The honest review of The Chancery Rosewood London

This place feels like the Venetian of London hotels — great, you got seen, but that's not what I'm looking for anymore.

I'm past the point in my travels where being seen matters to me. The real London hotels understand service at a deeper level, and this newcomer still has some growing up to do before it gets there.

I asked the concierge here for a tour recommendation and it turned out to cost nearly five times what I could book myself for the same experience.

I'd already booked a similar tour independently for about £250 before this conversation, and the hotel's own suggestion came in around £1,200. That kind of markup made me look forward to the rest of my stay a lot less, honestly.

Taking my son to the rooftop bar here felt like being whisked off to a terrace in downtown Manhattan.

We were met in the lobby by an attentive host who explained the minimum spend up front, then taken upstairs to a warm welcome and a table on the open-air terrace with wonderful London views. Service was attentive and impeccable, and the waiters clearly knew their drinks — we ended up with a spiced margarita and a negroni that hit the spot. It's a sublime rooftop experience set inside an already impressive building.

The Japanese omakase tucked inside this hotel feels less like a Mayfair address and more like a portal straight to Ginza.

Robb Report·May 2026·

Accessed through a discreet doorway within the hotel, this Michelin-starred spot is one of the best new omakase experiences to open in London. It's a genuinely transportive dining experience that elevates the hotel's overall culinary credibility.

We just popped in for champagne at the Eagle Bar and honestly wouldn't come back given the minimum spend.

It wasn't even busy — only fifteen minutes until last order — yet the minimum spend per person made a single glass of champagne feel like a joke at £45. The architecture up there really is the best part of the experience, and the complimentary olives were surprisingly good, but that's not enough to bring me back.

My husband and I tried this brand new hotel for a couple of nights and it was sublime, especially the spa.

The spa staff were kind and helpful, and the pool is long, beautiful, and immaculately kept. We swapped wine for tea one evening because the tea range was so impressive, and the whole setting — natural wood, mohair, warm materials — felt calm and considered. Only gripe: swap the Nespresso machine for a proper barista bar, but that's just us being coffee snobs.

I compared this against Claridge's and Four Seasons Park Lane on the same trip, and honestly, Chancery held its own beautifully.

The transformation from that brutalist embassy eyesore into what it is now is genuinely remarkable — I think this hotel is finding its legs fast for something that only opened a few months ago. Our Mews junior suite had its own balcony and felt enormous by London standards. The Eagle Bar was mobbed on our first visit but the views are spectacular, and the spa felt properly luxurious and generously sized. If you want old London character go Claridge's, but if you're open to something more modern for this city, this is the spot.

I sell top London suites for a living, and the entry Junior Suites here can feel a little underwhelming next to similarly priced competitors — but move up a category and it's a different hotel entirely.

The hard product is genuinely impressive throughout — thoughtfully designed, spacious, polished — and the food and beverage program is very strong overall, with Eagle Bar standing out as a destination in its own right. It leans a bit more gilded and ostentatious than I'd personally choose, and I can question whether Carbone even makes sense here, though I understand the commercial logic. Once you're in the higher-category suites and private residences, though, it's genuinely among the most impressive accommodation in the city.

Afternoon tea here was a genuine game of two halves — the cocktail hour beforehand was exceptional, but the tea service itself missed the entire point.

Our sommelier at Serra took real time steering us to a wine we loved, and the manager even gave us an impromptu history tour of the hotel, which was a lovely touch. But at afternoon tea, neither of us got the tea we'd actually ordered — we were pushed into a flower tea 'starter' and then never saw our waiter again for the rest of the sitting. The garlic chicken sandwich was the best I've had at any afternoon tea anywhere, but the pea sandwich had no flavor, and the pastries leaned hard on gelatin. At roughly £300, this is Claridge's or Raffles money, and the service simply didn't match it.

We arrived an hour late from what we'd told them and the front desk didn't seem to know what to do with us.

