The Ritz London Hotel

This is a review is of one of London’s grandest hotels, world-famous The Ritz London hotel.
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The Ritz London is set in the bustling Mayfair and St. James district, a luxury, iconic 1906 hotel only a few minutes away from the Royal Academy of Arts and Piccadilly Circus, in the heart of downtown London.

Having been invited to London by Grey Poupon and The Downton Abbey Kitchen, my stay in London was exceptional, and we were fortunate enough to stay the last 2 nights at The Ritz. We also stayed at The Bull and the Hide, and The Halkin by Como, in London.

Inside the hotel, old world charm mixes with first class service. The surroundings are stunningly beautiful, the moment you step foot into the foyer. They change out the flowers with fresh new bouquets every other day; this time, stunning soft pink roses!

The concierge, butlers, porters, door men, reception staff, casion staff and chauffeur were so helpful, with the highest standard of customer service.

Afternoon tea in London at The Ritz is an institution in itself,  served in the spectacular Palm Court, with a choice of several varieties of tea and a delicious menu. We walked through this beautiful area to get to our elevator to take us up to our room, listening to pianists, a violinist, and soloists serenading the hotel guests.

Our room was large, with the most comfortable beds. The room was beautiful; everything is branded with the Ritz logo and has an old world elegance to it. The ornate rooms with Louis XVI-style decor and antique furnishings have free WiFi, flat-screen TVs, iPod docks, and minibars.

The bathroom was large, with heating racks with heavy towels and a large tub.

Turn down is a lovely ritual where your headboard is covered and linen floor mats and slippers are laid out. You really can’t go to bed without “turn down” (which also includes lovely classical music, and a few treats) as the heavy bedspreads are removed.

Dining at The Ritz London was quite the experience, with some of the best cuisine available anywhere in the world.

We enjoyed breakfast with the Deputy Chairman, Andrew Love, and a tour of the hotel.

Along with our traditional English breakfast, which included tea and some of the finest home baked croissants and danish pastries made in The Ritz Bakery, we also enjoyed different flavored “yoghurts.”

RecipeGirl and I had time to grab a quick lunch in the Rivoli Bar, where we had a glass of champagne and enjoyed a classic English fondue. The setting was relaxing and delicious in a creative and boldly-designed setting.

The last day, we enjoyed room service with a beautiful breakfast.

All dining experiences included fresh ingredients, and of course the service was exemplary.

We heard that it can take up to 6-months to get a reservation for high tea, served in a palm tree-lined courtyard.

The day we arrived at the hotel we also visited the Victoria & Albert Museum, touring the Downton fashion and entertaining era.

We were served dinner in one of the oldest restaurants in London, Rules, where we enjoyed a private meal upstairs, hosted by Grey Poupon.

Rules is one of the locations that Edith Crawley & Michael Greason dined for lunch in the show Downton Abbey.

Stay tuned for more of my trip to London, where we went from the Ritz to Bampton & Highclere Castle with a private tour guide, and where we were hosted by Lady Carnavon for high tea in the Downton castle!

Such a delightful trip, in light of the Paris attack that took place on our last night in London, and we were so grateful for our experience, but happy to get home to the States as well.

My trip and stay at The Ritz London was sponsored by Grey Poupon and The Downton Abbey Kitchen; as always, all opinions are my own.

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