The Peninsula London

Breakfast pastries and coffee were genuinely excellent — the coconut yogurt parfait alone was worth the trip down.

The granola was clearly house-made and the berries fresh, small touches that made a routine breakfast feel special.

I don't get why they put a full-service restaurant right in the lobby — it clashes with the quiet-luxury vibe they're otherwise going for.

A small bar with lounge seating would've made sense, but a whole table-service restaurant in that space feels like a design misstep to me.

We found it just okay — breakfast was terrible and honestly the whole hotel felt generic compared to other London options.

The bar was nice and the cars were a fun touch, but beyond that I wasn't blown away. There are better choices in London for the price.

The rooms have that polished but faintly impersonal seven-star sheen — beautiful, but not distinctly 'of' anywhere.

Condé Nast Traveler·Invalid Date·

Darker woods, creamy furnishings, marble bathrooms — all executed well, but editorially it reads as haute-generic rather than a space with a strong local identity.

Danny at the cigar bar turned a simple purchase into a genuine occasion — that's the kind of staff member you remember.

I spent time with Danny at the Cigar Bar and came away thinking he's the model of old-school gentlemanly hospitality. He walked me through the humidor, took his time explaining each cigar's character, and never rushed the conversation. Honestly, the decor of the cigar lounge itself stuck with me almost as much as he did.

Our junior suite had a bed so huge it bordered on absurd, plus a washlet controlled by its own screen — more tech than I really needed.

The room size impressed me, especially the walk-in wardrobe and that massive super-king bed. Some of the tech felt like overkill, like the giant screen just for the washlet, but overall it was a genuinely enjoyable stay. Worth the money if being right in central London matters to you — just budget an extra £65 a night if you're driving in.

This is, in my opinion, the best hotel in London right now — every staff member we met was kind and attentive without fail.

Even when small issues popped up during our stay, the team handled them with real care and made sure everything still felt exceptional. From start to finish, service, atmosphere, and attention to detail were outstanding.

I'm just the dog walker for one of their guests, but even I've never been treated so kindly by hotel staff.

Every time I've come by for my client's dog, the staff has made me feel genuinely welcome, not just tolerated. It's rare in London to find that kind of consistent warmth from people who owe you nothing. Also, probably the most dog-friendly luxury hotel in the city, and the property itself is spotless.

Maciej at the café made every single breakfast feel special, and he even sorted a last-minute birthday cake for our daughter.

Everything about the stay was flawless from arrival onward — the service, the atmosphere, all of it exceeded expectations. That kind of personal, thoughtful gesture is why we're already planning to come back.

Possibly the best hotel in London — dim sum, pastries, and coffee were all excellent and the gym and pool are elite.

The room turned out more spacious than I expected and extremely comfortable, but honestly it's the staff who elevate this place above its competitors. Looking forward to going back already.

Afternoon tea here was the perfect birthday treat — beautifully presented and impeccably served from start to finish.

Ambre and Talha looked after us with attentive, warm, effortlessly professional service that never felt intrusive. The sandwiches were fresh and balanced, the scones light, the pastries visually stunning — every element felt indulgent without being over the top. A wonderful, elegant setting for a special occasion.

We spent £15,000 a night on our crew's stay and while everything inside was near-perfect, a couple of the outside driver-facing staff were shockingly rude.

Inside the hotel the rooms were perfect and the overall experience matched the price tag, but two specific staff members handling driver arrivals didn't know basic courtesy — no 'please,' nothing polite. For a hotel operating at this level, that's a real gap that needs addressing.

The floor-to-ceiling views of Hyde Park Corner and Wellington Arch make exploring central London effortless straight from the room.

Robb Report·Jul 2024·

Editorial consensus places this among London's best hotels, largely thanks to the location and the complimentary house car service that makes navigating the city simple.

I rode my bike into the courtyard and got swarmed by staff acting like I'd committed a crime — for a five-star hotel, it was shocking.

