London's best hotel suites
It’s fair to say that London’s most grandiose hotels are among the best in Europe. Notable names like Claridge's and The Ritz date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, but maintain an almost untouchable level of prestige to this day. Here, sublime service, unique design and an unwavering reputation as the UK’s most quintessential establishments combine. Our team’s tried-and-tested afternoon teas offer a (literal) taste of the experience without breaking the bank, but a night or two in one of the best hotel suites in London feels like the ultimate way to celebrate once-in-a-lifetime moments.
A suite stay is, after all, the most indulgent of all the hotel room options – the term originated during the Baroque period and was used to describe adjoining rooms and sprawling spaces inside French palaces. But the idea of the suite has evolved. Among our editors’ favourites are new and modern options that bring the concept into today’s world. London’s first all-suite hotel, The Emory, for example, and the NoMad in Covent Garden – a destination worth visiting for the airy, atrium-style restaurant on the lower ground floor alone – are fantastic options if a traditional aesthetic isn’t to your liking. We’re fortunate in our roles that we not only get to explore this level of hospitality, but live it for the night, and we’ve rounded up a list of the best hotel suites in London to ensure you’re armed with the information you need to book confidently if an especially elaborate visit – and a chance to fulfill your Princess and the Pea dreams – is on the cards.
For more inspiration on where to stay in London, visit:
The best hotels in London
The best boutique hotels in London
The best family-friendly hotels in London
The best affordable hotels in London
The best dog-friendly hotels in London
The best hotels near Buckingham Palace
- The Connaught’s</a> suites is a reminder of how luxurious life can be; why <em>not</em> have an in-room massage? Why <em>wouldn’t</em> you indulge in a three-course dinner at the Connaught Grill before bed? And yes, if you’d like your butler to bring you a cocktail, they’ll be only too happy to oblige.\nThe Connaught has long been one of the <a href=https://www.cntraveller.com/"https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/best-hotels-in-london/">best hotels in London</a> thanks to its stellar service, luxurious rooms and <em>that</em> bar – but staying as a suite guest takes the experience up a notch. When we arrived on a warm summer afternoon, sweaty and dishevelled, the kind staff whisked our bags away, welcomed us warmly and took us straight to our room to quickly cool down. Suite guests have their own kind butler to help elevate the experience further, and ours was multi-talented; from serving up an excellent pina colada to shining my shoes so they looked brand new. We stayed in the sumptuous Sutherland Suite, which has high ceilings and space in spades, and feels like a place royalty would be proud to lounge in. Every little detail here is thought of – from the bottle of champagne and Nicolas Rouzaud pastry in-room on arrival to the kind welcome note – and comfort is key (the squishy sofas in the living room will tell you as much). In a city as full of life as London, it’s almost a shame to hole up in a hotel you’ll never want to leave – but the Connaught’s suite experience more than makes up for what you might miss on the outside world. <em>Abigail Malbon</em>","contentType":"photo","credit":"","segmentedSources":{"sm":[{"height":213,"width":320,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/68b6c23b310f65b49cef36a1/master/w_320,c_limit/The%20Connaught_Sutherland%20Suite_020925_CON-ROOM-SUTHERLAND-SUITE-109-01_pr.jpeg"},{"height":427,"width":640,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/68b6c23b310f65b49cef36a1/master/w_640,c_limit/The%20Connaught_Sutherland%20Suite_020925_CON-ROOM-SUTHERLAND-SUITE-109-01_pr.jpeg"}],"md":[{"height":427,"width":640,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/68b6c23b310f65b49cef36a1/master/w_640,c_limit/The%20Connaught_Sutherland%20Suite_020925_CON-ROOM-SUTHERLAND-SUITE-109-01_pr.jpeg"},{"height":854,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/68b6c23b310f65b49cef36a1/master/w_1280,c_limit/The%20Connaught_Sutherland%20Suite_020925_CON-ROOM-SUTHERLAND-SUITE-109-01_pr.jpeg"}],"lg":[{"height":683