Haymarket Hotel

Dorset Square Hotel is a stunning Regency townhouse hotel in leafy Marylebone fitted with designer Kit Kemp’s signature colourful, quirky interiors.

While the design may be familiar, the intimate, discreet hotel is a world apart from Firmdale Hotels’ buzzing, ‘scene’ hotels such as The Soho Hotel and Hamyard Hotel. It has the feel of an urban bolthole and is ideal for getting away from it all while still being close to the action of central London.

I recently visited Dorset Square Hotel and used HotelTonight’s booking app for the first time. Each morning, HotelTonight features a wide range of discounted hotel rooms in cities around the world, from budget design hotels to renowned luxury properties.

The app is very easy to use and it can be addictive checking what’s new each day when planning a trip away or a staycation. I spotted Dorset Square Hotel on HotelTonight for £189 for that evening and booked right away.

Arrival

The hotel overlooks the picturesque Dorset Square private garden and has a charming cricket theme running throughout. The entrance is very understated with only a small plaque to reveal its identity as a hotel. On arrival, we were met by friendly staff, contemporary artworks and a pretty flower display.

The Drawing Room

There is a cosy Drawing Room overlooking the square with lots of interesting artefacts and an honesty bar. On the lower level is The Potting Shed Bar & Restaurant, where guests can enjoy all-day dining and a refined afternoon tea.

Dorset Square Hotel features 38 individually designed rooms set across three floors. Luckily our room was located on its own in between the first and second floor, so it was very quiet and private.

The Room

Our Superior Room was quite small, but beautifully designed with padded denim and white paisley patterned walls and hot pink accents. Room features include a large flat screen LCD TV, Tivoli radio, iPod docking station, free wifi, minibar, a spotted pink chair and a writing desk.

The queen-size bed was extremely comfy and covered in sumptuous Frette linen, a beautiful hand-made white quilt and pink and white patterned cushions.

A Welcome Treat

We started our stay in a typically English way with a large pot of tea served with oat biscuits and a chocolate truffle.

The Bathroom

The medium-sized bathroom was designed in Firmdale’s sleek signature marble with a Lefroy Brooks sink, a fantastic walk-in shower with pleasantly strong water pressure, heated towel rails, a Tivoli radio, bathrobes and slippers and a full set of Miller Harris Citron Citron products.

Location

Dorset Square Hotel is perfectly located to explore the chic stores, cafes and art galleries of Marylebone. Well-heeled Chiltern Street is the place to shop for luxury British basics at Sunspel and exquisite candles at Cire Trudon, enjoy coffee and matcha chiffon cake at The Monocle Cafe and indulge in a mani-pedi at Leticia Haute Coiffure.

Shopping in Marylebone

Nearby Marylebone High Street is a little corner of Paris in London with French delights such as agnès b., Kusmi Tea, perfumers Le Labo and La Patisserie des Rêves par Philippe Conticini. We picked up some giant Madeleines from La Patisserie des Rêves to take back to our room as an evening treat.

Dinner at Brasserie Zédel

Tommi’s Burger Joint on Marylebone High Street was packed full, so instead we walked down to Piccadilly for dinner at Brasserie Zédel. The enormous brasserie is buzzing, elegant and ever so French with speedy service and wallet-friendly prices.

We enjoyed the two-course prix fixe menu (just £8.95) of Steak Haché followed by Tarte aux Poires, washed down with a Monaco (a refreshing mix of beer and grenadine).

Our meal was fantastic and I loved the energy and authenticity of the brasserie – perfect for people-watching. Next time,we will leave time for a cocktail in Zédel’s American Bar or a show at The Crazy Coqs Cabaret.

Turndown

When we returned to the hotel, our room had been turned down with a cotton mat placed next to the bed, a complimentary glass bottle of Evian and a branded Temple Spa Calming Mist to spritz on pillows. In the morning, the The Times was delivered and waiting for us by the door.

There isn’t a dedicated spa at the hotel, however it’s possible to book a relaxing in-room treatment by Soholistic using Temple Spa products.

Dorset Square Hotel is ideal for a stylish London getaway, boasting a tranquil location that’s not far from the city’s bright lights. Keep an eye out for Dorset Square Hotel and other central London Firmdale Hotels on HotelTonight for a competitive deal.

This post was created in partnership with HotelTonight. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

All photos by Chérie City

While having a decadent breakfast of Eggs Benedict, coffee and mixed berry juice at the Covent Garden Hotel yesterday with the girls from Indigo PR, I found that the Ruinart and Miller Harris Champagne afternoon tea can now be taken in the hotel’s elegant Brasserie Max.

Following the success of the Ruinart Champagne afternoon tea at the Miller Harris tea salon, you can now experience the Ruinart and Miller Harris Sensory Tea in the stylish, cosy setting of any of the West End Firmdale hotels, including the Soho Hotel, Charlotte Street Hotel and Haymarket Hotel.

Spend the afternoon relaxing in the library, drawing room or brasserie with a glass of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs champagne, a pot of finely blended Miller Harris tea and a selection of delicate sandwiches and cakes prepared by Firmdale Hotel chefs.

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs champagne is perfect for the summer, with refreshing notes of citrus and white peach, and Ruinart Chef de Cave, Frederic Panaiotis, describes Ruinart Blanc de Blancs champagne as “like drinking liquid sunshine”.

To accompany the champagne, there is a selection of four teas created by perfumer Lyn Harris, including Thé Bergamot, Thé Bigarade, Thé Pétales or Thé Violette. I can personally recommend the rose scented Thé Pétales and the Thé Bergamot, a second flush Darjeeling that Earl Grey fans will enjoy.

Lemon cupcakes, peach and vanilla friands and raspberry tarlets were chosen to bring out the notes of citrus and white peach in Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and come with traditional cut sandwiches.

The Ruinart and Miller Harris connection is a story of mutual admiration that begun when Lyn Harris visited the Ruinart cellars in Reims and found parallels between their traditional methods of winemaking and perfumery.

The relationship between Lyn Harris and Kit Kemp is long established, with each of the seven Firmdale hotels providing complimentary Miller Harris bath and body products in all guest rooms.

Read my review of the Ruinart Champagne afternoon tea at the Miller Harris Mayfair tea salon and flagship store and see the photos of the scrumptious tea.

The Ruinart and Miller Harris Sensory Tea is priced at £35 per person and is available until September 2010. For more information, visit the Firmdale website.

A Great Stay at Dorset Square Hotel London