If Judi Dench were a hotel, she’d be Claridge’s. This grande dame of the London hotel scene is a beloved, determinedly British institution that’s been part of English life for decades, yet it retains a youthful vigor. The hotel, which opened in 1812, outpaces even the 90-something legend; it keeps reinventing itself, most recently pulling off a major coup, luring superstar GM Thomas Kochs from the Corinthia London, as well as partnering with chic spots from around the world, as with the summer 2025 residency of N.Y.C. cocktail den Dante. What other hotel can count both the late Queen Elizabeth II—a regular, protocol-stretching lunch guest—and Mick Jagger as devotees? Unique Properties and Events co-owner Cédric Reversade recommends truffle French fries in the foyer, washed down with a dry martini, and calls the new spa “divine." And be sure to book one of the new “so chic" penthouse apartments, he adds: “You have the impression there that Princess Margaret is joining you for a gin and tonic." Ashley Isaacs Ganz from Artisans of Leisure puts it more simply: “It’s my home away from home in London."
From $1,250 per night