,"width":1024,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/68b6c23b310f65b49cef36a1/master/w_1024,c_limit/The%20Connaught_Sutherland%20Suite_020925_CON-ROOM-SUTHERLAND-SUITE-109-01_pr.jpeg"},{"height":1366,"width":2048,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/68b6c23b310f65b49cef36a1/master/w_2048,c_limit/The%20Connaught_Sutherland%20Suite_020925_CON-ROOM-SUTHERLAND-SUITE-109-01_pr.jpeg"}],"xl":[{"height":854,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/68b6c23b310f65b49cef36a1/master/w_1280,c_limit/The%20Connaught_Sutherland%20Suite_020925_CON-ROOM-SUTHERLAND-SUITE-109-01_pr.jpeg"}],"xxl":[{"height":854,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/68b6c23b310f65b49cef36a1/master/w_1280,c_limit/The%20Connaught_Sutherland%20Suite_020925_CON-ROOM-SUTHERLAND-SUITE-109-01_pr.jpeg"}]}}}" data-testid="GallerySlideWrapper">
Sutherland suite, The Connaught
For many, a trip to London isn’t complete without visiting the Connaught Bar for one of their legendary martinis. But it’s hard to think of a better experience than indulging in one too many, and skipping the tube or night bus in favour of taking the lift upstairs instead. Staying at one of The Connaught’s suites is a reminder of how luxurious life can be; why not have an in-room massage? Why wouldn’t you indulge in a three-course dinner at the Connaught Grill before bed? And yes, if you’d like your butler to bring you a cocktail, they’ll be only too happy to oblige.
The Connaught has long been one of the best hotels in London thanks to its stellar service, luxurious rooms and that bar – but staying as a suite guest takes the experience up a notch. When we arrived on a warm summer afternoon, sweaty and dishevelled, the kind staff whisked our bags away, welcomed us warmly and took us straight to our room to quickly cool down. Suite guests have their own kind butler to help elevate the experience further, and ours was multi-talented; from serving up an excellent pina colada to shining my shoes so they looked brand new. We stayed in the sumptuous Sutherland Suite, which has high ceilings and space in spades, and feels like a place royalty would be proud to lounge in. Every little detail here is thought of – from the bottle of champagne and Nicolas Rouzaud pastry in-room on arrival to the kind welcome note – and comfort is key (the squishy sofas in the living room will tell you as much). In a city as full of life as London, it’s almost a shame to hole up in a hotel you’ll never want to leave – but the Connaught’s suite experience more than makes up for what you might miss on the outside world. Abigail Malbon
Kensington LevernePark suite, The Emory
A stay at The Emory is guaranteed to be special. It’s London’s first all-suite hotel and the baby of the Maybourne group, the masterminds behind some of the city’s most prestigious hotel names: Claridge's, The Berkley and The Connaught. It’s sleek, modern, and excels at just about everything. The food, the spa, the gym and the rooftop bar are institutions in their own right, and it’s hard to pinpoint the best bit of an overnight stay.
I’m staying in a Park Suite overlooking Hyde Park, and I’m lucky enough to be here on a day when the sun is shining. Is there anything better than London in the summer? Maybe only when it’s enjoyed from a sprawling two-room suite with a walk-in wardrobe larger than my bedroom at home. I make a mental note to open the glass doors that run the length of the balcony and pour a glass of champagne before getting ready for dinner. It is a Friday, after all. 90 minutes later, I pad back through the hotel corridor to my suite, fluffy branded slippers on my feet, feeling utterly zen. I’ve just indulged in a dreamy full-body massage in Surrenne, the basement spa that feels worlds away from the bustling streets of Knightsbridge above. I pour a coffee from the snazziest machine I’ve ever encountered, twisting the dial to switch the digital face from ‘The Emory Espresso’ to ‘The Emory Long Black’ and watch spirals of steam rise into the air. Sinking into the sofa, I resist turning on one of the wide-screen TVs (yes, there is one in each room) and flip through the pages of the slick magazines laid out oh-so perfectly on the curved, low-lying coffee table. There sits one of Cedric Grolet's celebrated creations, and it’s so beautiful it could belong in a museum. Almost too good to eat… almost.