We waited nearly half an hour before someone escorted us to a small, dark room we didn't like, and they eventually upgraded us to a suite overlooking Grosvenor Square instead. The AC wasn't working well, though they made up for it with flowers, fruit, and a genuinely generous free minibar. Communication between departments was shaky — the concierge had no record of a car request I'd sent via WhatsApp — and breakfast service felt below what I'd expect at this price point.

I really wanted to love this hotel because visually it's absolutely stunning, but our suite turned into a genuinely disruptive stay.

The AC unit in our room was one of the loudest I've encountered — it would randomly blast on in the middle of the night even when the temperature hadn't shifted, and I had to keep turning it off manually. The plumbing made strange, unsettling noises every time we ran the faucet, and there was a persistent grill or smoke smell in the room each evening that I never figured out. It's such a shame because the design itself is gorgeous — I just wouldn't stay in that particular room again.

There's lots to say about this hotel and it's all good — I honestly can't fault anything from my one-night stay.

We were greeted in a lobby that smelled beautifully of fresh flowers, given early check-in, and the fourth-floor suite was big, modern, and full of welcome gifts. The bathroom had his-and-hers sinks and a huge soaking tub, and dinner at Serra was genuinely exquisite — different chefs came by our table to say hello, which felt like a real touch of hospitality. My son also tried room service and loved the club sandwich, and the spa and pool were beautifully relaxing.

We came in excited for this much-anticipated opening, and the location at Grosvenor Square turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the whole stay.

It's chill and quiet but still a short walk to central London's best restaurants near Berkeley Square, and the mid-century, warm-contemporary decor felt relaxing rather than showy. Staff were consistently warm and trained to say yes, though our concierge steered us toward a themed restaurant night with a set menu we didn't want, which felt like a wasted evening. Our Grosvenor junior suite overlooked the square's green space and was a great size for two, and the spa massages were good even if the space itself felt a touch small. We'll definitely be back, but the concierge team could use a bit more seasoning on recommendations.

This is my favorite London hotel now, even after staying at Claridge's, The Connaught, and The Emory all in the same month.

I'd read some concerning Google reviews going in, but none of those issues showed up during my stay. From the very first inquiry email, the team responded promptly and professionally, and they accommodated every request. At this price point it's rare to find round-trip airport transfers included plus fully flexible check-in and check-out, and traveling with my daughter, the pool team supplied floaties and swim gear without us even having to ask.

The setting itself is fantastic — this former US Embassy building has been given some genuinely clever American touches throughout.

The Eagle Bar has a great theme built around the massive American eagle sculpture on the roof, giving the space a unique, historic vibe worth seeing on its own. Service was good, friendly, and welcoming, but not over the top excellent. My main letdown was the cocktails — for the price, I expected something more memorable, especially given how good Scarfes Bar is at the original Rosewood London.

I've traveled to luxury hotels all over the world and I've never experienced hospitality quite like this.

I celebrated my 40th birthday here solo and then again with my kids, and both times they went completely over the top to make me feel cared for. I ate and drank at every single restaurant and bar on property and never had a bad meal. The art collection stopped me in my tracks, and I spent an entire day at the spa with that massive, beautifully heated pool — the facial and massage were incredible too, and I loved that they welcome children as young as four or five.

A satisfactory stay, but not the exceptional one I was expecting — the aesthetics are there, the operations aren't quite yet.

The rooms are spacious and elegantly designed, and small touches like handwritten notes, welcome gifts, and included airport transfers were genuinely appreciated. But over five nights, service issues kept recurring rather than being one-off mistakes — we even got turned away from the coffee lounge while waiting for our room, despite being invited there ourselves. In-room dining was consistently delayed or missing items, though the food itself was well made. I suspect this is simply growing pains from a hotel that had only been open a few months.

This is, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable London openings in recent years — the sophistication feels effortless from the moment you walk in.

Every corner exudes craftsmanship — the marble lobby, the art installations, the scent, the lighting, all perfectly curated for calm, understated luxury. Our suite had exceptional bedding, seamless technology, and a bathroom that felt like a sanctuary. Dining rivaled Michelin-star standards, the cocktail program was excellent, and the wellness area with the pool and spa was another real highlight. This sets a new benchmark for what luxury in London should look like.