The honest review of The Lanesborough

I just finished a four-day stay and every single staff member was a masterclass in what spectacular service actually looks like — Daniel the concierge, Abbras the butler, and Kieran the doorman who greeted me by name on every return.

What struck me most was the longevity of the staff's tenure at the hotel — you can feel that they care about the place, not just the job. The food and rooms were excellent, but it was the people who made the real difference for me.

I'm twelve years old and I wrote this review myself — this is the best hotel I've ever been to, and they have an adorable cat named Lilibet who just wanders around the lobby.

The staff made me feel safe and looked after the whole time, and everyone was extremely kind. The afternoon tea was beautiful to look at but maybe tried a little too hard with the food. I would 100% come back.

Shane at the front desk was checking in on us throughout the entire stay, not just at arrival — that kind of sustained attention is what actually makes a hotel feel special.

Everything was comfortable and well-appointed, but the staff were the real standout — proactive, warm, and present in a way that didn't feel intrusive. We'll definitely be back.

We spent our last night in London at the Lanesborough after three nights at Ham Yard, and by the time we got back to the airport we were genuinely second-guessing which hotel we'd choose for our December return.

The service was in a different league — our floor butler spotted us heading to dinner, fell into step with us, escorted us to the lift, and sent us off with a proper conversation. The room had that density of detail you can only really get in London: every surface considered, a real sense of place. Breakfast wasn't quite as exceptional as Ham Yard's, and the bar was also strong, but what this hotel does with service made everything else feel beside the point.

I'd been sitting on this review for months because people get very tribal about decor, but here's the truth: if you've ever fantasised about living inside a Regency drama, this is your hotel.

The lobby feels like the drawing room of someone's aristocratic townhouse — guests reading newspapers, having tea, no laptops in sight. My children spent half the stay terrorising Lilibet the house cat and were gifted a plush version of her on arrival. The suite programme perks are genuinely useful: early check-in from 6am, late checkout to 6pm, and everything delivered with that particular kind of soigné warmth that never tips into stuffiness. Yes, it's maximalist Regency — ornate fabrics, classical details, opulent finishes everywhere — but if that's your register, nothing in London touches it.

Coming from the Lanesborough to our next hotel felt like being downgraded from a private home to a Hilton — and I don't mean that loosely.

We've done Claridge's, the Corinthia, and various others over the years, so we're not easily impressed. What stood out at the Lanesborough was that the staff were never robotic — you saw their actual personalities, genuine warmth rather than scripted hospitality. Our butler introduced himself personally at the door, and turndown included bookmarks left on our bedside books, which is the kind of detail that lodges in your memory. The breakfast was unhurried and beautifully served, no buffet, lovely atmosphere.

We chose the Lanesborough for our wedding weekend and ended up hosting an impromptu after-party in our suite when everything in London closed at 11pm — Michael, the Managing Bar Director, personally brought a tray of cocktails and pre-batched negronis to the room.

We'd been upgraded to the St James Suite, and while my husband had been hesitant about the traditional aesthetic, every detail had been modernised thoughtfully — built-ins everywhere, iPad controls, and a ground-floor room that was somehow completely silent despite overlooking Wellington Arch. The suite's separate living room was enormous enough to host a dozen people post-reception without anyone feeling crowded. The staff discreetly cleared everything while we slept. I used the spa for a massage and had zero complaints; one of our wedding guests used it multiple times across the stay for facials, manicures, and massages with the same result.

This was my second stay in under a year, which probably tells you everything — the team even had our thermostat pre-set to our preferred temperature without being asked.

We had a Junior Suite and an Executive Junior Suite; both spacious, excellently soundproofed despite the Hyde Park Corner chaos outside. The butler team were the standout — they remembered a throwaway joke we made about missing turndown chocolates and that evening a proper selection appeared. Concierge handled dinner reservations efficiently and the housekeeping timing was always perfect. My one gripe: both suites had single sinks despite having the square footage for doubles, which feels like an odd omission at this level.

Six of us celebrating my 40th, and every single person we met greeted us by name — the team surprised me with two enormous bouquets and a personalised balloon, which sounds small until it actually happens to you.

The spa is more modern than the hotel's Regency interiors suggest — a large heated indoor pool, very much a contemporary wellness facility. The rooms are colour-coded by floor, and the fully pink Executive Junior Suite I had was genuinely spectacular, with a seating area large enough to gather for champagne before dinner. There are 47 suites among the 90 rooms, and the connecting configurations go up to seven bedrooms, which makes this one of the more flexible luxury hotels in London for groups. The Library Bar servers were exceptional, the concierge proactive and genuinely helpful.

This is our second stay here in twelve months with our four-year-old, and the Little Butler Bootcamp alone would get us to come back — they give him a tiny uniform and take him through the whole backstage operation of the hotel.

The staff are extraordinarily good with children: in-room scavenger hunt at check-in, a stocking stuffed with toys left outside the door on Christmas morning, and a little leather wallet with a card that gets him free drinks at the F&B outlets. We're welcomed by name everywhere without fail. The Library Bar is consistently the highlight — cosy, beautifully made cocktails, and nobody ever made us feel strange about bringing a well-dressed small person along. Festive week does show a little strain on the team compared to January, but they handle it with grace and comped a botched room-service order without being asked.

This is the most luxurious hotel I've been to in the UK, and I can't overstate how beautiful the interiors were — it genuinely felt like Downton Abbey with every modern convenience you'd want.

The service sets the standard by which I'll now judge every other luxury hotel. The location is genuinely unbeatable — the tube is literally ten steps from the entrance, and Hyde Park is right there. My only honest caveat is that some rooms in the older building run small, though they make very intelligent use of the space available.

I've stayed at plenty of luxury hotels in London and internationally, and the Lanesborough sets a level of attention and refinement I genuinely haven't encountered elsewhere.

Two nights, upgraded to an Executive King overlooking Hyde Park, with a dedicated butler from the moment we arrived. The staff's ability to remember names, preferences, and fine details throughout the stay — not just at check-in — is what separates this property from the Ritz, the Dorchester, and the Four Seasons. Zita in customer relations was extraordinary; the butler was exemplary. We will absolutely be back.

I visited for afternoon tea and found it quite disappointing for the price — the biggest issue was being seated at a small table despite larger ones being free, and the birthday presentation was honestly the most underwhelming I've seen.

At the premium Easter pricing, I was expecting something genuinely elevated. The scones were the undisputed highlight — light, generous, and excellent. But the themed cakes looked slightly less appealing than the website photos, the artificial decorations on the cake stand felt cheap, and the menu card itself felt more like a takeaway insert than a luxury keepsake. The service was friendly but struggled to explain the food clearly.

We've done the Dorchester, the Langham, Claridge's, the Mandarin, the Ritz — and the Lanesborough is where we've landed for our annual Christmas Eve tradition.

The pianist in the decorated dining room sets exactly the right atmosphere. Service had a couple of rough patches — a cold hot chocolate that took two separate requests and twenty minutes each time to resolve — and the Bridgerton theming was subtle to the point of being almost invisible. But the warmth of the team kept it feeling special, and the scones were genuinely excellent.