I admire the design: clean-lined wooden panelling on the walls, brown leather chairs and a deep-blue velvet stool at the foot of the super-king bed offset pristine white sheets. In the bathroom, his and hers sinks, an enormous standalone tub and an equally huge rainfall shower stocked with the kind of products that make me want to replace my entire wash bag with newness. I get ready in the dressing room, wrapped in a cashmere robe, and experiment with the trio of Dyson hair styling tools, fantasising this as my everyday life. Tucked up high is a peachy-toned yoga mat and two beautiful grey blankets, presumably for picnics in Hyde Park. The next morning, I’m aware I’ve slept for hours and have no concept of time. The bed has cocooned me in comfort, and I’m in no rush to leave. Instead, we order room service breakfast and soak up the last few hours at the Emory, cashmere robe and all. Sarah Leigh Bannerman
JACK HARDYHyde Park suites, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
We visited Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park at Christmas and I've truly never been anywhere more magical over the festive period. Maybe I never will again… Door staff in pillarbox-red tailcoats and top hats helped us through the grandiose entrance, where a towering decorated tree stood proudly next to a pop-up Gluwein bar. As we checked into the Park suite, we felt truly spoiled. Christmas or not, this is the kind of hotel room that makes you realise life should be celebrated. Ideally here.
In traditional Mandarin Oriental style, the suite's lounge area is all ornate gilded accents and plush neutral-toned furnishings, and there's enough space for an invitingly plush sofa to sit bang-smack in the middle of the room, with a desk propped strategically behind it and a huge cinematic TV in front of it. The mirrored mini-bar is a decorative statement in its own right, its drawers home to neat lines of coffee capsules and perfectly placed ceramics, and the fireplace on the opposite wall adds a homely, cosy touch. Windows run the length of the room, and views span Hyde Park. On the streets below, shoppers bustle past on their way to Harrods, stopping in at some of the city's most Instagrammed coffee-and-cake spots for a sugar fix and a photo-sesh on route.
From high above, I feel worlds away, and I enjoy watching the buzz of the city from the calm of my ‘room’. In the bedroom, an enormous bed and a fitted dressing table with a halo-light mirror and state-of-the-art styling tools. A spacious wardrobe (I can only assume most guests stay here for longer than a night, lucky things) and for our children, two identical wooden cots lined with personalised keepsakes: a towel, a teddy and a tiny toiletries set.
We're assigned a butler, who we're told we can contact at any point in the day or night, and we use WhatsApp to order room service, having driven late into the evening with two sleeping babies. It arrives with a flourish on a silver-domed platter, and is served on a round, white-clothed table that's wheeled in especially for the event. I've never had such a fancy bowl of fries and glass of Diet Coke in my life, and it accurately summarises how indulgent it feels to stay somewhere so swanky, Christmas or not. Sarah Leigh Bannerman
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BENOIT LINERO0603003698Royal Opera suite, Nomad London
It’s difficult to walk past NoMad London’s grand entrance without slowing down so you can get a good peek inside. When it made its way across the pond to London’s Covent Garden back in 2021, locals clamoured to see how the team behind the much-loved New York hotel had reimagined such an iconic building (the grade II-listed former Bow Street Magistrates' Court and Police Station was totally transformed, with 91 rooms and 16 suites).
