.

Is it a hotel? Is it a cafe? Is it royal? You might be wondering all those things as you wonder, “what is the Hotel Cafe Royal”? The truth is, it’s a mix of all three.

You see, this particular establishment began way back in 1865 as the Cafe Royal, an event hall where Londoners both lauded and louche would come to dine and dazzle. 

The space only added “hotel” to its name in 2012 when it was taken over and reopened by The Set Collection, an upscale assemblage of European (and now global) hotels, after a four-year renovation that also saw the incorporation of two other historic buildings into the complex (it was renovated again in 2018).

Yet despite that long history — not to mention its location at what is practically the very center of London — Hotel Cafe Royal remains a relatively under-the-radar gem among the city’s most elegant hotels, the epitome of “if you know, you know.”

The good news is: Now you know. 

Here’s what a stay at the Hotel Cafe Royal, one of London’s most distinctive luxury hotels, is like. 

Hotel Cafe Royal location

It simply doesn’t get more central than this. Hotel Cafe Royal is located right on Piccadilly Circus, one of London’s busiest crossroads. That means getting here from Heathrow Airport (LHR) is a breeze (and inexpensive), since you can just take the Tube’s Piccadilly Line directly to its doorstep. A one-way fare costs 5.80 British pounds ($7.70) and takes around 50-70 minutes, depending on the time of day. An Uber from the airport will take around the same time, again depending on traffic, but cost anywhere from $70-$90. 

Hotel Cafe Royal booking details

Hotel Cafe Royal is not part of any of the major hotel loyalty programs. However, it is part of American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts — so if you have an eligible card to book through that portal, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll receive perks like availability-based upgrades, up to a $100 credit (varies by property) to use on the property during your stay for extras like drinks and meals, complimentary daily breakfast for two and guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout.

The hotel is also part of Chase’s The Edit, which is their collection of high-end hotel partners. If you have an eligible card and make your booking through Chase Travel℠, you can expect perks such as daily breakfast for two, availability-based room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout based on availability, a $100 property credit to be used during your stay and a welcome gift.

Those with Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for stays booked at The Edit properties; other cards you can use for The Edit bookings include: 

• United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees)
• United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees)
• United Quest℠ Card (see rates and fees)
• United℠ Business Card (see rates and fees)

Rates at Hotel Cafe Royal start at $755 per night in the coming months for accommodations in the starting category of Superior Room — though the Westminster Suite, in which I stayed, starts at $2,240 per night. 

Standout features

•  An unbeatable location near many of London’s top attractions
• Elegant, unique spaces, including its gilt-filled, glamorous Grill restaurant
• One of London’s top spas — and a gorgeous underground pool

Drawbacks

• Hordes of tourist await as soon as you step outside
• Unfortunately, there aren’t great ways to earn or redeem points here
• The high price point is a very real barrier to entry

The vibe

If you didn’t know Hotel Cafe Royal was there, you might walk right on by, since you have to wade through the crowds traversing ever-hectic Piccadilly Circus — and dodging dodgy street performers — to find yourself on its doorstep (either the main one on quieter Air Street, or the blink-and-you-miss-it one on bustling Regent Street, though it’s worth detouring through this one to see the stunning stained-glass windows and marble embellishments). 

Once inside (your luggage being toted by a devoted doorman, of course), the ambience is decidedly more hushed. Why not accept a complimentary welcome coupe of Veuve Clicquot to celebrate as you take care of check-in formalities in the art deco-inspired double-height lobby? 

While you do so, you’ll blend right in with the international crowd coming and going through the lobby, either from a busy shopping day on Regent Street, or debating the merits of the latest exhibition at the Tate Modern (seriously, that’s what we heard). 

You might even have a moment to slip into one of the welcoming sofas and peruse an Assouline art book before you’re whisked to your room on one of the upper floors. 

The room

With just 159 rooms and suites, each stay here feels individualized. I lucked out with one of only three 678-square-foot Westminster Suites looking right out (through enormous, soundproofed, double-pane windows that let nary a beep or boom in from the street below) over Piccadilly toward the Houses of Parliament.

Walls of Portland stone blocks and floors of English oak provided a magisterial feel somewhat softened by blush pink leather armchairs and the oversize bed dressed in monogrammed Frette linens. 

Among the suite inclusions was a cheesecake from Cake & Bubbles and a demi-bottle of Veuve Clicquot on ice. Westminster Suite guests can also count on a chauffeur-driven Mercedes S-Class or van service for up to five hours per day (excluding departure), a choice of experiences such as dinner for two or a couple’s massage at the hotel’s Akasha Spa, and more.

Through the open dressing area, which also included a minibar stocked with local gourmandises, the gleaming, white Carrara marble bathroom awaited. After a delayed all-night flight, I looked forward to a restorative soak in the deep tub, carved from a single piece of stone and provisioned with delicately scented Chopard Miele d’Arabie products.

