8 fun facts we bet you didn't know about London's top luxury hotels

Secret cigar cabinet at The Beaumont

1. Secret cigar cabinet at The Beaumont

As you enter the impressive lobby of The Beaumont Hotel, guests will see what looks like a piece of artwork placed in prime sight. However, this is in fact a hidden cabinet that hosts one of the finest cigar collections in the city.

The Writer's Penthouse at The Corinthia

2. The Writer’s Penthouse at The Corinthia

Many don’t know about The Writer’s Penthouse at The Corinthia. Not only is its bold dark wood furniture and personal butler service something to get excited about, but this beautiful suite also features a collection of 1st edition books for you to enjoy. 

Manetta’s Bar at The Fleming

3. Manetta’s Bar at The Fleming

If you follow the gated stairway down to the basement of The Fleming Hotel, you will find the secret entrance to Manetta’s Bar. Hidden away since 1930, the rose gold finishes and plush red seats were once the hangout for art and literature scholars. 

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London

4. Royal entrance at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London

The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London was formerly a gentlemen's club. Due to its location next to the royal-owned Hyde Park, men would enter the club from the park itself. Wanting to dissociate from this, the royal family enforced the front entrance to be moved. Since turning into a luxury hotel, the original doorway is now exclusively used by the royal’s and their inner circle. 

Cocktails at The Dorchester

5. Hidden cocktails at The Dorchester

The famous cocktail maker Harry Craddock was originally based at The Savoy before being enticed to work at The Dorchester in 1938. Once there, his most popular cocktail requests were a Martini, a Manhattan and his signature drink, a White Lady. He sealed the three different cocktails into shakers and placed them inside the bar wall together, where they were later found in the 1970’s. Remarkably the cocktails were still in a drinkable condition and kept with their recipes.

Kaspar at The Savoy Hotel

6. The resident cat at The Savoy

The carving of Kaspar the cat has become a famous resident at The Savoy Hotel. The story goes that a wealthy South African man hosted a dinner party at The Savoy, where two people cancelled leaving 13 to attend. The host of the evening discussed superstitions around the number 13 including that the first person to leave a table of 13 would be the first to die. Back in South Africa, the host was shot dead just weeks later. Due to this, if you book a table of 13 at The Savoy still today, an additional place will be laid, and Kaspar the cat will join you. 

The Rivoli Bar, The Ritz

7. Glass slipper at The Ritz

In 1951, American actress Tallulah Bankhead went to The Ritz Hotel for a press conference. She requested a champagne cocktail which she proceeded to pour into her black suede high heel shoe before shouting “Winston Churchill is my God! I’m just mad about England. I mean Britain…” and then drank. Now, The Ritz serves a champagne cocktail at The Rivoli Bar in an iconic black ‘glass slipper’. 

Rosewood London

8. Book your own postcode at Rosewood London

For a show-stopping stay in the capital, book the Grand Manor House Wing at Rosewood London. With six plush bedrooms connected together, this is the only suite in the world with its own postcode! Booking this ultra-luxury stay is also said to be the most expensive in London, setting you back approximately £25,000 a night. 

And there you have it! Eight quirky facts you didn’t know about London’s most luxurious hotels. Discover more about the city of London or to make an enquiry click here.