A night in Elizabeth Taylor's penthouse at The Dorchester

The standout feature is the pink marble bathroom which Taylor personally requested back in the Sixties. She was sitting in that tub when she learned she had scored the role of Cleopatra
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Luke Abrahams12 February 2019

With its pink marble bathroom, private balcony and top notch views over Hyde Park, the London penthouse where Elizabeth Taylor once used to stay is worthy of the late silver screen queen.

The Lowdown

It's The Dorchester, London's 1930s Art Deco hotel with a history as fabulous as its interiors. The hotel has housed dames, duchesses, princesses and the odd Queen, in fact, our very own Queen Elizabeth II used to waltz about the place pre-1952 Coronation (just visit the ballroom for proof).

Standing proud on the most coveted spot on the Monopoly board, Park Lane, the hotel overlooks the grand expanse of Hyde Park and revels in the perks of Mayfair life - fabulous cars parked outside, high-brow boutiques, designer dogs, luxe restaurants and unrivalled member's clubs.

There are plenty of helipads nearby if you want to arrive in style like Liz Taylor, or a 24 hour car park is just around the corner to hide the Bentley... or Green Park station is a 5-minute walk away east.

The Dorchester hotel 

Supreme elegance is the hotel's defining design mantra. Think a golden lit promenade filled with cushty chairs, fresh towering flowers, Zilli concessions and some of London's finest restaurants ruled by none other than Alain Ducasse.

If that's still not enough to sway you, frequent guests include the likes of Kim and Kanye, Kate Moss, Tom Cruise, Victoria Beckham and Mariah Carey.

The Penthouse

Pink! Pink! And more pink! Well, in the bathroom anyway. The two-bedroom Hyde Park facing penthouse was once Elizabeth Taylor's beloved home-from-home. In fact, she adored the space so much she even spent five of her honeymoons here.

With Hollywood glamour at the heart of the suite, it's no surprise people do actually fork out £7,500 a night to stay here. There's a terribly chic desk space with stellar cityscapes of west London, a private dining room crowned by a bespoke Metalarté chandelier along with a cavernous living room (perfect for Instagram), mammoth bar, two huge walk-in closets (all for Taylor's shoes, we imagine) and a rather glorious set of French Doors that lead on to a private balcony with enviable views of Park Lane. Oh, and it's accessed via its own private staircase, because obviously.

Simple but luxe: The main living space in the Harlequin Penthouse 

Design wise, it's clean lines and glass galore. Walls and linens are neutral in style, with dark browns, oranges and greens reigning supreme. The main bathroom is a stunning vision of white marble and there are mirrors everywhere in sight. Hilarious, although necessary additions to the penthouse include a 'Royal Household' standard shoe shine service and pressed clothes on request. The glories of the luxury life, eh?

The standout feature is the lush pink marble bathroom which Taylor personally requested back in the Sixties. It was in that deep tub that Taylor learned she had scored the role of Cleopatra. Worth a million dollars at the time, she even signed the contract in it - glass of champagne in the other hand, we imagine.

Hollywood Glamour: Elizabeth Taylor had the now infamous pink marble bathroom installed in the sixties. 

Best part? It looks dated, but in a fabulous way. Sure it has all the modcons of the modern age - Wi-Fi, massive 70-inch Bang & Olufsen TV, Air Con, Krug Grande Cuvée NV bottles of champagne - but the beauty of this suite is that it is luxurious without desperately trying to appear so.

If all this is a little too much for you, there are 250 other rooms, suites and penthouses to choose from. 115 of them come with park views - some are decorated in utter opulence, others have been redesigned with smart, modern hues.

Food & Drink

You have four very different options to choose from. Those with titanium credit cards should go for Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, a gorgeous space that dishes out Michelin-star French cuisine in a very hush, hush but fab environment. Whilst the interiors are nothing much to scream about, the flamboyance of it all relies heavily on the dishes. ‘Sauté gourmand’ of Lobster and truffled chicken quenelles is a given, along with a rather regal plate of Dover Sole.

Nearby there's China Tang, the legendary Cantonese powerhouse that dishes out some of the finest Dim Sum in the capital and, of course, the floral-lined promenade that serves the hotel's legendary afternoon tea.

Chandelier Galore: The Grill at The Dorchester  

If you are one of those hearty types go for The Grill. I stayed on a Sunday so got to experience Christophe Marleix's roast full on - meat sweats and all. For £65 per stomach, feast on everything from roast beef to pork belly and lamb shoulder, served with fluffy potatoes, monstrous Yorkshires and seasonal veg (kale included). FYI, save room for the sticky toffee soufflé. Lush.

Our advice? Try all four. YOLO.

What to Instagram?

Yourself in the living room and Taylor's bath. Enough said.

Things to Do

Apart from the little Asprey shop you could easily spend millions in, there's a rather fine spa that can be found deep in the hotel. It's all very sparkle, sparkle with nine treatment rooms on offer. Facials are a must (you have 22 to choose from) along with a personal training session with athlete Simon Inman.

If spas are your idea of hell, venture outside into Mayfair. There you'll stumble upon Mount Street, perfect for shopping escapades around the shoe racks of Christian Louboutin, luggage apparel dreams in Goyard and a jaunt in Celine.

The Dorchester, 53 Park Ln, Mayfair, London W1K 1QA. The Harlequin starts from £5000 per night in low season and increases in high season. To book, contact the reservations department.

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