First, though, I had my choice of two sinks at the mirrored vanity for a quick shave, while after my ablutions, I rinsed off in the enormous separate walk-in shower.

Then I was ready to get dressed (thanks to a pressed shirt and trousers taken care of by the suite butler) and take on the city.

Food and drink at Hotel Cafe Royal

Start your day lording over the lobby and its unmistakable cascading Murano glass chandelier (which reportedly weighs nearly 800 pounds) from a perch at The Gallery — one of London’s low-key power breakfast spots. 

You can’t go wrong ordering from the Royal Breakfast set menu ($56), which comes with plates of fresh fruit, pastry baskets and choices of a la carte dishes like buttery scrambled eggs served with luscious slices of smoked salmon.

Not to miss is the lavish afternoon tea (starting at $105 per person) at the Cafe Royal Grill, which is a listed historical landmark in its own right: the gilt-adorned galleries used to be frequented by luminaries like Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf, Winston Churchill and Princess Di. It serves rich continental fare such as steak and seafood throughout the afternoon and evening, and is a popular pre-theater spot.

Those looking for a more casual pick-me-up should duck into Cake & Bubbles by famed Spanish chef Albert Adrià, which serves, as the name implies, a variety of specialty pastries and sparkling wine, though you can also get small plates, savories and seafood including caviar. The one thing you must order, however, is the signature savory-sweet cheesecake made with creamy Baron Bigod cheese, hazelnut and white chocolate ($25).

Meeting colleagues for a predinner drink? Look no further than Green Bar, which is devoted to reviving the sometimes slandered spirit of absinthe (there are at least 14 varieties to try). Cocktails like the seductively strong Mirror Sazerac ($29) with Glenmorangie scotch, Hennessy V.S. Cognac, Peychaud’s bitters, Jade 1901 absinthe and bourbon syrup go down surprisingly easily in the moodily lit swanky space. 

Finally, if you can score a reservation at the Michelin two-star restaurant from chef Alex Dilling, don’t miss out on multicourse menus inspired by the best of French gastronomy. Just beware that it might be closed for an event from time to time, so make your booking when you reserve your room to ensure you can dine there. 

Amenities and service at the Hotel Cafe Royal

Accessible via both guest elevators as well as a separate entrance on Regent Street, the hotel’s wellness complex includes an outpost of its partner, Akasha Spa, and a fitness facility located a few levels below the street.

The spa has nine treatment rooms where guests can indulge in experiences like facials incorporating classic Swiss Valmont products and U Beauty’s technologically advanced line of skincare, as well as Ayurvedic body treatment and massages with Sundari products.

The centerpiece of the space, however, is a dramatically lit 59-foot lap pool, featuring cozy marble alcoves with daybeds where you can decompress between sessions in the hammam or sauna. 

The gym is compact, but has a robust enough array of cardio and weight equipment to keep up your fitness routine while on the road.

Service at London luxury hotels can feel stilted at times — overly formal and fusty. Not so at Hotel Cafe Royal. Whether it’s a friendly doorman who will walk you to the end of the block and set you off in the right direction for your dinner reservation, a solicitous server checking that your breakfast eggs arrived to your specifications, or a congenial bartender making suggestions to get you outside your cocktail comfort zone (with good reason), you’ll leave Hotel Cafe Royal feeling like the most doted-upon guest in London.

Accessibility

The hotel is housed in historical buildings, but has made accessibility-friendly updates throughout the public spaces and with various accommodations.

The main door on Air Street is wheelchair-accessible thanks to a no-step entrance and two nonrevolving doors. The reception area and Green Bar are both accessible through here without steps.You will need to use the street entrance to Cake & Bubbles — but both Alex Dilling and the Gallery are elevator-accessible. There are also wheelchair-accessible bathrooms on both the ground and second floors. 

The hotel offers eight rooms with accessibility features, reachable and navigable via wheelchair and featuring roll-in showers, lowered sinks, mirrors and toilets, and grab bars in the bathrooms, in addition to service cords in case of emergency. 

As for the spa, guests can reach the reception area, treatment rooms and pool via elevator. There is also an accessible changing room with a shower and toilet, and although there is no chair lift into the pool, guests can request assistance if needed. 

Checking out

Hotel Cafe Royal boasts everything a luxurious London hotel should have — a pedigreed history, grand public spaces, buzzy restaurants and opulent accommodations — but without the usual pomp and circumstance you find at other storied properties throughout the city. It is exactly that unique combination of poshness and privacy that makes it utterly worth a stay on your next visit to the British capital. 

Related reading:

• The 25 best hotels in London
• The best hotel credit cards
• Get free breakfast, upgrades and more with the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program
• Get elitelike perks without status: Your guide to The Edit by Chase Travel
• The best hotel rewards programs in the world: Which one is right for you?
• The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison