I just stayed for two nights at The Dorchester in London which proved to be an underwhelming experience.

The room was nice -- large enough by London standards. The design scheme was floral, although not in an overpowering way. The TV was equipped with a keyboard and an on demand entertainment system similar to one I am familiar with at the Lanesborough, except that the Dorchester wanted �18.50 a day to use the Internet facility.

This was the beginning of the nickel-and-diming. On check-out I discovered I had been charged for a toothbrush and razor that I had requested along with some "supplementary" items in the "inclusive" breakfast. The charges were removed, but it left me seething (see my rant here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=509269) not least because the duty manager was rude and condescending when I questioned the charges.

Back to breakfast. We had decided to stay at the Dorchester, for a number of reasons. We had stayed at its sister hotel, Le Meurice, in Paris which we enjoyed, there was a special offer on the LHW site (although I received no Leaders' Club perks) and I had read that the Dorchester is the last bastion of the great English breakfast.

Believe me, it's not. They can't even poach an egg properly (unless you like them hard and rubbery) and they didn't even use proper leaf tea (when I sent back the pot full of stewed tea bags, the leaf tea I received in return was so strong that only a navvy could drink it). They also did not clearly indicated what was included in the room rate, only pointing out at checkout that the inclusive breakfast had a �25 ceiling.

Other irritants included chambermaids entering the room without knocking, a FILTHY spa, no mineral water provided at turn down, inflexibility over late check-out (available to you, sir, for just a mere �150). OK, OK, I know I'm getting a bit picky here, but as I was paying for this stay myself I have a right to be fastidious.

Next time I'm back in London, I'll stay at the Lanesborough even though it seems to have hiked its prices lately. It may be expensive, but on the three times I've stayed there the service has been impeccable and I certainly have never been asked to pay for a toothbrush.

Thanks for the report. This pretty much sums up my experiences at the Dorchester. The Lanesborough is a good alternative but I still prefer One Aldwych....

WORD.

Totally out of nowhere, but I seem to remember hearing that the best thing about the Dorchester was, of all things, the shower/showerhead. Was I misinformed?

Mike

the showerheads are great! hansgrohe. and heated towel bars.

i had 2 experiences with the dorchester this summer. the first was so bad i checked out. unfriendly staff, poor room. the second time, everything was great. actually preferred it to my lansbourough experience.

I didn't notice anything special about the shower heads -- if they were state of the art, the water pessure was too low for it to make any difference. I do remember it was difficult maintaining a constant temperature (memories of visits to Soviet-era Russia come flooding back...) and one morning it took about ten minutes for the bath water to run hot.

It's a disappointment to read this thread.

The Dorchester is my favorite place for afternoon tea, and has been for the past 15 years. They outshine any other place in London. I love sitting in their big squishy chairs, being served endless sandwiches and cups of tea, and feeling all the cares of the world slip away.

I love afternoon tea at the Dorch; I love the light meals at the bar; meals at the Grill, and the former Oriental. But I was too disappointed with the service and experience upstairs. Room service was not that great, especially for the price.

Yep, I agree. All of this unpleasantness could be avoided if you stayed at One Aldwych. I figure I have stayed there about 15 times and have never been disappointed.

Have you consideed The Stafford Hotel in St James's Place. I find it very nice.

I have stayed at The Dorchester for years. About a year ago they hired the GM from Claridges and he has improved it since. I find the rooms and bathrooms large and comforable; the bed linens among the best I have found. They have renovated the lobby, put in a terrific Chinese Restaurant and are about to close the bar for a complete renovation. True, the gym needs a makeover but ask for a complementary glass of fresh squeezed orange juice when you are done working out.I found it the one place in London among the top hotels where you can get proper British service yet if you walk through the lobby in jeans they will not shoot you. The Hall Porters are terific. Having said all this, the one consistent source of unhelpfulness and rudeness is the front desk, cashier and reservation area. The recently hired to reservation manager from the Lanesborough and they keep trying.

A�25 ceiling for the all inclusive breakfast at the Dorchester! That would barely cover the cost of toast! Mind you the toast would be delivered with 150 pieces of cuttlery and china. Still they should have warned you about that one, (is pretty easy to exceed that spending limit). For example if you wanted juice with your toast. The best thing about the Dorchester has to be their bed & linnens etc. Also, whenever I have visited there was certainly no problem with water pressure.

I would be afraid to ask for anything that was meant to be complimentary after this latest stay!

I love ONE ALDWYCH too, but to this date, I still have mixed feelings about the toilet.

Indeed, the toilets do need getting used to.... but I love every aspect of the hotel otherwise.