Yahoo Finance This Is the Queen's Favorite Hotel in London. Here's Why
Ask any well-travelled one percenter, "What's the best hotel in London?" and their answers will be fairly consistent: Claridge's for its sumptuous art deco interiors and white glove service, the Connaught for its luxe Edwardian coziness (its iconic winding mahogany staircase is said to have inspired Ralph Lauren to have it duplicated for his own stores) and the Ritz for its Piccadilly poshness. Ask a fashionista, and they will wax poetic about designer Kit Kemp's Ham Yard, with its screening room, bowling alley and of-the-moment bar and restaurant. But ask someone whose name might be found within the pages of Burke's Peerage, Britain's blueblood bible, and only one establishment will be mentioned: the Goring.
Tucked away on a quiet street, just over the back wall of Buckingham Palace's grounds (aging brick walls so nondescript and dingy that only the rows of razor wire give them away), the Goring is the only hotel in the world to receive a royal warrant from the Queen. Royal warrants, granted exclusively and individually by the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales, appear on a wide range of goods and services, from tea to car dealerships, albeit that one in particular has been granted to Jack Barclay Limited, which restricts its offerings to Bentleys.
The true importance of a Royal Warrant is that it officially signifies five consecutive years of actual commerce between the grantor and the grantee. Royal Warrants are consistently reviewed, and are not taken lightly. At present, there are approximately 800 warrant holders.
The Queen considers the Goring her personal annex for entertaining.
Hotels that cater to royals, especially in London, are nothing new. The Cavendish, on Jermyn Street, was as infamous for its role as a secret getaway for Edward VII's extracurricular activities as it was for its salty, cockney proprietress, Rosa Lewis, who too supposedly had her own "special relationship" with the monarch. That story was immortalized in the BBC series, The Duchess of Duke Street, starring Gemma Jones.
Since its 1910 opening, the Goring has had its share of royal patronage, most consistently from the beloved Queen Mum, who enjoyed lunch there almost weekly, dining on her favorite Eggs Drumkilbo, a haughty cold starter involving egg salad, crabmeat and sherry aspic. It's still on the menu, albeit deconstructed and modernized into an irresistible little jewel of a thing by executive chef Shay Cooper, who brought the Goring its first Michelin star. The glazed lobster omelet, a fixture on the menu, actually deserves its own star.
The Queen considers the Goring her personal annex for entertaining, most famously for the Christmas lunch that she hosts for her treasured personal staff. A 60th birthday party for the Prince of Wales was also held at the hotel in 2008. In much the same way as at Washington, D.C.'s Hay-Adams, an equally distinguished hotel adjacent to the White House, one can't help but feel the presence of power from the moment one enters the front door. There is a decided correctness and polish that is delightfully tempered with courtly grace. Nothing is obvious; everything is exquisite.
In recent years, the Goring has been thrown into the spotlight by the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Middleton family made the Goring their base of operations for the week of festivities, bringing with them the mosh pit of paparazzi at the entrance, scrutinizing every person, every garment bag, every hat box that went up the front steps. On the morning of the royal wedding, a white marquis was constructed to shield the bride from the onslaught, as she left the hotel for Westminster Abbey. In the days leading up to the wedding, the hotel was party central, nonstop. Did Prince Harry really jump off the balcony outside of the bar into the garden below at 3 a.m.? No one will confirm or deny.
Did Prince Harry really jump off the balcony outside of the bar into the garden below at 3 a.m.? No one will confirm or deny.
Today, the Goring remains friendly territory for the royals and their swanky set. Sunday Roast, the traditional English post-church luncheon, is an institution and requires booking well in advance, although it is democratically listed on Opentable. Weekday lunches are equally buzzy; stately but relaxed affairs with a mix of MPs, moguls, foppish eccentrics, and women in the latest Roksanda dresses.
There are also families, hipsters and the occasional American tourist. David Linley, the Queen's nephew and an accomplished furniture designer, outfitted the dining room in quiet good taste, although the glittering Swarovski crystal cherry blossom chandeliers apparently have raised an eyebrow or two. The dining chair upholstery, with one dramatic stripe woven into the fabric, is echoed in the weskits of the wait staff, who are all model handsome.
Of course there's more to the Goring than its dining room. The front hall's hand-painted Fromenthal wallpaper brings tears to any design aficionado's eyes. Russell Sage, the former fashion designer who has now become one of London's most sought-after interior designers, created schemes that masterfully married tradition to trend. Upstairs, his royal suite is the most requested of the hotel's 71 rooms.
Tim Gosling, an equally renowned designer, created the quintessentially British crimson bar and lounge along with a sunny garden room, featuring glazed yellow walls that positively glow even on the grayest of London days. Probably the most British of any practicing interior designer, Nina Campbell, also designed many of the guest suites. All together, these great talents have created a symphony of English hospitality that defies description, with every possible amenity and modern convenience at hand.
Jeremy Goring, CEO, is the fourth member of the Goring family to run the hotel, following his father, George, his grandfather Otto George, and his great-grandfather Otto Richard. He is joined by managing director David Morgan-Hewitt and hotel manager Stuart Geddes, who came to The Goring from the Ritz. At any given hour, one of them remains in sight, impeccably dressed and charming to the core. However, none of them will utter a word about their most coveted clientele.
Indeed, while the Goring is generous with its champagne pours and other assorted luxuries, it is unyielding when it comes to information, which is a major part of its allure. Regardless of who's there, the what is what truly matters, and should be experienced by anyone who wants to see London from the vantage point of the ultimate insider, since when it comes to British society, the buck stops with the lady who calls Buckingham Palace home.
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