The Stafford is fantastic, especially the new Mews Suites. Absolutely beautiful. This hotel is often overlooked. Keep in mind there are 3 very different room types in 3 different parts of the hotel - Mews, Carriage/Cotswolds, and Main hotel.
Service is fantastic. Stuart Procter the GM is dynamic, with an excellent staff.
The Stafford feels like a historic London townhouse, which it is, that has expanded.

The Ritz is great too, just around the corner, with a completely different feel - larger, an original Cesar Ritz hotel, the kind of hotel that QE2 would choose (and did choose) for her 80th birthday party.

I love the location of the Stafford and the Ritz, in the St James area.

The MO - I really liked this hotel, rooms and all, but wasn't crazy about the location - the traffic and crowded sidewalks were a bit much.
Rooms are English/traditional, public areas are modern/Asian in feel.

Why haven't you included in your short list the Lanesborough? Location is perfect, just above 'Hyde Park Corner' tube station, and the hotel itself is so nice!^

I have stayed at The Stafford twice and both times I wishes I hadn't. I like the old courtyard wing, but was not too impressed with the new wing as although it looked good initially, the suites/rooms did not work too well - too much furniture and a bit sterile.

I love the hotel bar in the summer, as you can sit outside with a drink - unique in London. My big problem with The Stafford though is the food, which I think is frightful! I also find the restaurant staff a bit too Fawlty Towers - nowadays with a touch of Eastern Europe.

It appears that 90% or more of the guests are from North America and therefore perhaps find The Stafford 'cute' and very 'English', but if you are English then you tend to see through it all and if you are me, long for a good meal!! Food does not have to be bad in England anymore.

This is a weird selection! Where did you dig the Sofitel up from - they were knocking rooms out via Priceline last time I heard. I'd slip in One Aldwych for a start.

What do you call a good location? London is a big sprawling hulk. The MO (as your only Chelsea / Knightsbridge pick - why not the Berkeley or, for a good steak restaurant and fantastic health club, the Carlton Tower?) is good for Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and the V&A, Science and Natural History museums, plus Hyde Park.

Dorchester / Claridges / Ritz / Sofitel are much of a muchness for location - some are nearer the West End shops, some are nearer the theatres, but if the West End and theatres are your target then you'll walk an equal distance from all of them.

Truth is, there is no George V-type property in London. Oddly, One Aldwych generally gets the nod on here for service and style but lacks a high profile restaurant. If you want a fully refurbished room, try Browns (Rocco Forte), the InterCon or the Connaught.

If you want to cut back on costs, take the fully refurbed InterContinental and join IC Ambassador for $150 to get a 'free weekend night' voucher, which will save you $500 or so if you take a suite.

My gut feeling is that you don't really know what you want. In which case, I would mix and match and split my time between a couple of places - perhaps Claridges and One Aldwych, or the Ritz (jacket and tie in the restaurant and bar, though) and Carlton Tower / Berkeley for the Chelsea / Knightsbridge experience. If you're a young couple, try Claridges and then The Soho Hotel. But do mix and match.

Raffles, what do you think of 41?

vuittonsofstyle, you mentioned F&B service problems at browns and stafford. have those issues been separate from hotel service?

Thank you. I did think about the Lanesborough, but I was hoping for mrs. mktozd and I to be able to take advantage of some of the discounts and incentives in the market. The Lanesborough was well above the others.

vuittonsofstyle, you made me LOL when I saw your Fawlty Towers restaurant at the Stafford. Food was one of the reasons that I added Sofitel to the list in that I have yet to stay at one that didnt have good food. The only other chain I would say is consistently strong on food is Four Seasons.

ellencraig I have been thinking about the Ritz and indeed they are the best value on the dates I am going. While the decor is very traditional I generally liked it as I do some of their traditions. I am a bit concerned about some of the tripadvisor ratings.