There was no signage telling me bikes weren't allowed, and before I could even ask a question, multiple staff surrounded me and talked over me. All I got was 'it's our policy' repeated with a hostile, confrontational tone, nothing close to the courtesy this hotel is supposed to represent. I've had plenty of bad customer service moments in London, but being made to feel like a second-class visitor at a hotel positioning itself at the top of the market was something else entirely.

I run a hotel review business and I don't hand out praise easily — this one earns its place on our list.

We had a small hiccup with our guaranteed twin room, but management handled it so well I barely counted it against them. Layout, service across every department, and room service were all top-tier — special mention to Anna, who was a joy every time. Dinner at Brooklands looked gorgeous but the food itself left us a little underwhelmed.

We stayed over Christmas and the balance of festive warmth with genuine refinement was rare — most hotels try that mix and fail.

The seasonal decor struck exactly the right note, celebratory without tipping into excess, and our room felt meticulously considered down to the finishes. Staff attentiveness was intuitive rather than intrusive, always there when needed and invisible otherwise, which is impressive given how much strain the holidays put on hotel operations. If anything, the only critique is that expectations are so high at this level it's hard to exceed them — but they mostly did.

The behind-the-scenes tour of Canton Blue and the cigar lounge added a whole layer of storytelling I didn't expect from a hotel stay.

David Cerezo, the Director of Rooms, set the tone with proactive, genuine care that felt one step ahead the entire time. The in-room tech — lighting, climate, drapery — was flawlessly integrated without ever feeling complicated. Canton Blue delivered a fantastic Peking duck dinner and stands out as one of the more compelling dining rooms in London right now, and the cigar concierge lounge is easily among the best in Europe, especially paired with the rooftop views toward Hyde Park.

We got two of the tiniest, most poorly made vodka martinis I've ever seen at Brooklands — the staff literally called them 'rustic.'

Great seat, nice welcome, gorgeous view over London — but the drinks themselves were a letdown. One garnish alone practically filled the small glass, and when I questioned it, I was told the presentation was intentional. For a rooftop bar at one of London's most expensive new hotels, I expected far more polish.

It was my birthday and the whole team, from front office to the car drivers, made me feel like a longtime regular on my very first stay.

Isaac and Sarah set the tone at the front office, Joan arranged special celebration touches in my room, and Alessio at Brooklands curated an intimate, perfectly balanced evening that had all my friends talking. Jonas made sure no glass ever sat empty, and the drivers got us to and from the station smoothly in the Peninsula car. Every detail, down to the smallest personal touch, felt handled with real care.

Design and luxury-wise this is one of the best in London, but the housekeeping fell embarrassingly short during turndown.

The cleaner skipped surfaces entirely and, when I raised it with the operator, was told bluntly that evening service 'doesn't clean' — no hoovering, nothing around the bathtub. In-room dining was a bright spot, especially a staff member named Slobodoslava, and the spa reception team was professional too. Overall still a high-quality hotel, but if you want consistent service polish, don't assume it's automatic here.

My sister swore by this hotel and after three nights, I completely get it — I've found my new favorite in London.

Every inch felt considered, every button and switch in exactly the right place, which is rarer than it should be at this price point. What really sets it apart is the people — warm, kind, attentive in a way that actually defines true luxury rather than just charging for it. Beautiful, new, elegant, impeccably run, but it's the staff who make it special.

This hotel beats every other property we've stayed in — the anniversary touches, from a handmade cake to the upgrade, were unforgettable.

The bathroom alone was worth savoring, and we made full use of the 2-mile house car service — Gurpreet made the ride feel like part of the celebration. Sicle at check-in wheeled our bags up personally and waved every time we crossed the lobby afterward. I'm almost envious of anyone with a stay coming up here.

Everything about the stay was excellent except for one glaring miss: our pre-booked airport transfer couldn't fit our luggage at 4am.

The in-room tech was flawless, the cigar lounge is among the best in Europe, and the rooftop views toward Hyde Park give this property real sense of place. But we'd pre-arranged transport and specified three large suitcases, and the vehicle simply couldn't handle it on departure day, forcing us into a stressful last-minute Uber scramble. We'll still be back — the design, cigar program, and overall sophistication are compelling enough — but for a hotel at this level, that kind of logistical failure shouldn't happen.