You know what hits you first when you walk into The Ritz London? It’s not just the opulence – though honestly, the place is dripping with it – it’s this weird sense that you’ve stepped into a movie set where afternoon tea is a sacred ritual and everyone speaks in hushed, reverent tones. I mean, this is the hotel that literally invented the concept of afternoon tea service, so they’re not messing around here.
The location on Piccadilly is absolutely brilliant, and I’m not just saying that because it sounds fancy. You’re basically across from Green Park (perfect for a morning jog if you can drag yourself away from those Egyptian cotton sheets), and you can walk to Bond Street for shopping or cut through to St. James’s in about five minutes. The thing is, Piccadilly can get pretty mental with traffic, but somehow once you’re inside those doors, it all just… disappears. The soundproofing is honestly impressive – I stayed in a room facing the street and barely heard the London chaos below.
What really gets me about this place is how they’ve managed to keep that old-school glamour without feeling like a museum. Sure, the Palm Court is exactly as ridiculously ornate as you’d expect – all those mirrors and marble columns – but the staff actually knows what they’re doing instead of just playing dress-up. Check-in was smooth (they had my preferences from a stay two years ago, which was a nice touch), and room service arrived faster than most pizza deliveries back home. The rooms themselves are proper spacious by London standards, though honestly, you’re paying Ritz prices so you’d hope for decent square footage.
I will say this – if you’re planning to do the full afternoon tea experience, book it well ahead because it gets absolutely packed, especially during tourist season. And maybe don’t wear your grubbiest trainers; I noticed they have this subtle way of making you feel underdressed without anyone actually saying anything. The spa downstairs is actually a hidden gem that most people overlook because they’re too busy Instagram-ing their scones, but it’s worth sneaking away for a treatment between all the quintessentially British experiences you’ll inevitably pile into your itinerary.
Look, is it expensive? Absolutely. But there’s something about staying at The Ritz that makes you understand why it’s still the benchmark after all these years. It’s not just the marble bathrooms or the way they fold your pajamas while you’re at dinner – it’s this feeling that you’re part of something that’s been getting the details right for over a century. Plus, you’ll have the best “casual” story to drop at dinner parties for the rest of your life.