The Sofitel restaurant is a Roux brasserie. Convenient if you're going to the theatre (which is why I've eaten there) but certainly not memorable in any way.

Kage - 41, no opinion! Since I live here, my views on London hotels are based purely on eating there, visiting them for meetings and from colleagues who stay there. The only London property I know the bedrooms of well is the IC because it is close to our house and I put family there. Similarly, my other half uses the Carlton Tower spa so I've been there quite a bit.

I quite like Browns as it has such a good location, but the finish in the bathrooms leaves much to be desired and service is very up and down. The restaurant is good sometimes (traditional British cuisine with gu�ridon service) but I cannot say it is a great hotel.

I think that the Stafford works well for US guests because they tip so well! Porters and doormen rush around for US visitors, but tend to ignore the Europeans - or at least that is my experience. The service is amateurish, especially when you compare it to Four Seasons.

I don't think there are any good Grandes Dames in London now that FS is closed. I would stay at one of the Firmdale properties, where the food is very good - not pretentious or gourmet, but fresh seasonal produce and very good cooking in a brasserie style. My favourites are Covent Garden Hotel and Charlotte Street Hotel. If you are on a budget and think you will eat out all the time, then Knightsbridge Hotel is excellent value - no restaurant by good 24-hour room service and really lovely rooms and public areas.

... and the Ritz London will generally extend Virtuoso amenities (including upgrade at time of booking) with any published rate.

Does anyone have any comment on Claridges?
I have booked the Dorchester for my trip in March but I wouldn't mind trying Claridges for the one after.

I can only mainly comment on food advantages at some of the hotels, but here it goes:

The Dorchester - Alain Ducasse offers an excellent value meal (same for lunch and dinner, I think) at �125 pp for the tasting menu. It is much better priced than their Paris restaurant, and the food is really great (in my opinion, well-deserving their 2nd Michelin star). Service was pretty top notch too.

Mandarin Oriental - Foliage may be a little adventurous for some people with a very traditional taste, but everything works very well. It's also very, very reasonably priced for what it is. Service is pretty good too.

Claridges - Gordon Ramsay wasn't anywhere near as good as Alain Ducasse. There were some dishes that did not really impress me. Service was pretty good though, so no real complaint, although they could do much better in terms of the food.

The Ritz in London is a very nice hotel I have stayed there several times, it is a Virtuoso property as I have been there traveling with a group and my Virtuoso agent was with us, the great thing about the Ritz is the private Ritz club downstairs a mini casino bar, with that being said I do not like being told how to dress to eat breakfast or have a drink in the bar. I once had a fight with the hotel manager in the lobby being told that I could not have a drink in the bar as I was wearing jeans, I told him that this was unacceptable as my room was not ready and had just been on a 9 hour flight from America, although after that the stay was wonderful and the service top notch.

The other hotel I would recommend in London is the Lanesborough, I have had great stays there as well, I believe that the service at the Ritz is just that little bit better.

As for Paris the Hotel de Crillon and the George V would be my top picks.

I am surprised that The Connaught
has not been mentioned. The Connaught is my all-time favorite hotel in London. Love everything about it; service, rooms, food, location.

I am just back from 2 nights in London. I asked my hosts to suprise me with my hotel. Well it was a suprise as they usually reserve my requested hotel or The Connaught.
The Baglioni in kensington : I really liked the executive suite, it was modern and spacious, well spacious for London.
I liked the service; I had a small private party and the staff were excelent and the food was good.
The hotel was within striking distance of Olympia where I needed to be.
I felt very comfortable and at home at The Baglioni, perhaps it was the warmth from the snow outside.

upgrades (FHR/quintessentially) at baglioni seem good too. unfortunately its not virtuoso last i looked.

The problem I have with Baglioni is that the rooms are incredibly dark and the bathrooms are not very large. I found the decor depressing. Food in the Italian restaurant was not bad, but not the best in a London hotel. I also did not think that maintenance and housekeeping throughout the hotel was very good.