Behind The Scenes: The New Rooms At The Dorchester, Inspired By An English Country Garden

The carpet is deep and squidgy, the striped wallpaper has a cheery jauntiness about it and you can almost smell the fresh paint emanating from the baby-blue walls, lined with an eclectic mix of art. The corridor that leads to The Dorchester’s newly renovated guest rooms surely puts a spring in your step.

In fact, acclaimed designer Pierre-Yves Rochon – who was tasked with overhauling the famous hotel’s rooms and suites in its ongoing renovation – used the colours of spring as his reference points. That, and the 1930s heritage that The Dorchester is known for, are the basis for his transformation of the bedrooms at London’s much-loved bolthole.

Inside the rooms, the overall effect is one of pastel perfection: apple green, rose pink, heather blue and lemon yellow are mix-matched together – the colours of an English garden in the first flush of spring. Thick custom-woven carpets by luxury Spanish brand Alarwool are underfoot, and select suites feature headboards hand-painted by de Gournay. Meanwhile, Colefax and Fowler’s floral fabrics – which encapsulate a quintessentially British feel – enhance the walls and headboards in all guest rooms.

This major revamp at The Dorchester – the first since the 1980s – has long been anticipated on London’s hotel scene and has seen the hotel’s luxurious status ramped up a notch. The newly renovated rooms and suites, for example, now feature state-of-the-art updates that include new soundproofing, air conditioning and plumbing systems. The modernised plumbing system not only improves functionality but also promotes sustainability, with water-saving technologies and eco-friendly features incorporated into the design.

From the crisp sheets to the thick towels, the revamp has not skimped on the more detailed luxurious touches, either. Marble bathrooms feature toiletries by English brand Wildsmith; posies of fresh white roses are left by the bedside and velvet, curvy sofas have a boudoir appeal. Pops of colour add a modern feel to the bedroom’s heritage schemes. A bright red desk is matched with an Art Deco-style glass lamp, fluted glass wardrobes are back-lit for extra glamour and brightly coloured art gives an uplifting feel to the rooms. In fact, the curated art collection throughout the hotel is a source of delight, upending expectations with their contemporary visual appeal.

For dining, The Grill by Tom Booton is a must. The first chef to have his name above the door in the restaurant’s 92-year history, Tom has totally redesigned the restaurant’s menu, creating an array of modern British dishes, all infused with his playful personality and charm. The glorious Art Deco room – which shimmers with an oversized Murano glass light fitting and gilded, original features – now features an open kitchen and bar with a glass wall behind it – the perfect merging of old and new worlds.

For the past 92 years, The Grill has been known for its traditional ‘grill menu’ – but alongside all the other newness at The Dorchester – times are a-changing in one of its most famous restaurants, too. The menu is relaxed, the antithesis of formal dining, and is based on a sharing concept. One of the chef’s signature dishes, for example, is ‘All the Chicken’ a sumptuous, convivial roast chicken dish designed to share, while ‘Skate Wing on the Bone’, with brown shrimp, capers and lemon, is another hearwarming dish that is perfect for dive into while chatting away à deux. At the heart of the menu is culinary inventiveness – start with the ‘Lobster and Cheese Tartlet’ – a mini sumptuous feast – or maybe a few of the snacks – such as oysters or the delicious crispy semolina puffs, filled with gouda and topped with salami (these are sublime). For dessert, the sour cherry mousse with bay leaf ice cream is the perfect sweet ending on a modern take on tradition.

This, the second major stage of the hotel’s renovation, comes on the heels of the reveal of some of the public areas at the grand dame hotel earlier this year. This included a newly designed Promenade, the creation of the Artists’ Bar and the Vesper Bar, the latter designed by the legendary Martin Brudnizki, the new Cake & Flowers boutique, by Pierre-Yves Rochon, and The Dorchester Spa. Up next, the Dorchester’s penthouse suites will be relaunched, along with a rooftop restaurant and bar in 2024. It’s set to make you feel on top of the world,