Designer: Pierre-Yves Rochon and Martin Brudnizki
Location: London
On offer: Even the grandest of dames needs a facelift now and again. Having long stood as an emblem of 1930s glamour in London’s tony Mayfair district, The Dorchester is showing off a tasteful new look that feels perfect for its age. Guided by the visionary hand of renowned interiors firm Pierre-Yves Rochon, the 241 residential-style rooms take inspiration from the hues of the country’s inimitable English gardens. Rochon also refreshed the soaring ground-floor Promenade, where the property’s famous afternoon tea is served, and transformed the lobby lounge into the gleaming Artists’ Bar punctuated with one of Liberace’s disco-tile-clad piano.
Standout features: But you can find us at the Vesper Bar, a recently debuted hideaway courtesy of hospitality design impresario Martin Brudnizki. Honoring the hotel’s history with author Ian Fleming, who invented the Vesper Martini and was a frequent guest, a 1930s Palladium leaf ceiling, works by late celebrity photographer Cecil Beaton, and a clandestine private room dubbed ‘the snug’ would make 007 himself feel right at home. Award-winning cocktail stalwart Lucia Montanelli has crafted a drinks menu that pays homage to The Dorchester’s storied history, including the Bessie Mae, a tribute to regular guest Elizabeth Taylor, complete with ‘bath bubbles,’ and the Gilded Three, inspired by artist Sophie Coryndon’s golden honeycomb sculpture in the lobby.
Not bad for a century-old bird.
