Luxury hotel reviews in London

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Mar 4, 2013, 8:08 am

#136

vuittonsofstyle

Join Date: Aug 2007

Location: Here there and everywhere

Posts: 6,303

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRAVELSIG

The review last week in the Financial Times of the restaurant trashed it to a level I have not seen in a few years coming from them.

I didn't see it - which restaurant did they review?

Mar 4, 2013, 8:15 am

#137

TRAVELSIG

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: VCE

Posts: 14,165

Quote:

Originally Posted by vuittonsofstyle

I didn't see it - which restaurant did they review?

Quite the typo on my part (memory slip)- it was the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...the-cafe-royal

Mar 4, 2013, 8:33 am

#138

vuittonsofstyle

Join Date: Aug 2007

Location: Here there and everywhere

Posts: 6,303

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRAVELSIG

Quite the typo on my part (memory slip)- it was the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...the-cafe-royal

Ohhhh...Jay Rayner......

Thing is, I am not sure why restaurant critics are reviewing what is an all-day-dining restaurant. The Ten Room is where they service breakfast, lunch and dinner in a very casual style. It is not meant to be a gourmet venue!! So what are the critics doing there?

Mar 4, 2013, 8:36 am

#139

TRAVELSIG

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: VCE

Posts: 14,165

Quote:

Originally Posted by vuittonsofstyle

Excellent question.
This did a good job of confusing me as I assumed (incorrectly) that the Ten Room must be the fine dining venue of the hotel.

Mar 4, 2013, 8:45 am

#140

vuittonsofstyle

Join Date: Aug 2007

Location: Here there and everywhere

Posts: 6,303

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRAVELSIG

Excellent question.
This did a good job of confusing me as I assumed (incorrectly) that the Ten Room must be the fine dining venue of the hotel.

Nope. They do an excellent breakfast, but the fine dining venue is The Domino - http://www.hotelcaferoyal.com/restau...rs/the-domino/ - not open when I stayed, or it seems when the critics were let loose! I also wonder why they did not mention The Grill Room, which is now a champagne & caviar bar. Surely no axes to grind?

Mar 4, 2013, 8:55 am

#141

TRAVELSIG

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: VCE

Posts: 14,165

Quote:

Originally Posted by vuittonsofstyle

Thanks- next time I am in that area of London I will be sure to check out at least the Grill Room which looks fun if a tad pricey.

Mar 4, 2013, 8:56 am

#142

vuittonsofstyle

Join Date: Aug 2007

Location: Here there and everywhere

Posts: 6,303

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRAVELSIG

Thanks- next time I am in that area of London I will be sure to check out at least the Grill Room which looks fun if a tad pricey.

The whole hotel is a 'tad pricey' but no more so than, say, FS Park Lane.

Mar 4, 2013, 8:58 am

#143

TRAVELSIG

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: VCE

Posts: 14,165

Quote:

Originally Posted by vuittonsofstyle

The whole hotel is a 'tad pricey' but no more so than, say, FS Park Lane.

Excellent point- in fact in general there are large areas of West and Central London that could be described as even more than a "tad pricey"- still fun places to go and some interesting food to test out.

Mar 4, 2013, 10:34 am

#144

ABG

Join Date: Mar 2004

Location: Canada

Programs: Virtuoso TA, Four Seasons Pref Partner, Rosewood Elite TA, Ritz Carlton STARS TA

Posts: 4,736

Rosewood picks up management of Chancery Court Hotel (and old Marriott property)
Seems to still be open, but renovations and relaunch planned for October 2013

See HERE for press release

Mar 4, 2013, 11:32 am

#145

Kagehitokiri

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jun 2006

Location: IAD/DCA

Posts: 31,797

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABG

Rosewood picks up management of Chancery Court Hotel

thanks, funny how companies dont give current name

apr 3 2011 flyertalker posts management change to owner of rosewood
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...l#post16152503

apr 28 2011 article on management change to owner of rosewood
http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co....ourt-hotel.htm

jun 11 2011 owner of rosewood began managing
http://www.luxury-hospitality-daily....ctu_detail.php

jun 20 2011 owner of rosewood announced acquisition of rosewood

noticed renovation construction mentioned on tripadvisor in nov 2011 (and before?)

interesting, with their own street entrances >
- rosewood press mentions ?-6BR manor house suite
- ritz has 1-3BR william kent house (incl event space)
- haymarket has 2-5BR townhouse

http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co....ood-London.htm

Quote:

Matthias Roeke, who arrived in London nearly two years ago as general manager of the Chancery Court hotel, has been appointed as managing director of Rosewood London

Quote:

property opened as a hotel in 2000 as the Renaissance Chancery Court, under the management of Marriott.

