For the first time in a year, the famous revolving doors at The Dorchester have reopened. With that, the luxury London hotel has unveiled a new look on its ground floor, including a completely renovated Promenade and Vesper Bar, as well as the new Artists’ Bar. Each area has been totally transformed by such designers as Martin Brudnizki and Pierre Yves-Rochon.
Outside, the façade has received new lighting, creating a welcoming glow across Park Lane. Guests arrive onto an enhanced forecourt, with a green granite underfoot and a landscaped garden area underneath the plane tree. The arrival experience extends into an open lobby, flooded with natural light and bookended by two imposing artworks.
including afternoon tea. (Photo by the Dorchester Collection)
The Promenade—the heart and soul of the hotel—is the setting for “vibrant” dining experiences, including The Dorchester’s afternoon tea. An original collection of contemporary artworks by British artists are adorned throughout The Promenade. Guests can expect a modern British menu overseen by culinary director Martyn Nail. In the morning, guests can enjoy a breakfast of lobster casserole and buttermilk pancakes; for lunch, generous superfood salads accompanied by a trolley of seasonal ingredients, are available. Seasonal British-caught fish and shellfish, from roast salmon to lobster cannelloni, as well as a selection of mains such as the signature chicken and langoustine pie, Delica pumpkin and sage risotto, and Tournedos Aberdeen angus, are dinner menu highlights. Desserts will include The Dorchester signature Crêpes Suzette, flambéed tableside.
Artists’ Bar, an extension of The Promenade, is the place for flowing champagne, seafood and entertainment. The space is also home to Liberace’s legendary mirrored piano, which has been meticulously restored and matches the mirrored ceiling. Six signature cocktails presented at Artists’ Bar take inspiration from the artwork, with ingredients mirroring the references and influences that each artist used to create their work.
Lastly, The James Bond-inspired Vesper Bar (“Bond” author Ian Fleming, who invented the Vesper Martini, stayed and dined at The Dorchester throughout his life), has a new interior inspired by Britain’s “roaring ‘30s.” Ornate design runs throughout the bar, including a 1930s Palladium leaf ceiling paired with a series of Cecil Beaton original drawings and celebrity photographs married with Rosie Emmerson pieces. To coincide with the launch, The Dorchester has enlisted the expertise of Scott Gavin who joins as bar manager, having established an impressive career at Scarfes Bar, Tom Kerridge and Fitz Bar.
The new-look rooms are expected to debut in March. The renovation is the hotel’s largest in over 30 years.
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