This London Hotel Is the Royal Family's Favorite Home Away From Home
Courtesy of The Goring
There are certain honors in the hotel world that are justifiably hard to garner: that elusive fifth star, for example, or a Michelin nod for your in-house restaurant. But in the U.K., there is one award above all others that is a guarantee of utmost excellence: the Royal Warrant. And currently, there is just one holder.
The Goring hotel, sitting on a leafy side street in the shadow of Buckingham Palace, has been the royal family's favorite property for decades. The Queen is believed to hold her annual Christmas lunch here — in the Michelin-starred dining room designed by her nephew, Viscount Linley — while her mother was a regular in the same spot (the Queen Mother always had the same dish: eggs Drumkilbo, a delicious lobster and egg combination that is still on the menu today).
When it came to choosing a hotel for the night before her 2011 wedding to Prince William, Kate Middleton opted for The Goring, too (she even hand-painted part of a mural on the ground floor). The Duchess of Cambridge has been back plenty of times since with her husband, while her brother and sister-in-law, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have been guests as well.
Courtesy of The Goring
Courtesy of The Goring
So, what makes this diminutive boutique property in a quiet corner of Belgravia such a hit with the Windsors? The level of service is justifiably legendary (picture a fleet of debonair footmen in tails, Downton Abbey-style. The restaurant, too, is more than worthy of both its royal and Michelin seals of approval, serving one of the most deliciously decadent beef Wellingtons you will ever taste, as well as a stupendous Sunday roast (don't miss the melt-in-your-mouth Yorkshire puddings). Meanwhile the rooms themselves, decorated in Gainsborough silks that match the décor of Buckingham Palace, manage to pull off the perfect balance of grand and cozy, with a delicious touch of British humor sprinkled in (the bedside light switches, for example, have four settings: bright, calm, cozy, and oohh).
Courtesy of The Goring
But there is one standout feature that makes The Goring not only loved by the royals, but also a must-visit for Anglophiles planning a trip across the pond.
"We are everything British," says the long-serving concierge "Big John" Andrews. "From the beautiful British bespoke bedroom furniture to the menu in our dining room, which only uses the best British ingredients, to our English country garden in the middle of the city, we're about as British as it gets."
Courtesy of The Goring
And that fact further explains why The Goring reigns supreme when it comes to royal reservations.
For more information, or to plan your visit to the U.K., visit visitbritain.com