The hotel ended its association with Marriott in June 2011 and has since been managed by its owner the Hong Kong-based company HPI, owned by the Chang family

so owner of rosewood (new world - cheng) may have owned the whole time

http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/ar...uires-stouffer

Quote:

1993 Cheng family owned New World Development Co. Ltd.'s purchase of the Stouffer hotel

http://www.businesstravelnews.com/Mo...7-04-14/?a=btn

Quote:

1997

Wrapping up its billion-dollar acquisition of the Renaissance Hotel Group this month, Marriott International has gained an Asian development partner

Marriott also has forged a strategic alliance with Hong Kong-based New World Development Co., the principal Renaissance shareholder prior to the transaction

1989 former tenant of building leaves
dec 2000 chancery court opened as renaissance marriott

http://www.hotelsthatwerenot.com/pro...?shopprodid=67 says 4 year renovation prior to opening

the point of this post was that the media is not doing its job. owner of rosewood has owned the whole time, and has been managing since marriott contract ended. they are only just now branding it as rosewood. and that renovation is not happening now, its been happening for years, again because its same owner, and theyve been self managing for almost 2 years.

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Mar 5, 2013 at 7:32 pm

Mar 4, 2013, 1:07 pm

#146

Cheetah_SA

Join Date: Mar 2004

Location: CPT

Programs: BA BD SA

Posts: 4,467

Quote:

Originally Posted by vuittonsofstyle

Evidently lured there by its pretentiousness. Which it was apparently unable to live up to.

Mar 4, 2013, 3:45 pm

#147

Kettering Northants QC

Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: Home

Programs: Virgin FC, Qantas, Golden Circle, Sofitel, Hyatt, Starwood, Nectar, and my Tesco Club Card

Posts: 1,770

Quote:

Originally Posted by vuittonsofstyle

Not sure why restaurant critics shouldn't review The Ten Room irrespective of its standing within the Hotel. Most newspaper restaurant critics usually review a much wider range of restaurants than gourmet venues as the vast majority of their readers, even those who dine out regularly, do not dine at gourmet restaurants regularly.

It did seem as though no matter what he wasn't going to find anything to like though, but like most reviewers on a good day a small mistake will be forgiven but on a bad day that very same mistake will be a thing to make a song and dance over.

Mar 4, 2013, 3:53 pm

#148

RichardInSF

Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: Palo Alto, California,USA

Posts: 17,846

Quote:

Originally Posted by missbrigitte

I wanted to bring everyone's attention to The Wellesley Hotel, located in Knightsbridge. Haven't seen any posts about it on the forum, so thought I would let you all know (in case you don't already). It opened recently, this past December, after a £40 million renovation. For those of you familiar, it was the former location of the famous "Pizza on the Park" restaurant which was open for years and famous for their jazz lounge. The Wellesley have done an absolutely amazing job restoring it into a 1920's style art deco hotel, only 36 rooms (mostly suites) all done up to the highest quality (designed by Fox Linton). It offers contemporary luxury, traditional glamour and uncompromising service in one of London’s most prestigious locations. The whole idea around the hotel is to make it London's first 6 star property, and I am certain that with time they can most definitely achieve this.

They offer 24 hour Butler service, Wellesley Rolls Royce courtesy drop off (Custom made Rolls, at your service), your own personal tablet – every aspect has been considered and is to the utmost quality. Every suite bears the name of a legendary figure from the ‘roaring’ era – Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Rudolph Valentino, Josephine Baker, to name a few. Glamorous pictures of personalities such Marlene Dietrich grace the small, intimate hallways.

Not to forget, in keeping with the traditions of the past, they have a wonderful jazz lounge with live jazz acts Thursday to Saturday nights (starting at 10:30pm), a fine dining (very intimate) Italian restaurant, and two cigar terraces at the front of the hotel where you can sit outside no matter what the weather and feel like it's 25 degrees...ultimate luxury.

Rates are high (they are still offering post-opening welcome rates), but it is all worth it as the service is second to none and truly worth staying a night or even just stopping by for a cocktail and some jazz.

Miss Brigitte

Seeing as this is your first post on FT and also noticing that you give your address as London, I am wondering if you have any connection with this hotel other than as a customer.

Thanks,
RichardinSF, moderator, luxury hotels