Four years on and as I make my way up the stairs and across the squashy carpets towards the impressive mahogany check-in desk, the buzz from the lounge to my right and the glass-roofed restaurant to my left indicates that its popularity isn't waning. I’m here to check out the Royal Opera Suite – named after the other historic building that my room’s huge sash windows look out onto. It’s opulent, showy and super comfortable. In the bedroom, a vast, cloud-like bed takes up most of the space, although the freestanding gold bathtub is the real showstopper. Everywhere you look, there’s a thoughtful layering of textures – eclectic prints, vintage-inspired wall lamps, sleek wood flooring, intricate rugs, marble fireplaces, and antique desks covered in niknaks. And then there’s the bathroom – with its golden mosaic tiles, cool marble, and aged brass fixtures, it’s a jewel box that you could easily spend an evening in. But that would mean missing out on NoMad’s decadent dining spots; head to Side Hustle for flavour-packed Mexican fare and punchy margaritas with a twist, or to Twenty8, where the team rustle up American bistro favourites in a romantic setting. If all that wasn’t pampering enough, top London facialist Kate England has set up shop in a suite offering massages, peels and microneedling from the most comfortable treatment room I’ve ever encountered. Sarah Allard
Address: 28 Bow St, London WC2E 7AW
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KENSINGTON LEVERNEGeorgian suite, Claridge's
Claridge’s could’ve rested on its chintzy laurels and traded on past glories but this Mayfair stalwart, founded in 1812, knows how to keep things fresh. By enlisting the likes of Diane von Furstenberg and other designers, it has ensured that it bestrides both classic and modern worlds in a way few other hotels can. In the two-bedroom Georgian suite, designer Michelle Wu has devised an impeccable meld of Victorian heritage with a light touch of chinoiserie. The chequered-floor hallway leads into the living room where, from the double-height ceiling, a chandelier hangs above a marble-topped coffee table. The overall palette – a mix of gold-trim ivory, grey, smoky blue and white marble – is a balm to the eyes. A Steinberg baby grand piano sits beneath an Old Master oil painting, yet you'll find modern sculptural works by Annie Morris in other areas of the 2260 sq ft suite. Next morning, the 24-hour butler delivers breakfast to my separate dining room (adjacent to the kitchen), which is lined with hand-embroidered silk de Gournay panels. Clutching a pain au chocolat and swaddled in my personally monogrammed Claridge's bathrobe, I saunter to the spacious balcony overlooking Brook Street and marvel at Claridge’s enduring talent for blending beauty, modernity, history and style. Noo Saro-Wiwa
GEORGE APOSTOLIDISHanover suite, Mandarin Oriental Mayfair
Mandarin Oriental Mayfair’s opening was a long-time coming. Devotees of the glitzy Hyde Park address no doubt refreshed their travel plans to coincide with the June 2024 opening, longing for a peek inside the contemporary haven situated on the corner of Hanover Square. Inside, 50 guestrooms and suites are joined by 77 private residences that house some of the capital’s most discerning visitors, who feast in the on-site restaurant between Bond Street shopping and Mayfair ambling.
While residences may be best suited for families requiring more extended stays, there’s one in-demand suite that’s had the glitterati swooning – the Hanover Suite. So named for the view of one of London’s best-known verdant oases through the open-plan lounge’s floor-to-ceiling windows, it’s more akin to a Mayfair pieds-à-terre than a short-stay bolthole. The lounge’s emerald greens and creams flow into a kitchen area which, while excellently equipped, is unlikely to see much culinary action. The walk-in wardrobe that separates the living and sleeping areas is a haven in itself, silky kimonos placed in a space otherwise reserved for the masses of luggage guests of such an establishment travel with. Natura Bissé products scent the bathroom, where heavenly bubble baths are accompanied by Champagne, transporting guests (mentally, at least) far away from the hustle and bustle of the capital’s busiest streets just meters away. Connor Sturges
Mark ReadhotelHarlequin suite, The Dorchester
Some suites are all about the size, others about the charisma. While the Harlequin Suite is the largest roof suite at The Dorchester, much of its appeal lies in the patina of glamour it has accumulated over the years, like layers of Chanel lipstick. Previous inhabitants include Tom Cruise and Mariah Carey, but really this suite is imbued with the spirit of one woman: Elizabeth Taylor. The Hollywood star honeymooned here with five of her eight husbands, and was lying in the bath when she heard she’d landed the role of Cleopatra in 1962. The Fifties-era bathroom, adjoining the second bedroom, has been preserved in all its powder-pink marble glory (I thought about recreating the scene but see myself more as Mark Antony and took a shower instead); the rest of the space has since been updated with a clean-lined tactility, from the toffee-brown leather chaises, Nepalese woollen rug and ivory silk wall covering in the living room to the shagreen-lined dressing table and walnut floors of the master bedroom.
A crystal chandelier by Metalarte shimmies over the dining room table like a disco ball; French doors lead to the terrace, for widescreen views over the treetops of Hyde Park. Accessed by its own little staircase, this feels like a light-filled eyrie high above the clamour of Park Lane – just the place for an actress with the world at her feet. While staying here, Taylor would keep a stash of her favourite tipples in a chest at the bottom of her bed – I found it more convenient to ask the suite butler, appearing out of a secret door, to mix me a Martini. Rick Jordan
Dover suite, Brown's Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel
I’m very fond of Brown’s. Brown’s is a Bill Nighy of a hotel. A classic-blue-suit-and-loafers sort of hotel, rather than a buttoned-up dinner suit one, with a twinkle in its eye and a shimmy in its stride. It doesn’t appear to be trying too hard, in other words, sporting a nonchalant charm and style all its own, from the wood-panelled Victoriana of the drawing room, reassuring as a conker, to the Swinging Sixties pizzazz of the Donovan Bar (like a swan drifting silently across a lake, of course, there is unflagging graft and endeavour beneath the surface.) Its suites are similarly bohemian. Take the Sir Paul Smith one, created by the British design icon in 2023, a Pop Art mosaic of colour, stripes and shape that mixes serious Italian furniture – a Mario Bellini leather desk chair, the DePadova sofa – with witty touches such as the banana door handle cast in bronze, and a copper Wellington boot by the fireplace holding an umbrella. Less of a statement piece but more bucolic is the one-bedroom Dover Suite, where fronds and flowers are strewn across the wallpaper and fabrics, and armchairs in cornflower blue face one another by the fireplace in the expansive drawing room – a light-filled garden suite in the heart of Mayfair. Staying here gives you an impeccable sense of bagsying one of the best rooms at a house party. Rick Jordan
The Langham, London
There’s an art to staying in a suite at one of London’s grande dame hotels, a modus operandi. The trick is not to be too ambitious; to keep your dance card relatively free and make the right decisions – bath rather than shower, room-service breakfast rather than downstairs – to enable you to fully stretch out and appreciate the space. So while The Langham enjoys what I regard as one of the best locations in London – a minuscule radio wave from Broadcasting House, a stroll away from Marylebone High Street and Regent’s Park, Soho winking in the other direction – try to maintain an amiable aloofness and not to get too distracted. Dating back to 1865, The Langham is one of London’s oldest grande dames (and has the ghosts to prove it), but it’s always tried to keep relevant, sporting one of the most inventive hotel cocktail bars in town and opening its own gastropub, The Wigmore, next door. And when it comes to rooms, it has competed in the suite one-upmanship with as much gusto as other hotels, unveiling the sprawling, £25,000-a-night Sterling Suite for its 150th birthday in 2015 (expensive, admittedly, but it can sleep 12 people, so a snip at just over £2,000 each). There’s also the Infinity Suite, suitable for ‘Princess and the Pea’ types because of its top-of-the-range Hästens 2000T, a veritable millefeuille of a bed made with 37 somnambulant layers of horsehair, cotton and wool; but my favourite is the Cavendish Suite. Designed in restful shades of taupe, grey and silver with the same, streamlined Regency detailing as the rest of the hotel, its two bedrooms are anchored by a sitting room with an L-shaped sofa to sprawl on, the backdrop of Portland Place behind. Even better is the terrace, an elevated platform floating amid the Georgian stucco of the neighbourhood. It’s all elegantly restrained, of course – no maximalist clutter here – although the bathroom’s incredible swirl of dove-grey marble is borderline psychedelic; something to consider while taking a long, leisurely soak in your precious, untangled suite time.
