The Dorchester

I took my mother for Afternoon Tea at The Dorchester as a Mother's Day treat. I booked the gift vouchers online at The Dorchester's own website and they arrived the following day.

Their service was first class and you can email them with any queries and in my experience they replied very quickly.

The Afternoon Tea itself comprised of a selection of Teas or Coffees, followed by sandwichs - egg, smoked salmon, chicken, ham and mustard. They are only small but they bring second round along and always offer you more of everything throughout the afternoon. That was followed by a passion fruit and cream dessert which was lovely. Next came the scones - 2 each (again, they offer you more) with clotted cream and a selection of homemade jam. Finally there was a selection of continental pastries/cakes which were also very good - although perhaps i would have prefered them to be more traditional 'english' cakes, but that's just a personal preference. The cakes we had were still of the highest quality.

I would like to make a point of complimenting the staff, from those on reception to the waiters who served us. All were completely charming and made us feel at ease in the luxurious surroundings. My worst fear was that the hotel would be pretentious, but the people were lovely and it was very relaxing. We arrived at 2.30pm and stayed for almost 2 hours, at no point do the staff rush you to leave.

I would highly recommend The Dorchester for anyone wishing to take Afternoon Tea at one of the top hotels.

Upon spending £300 for a night here, I was expecting a wonderfully relaxing stay.

I knew that wasn't going to happen when a letchy check-in boy from eastern europe showed us to our room and showed us a bedroom, a bathroom and er, is there anything else sir? Urr, no, why, should there be? Okay, it's a bedroom and er, yes, so it is, it's a bathroom.

Of course, he was hanging around like a bad smell for his ahem, tip and he wasn't half brazen about it.

The tip culture really ruined this hotel for me and my wife. It was really in your face and blatent. You couldn't break wind without someone hinting heavily for a tip.

The porter came to take our bags and pointed loudely to the number of bags, repeating the number of bags that were on his trolley. I wouldn't mind but I put most of them on his trolley in the first place!

To get out of the hotel cost me £30 in tips! £10 for the porter, £10 for the maids (who I insist on tipping because they do all the work and get the least credit whilst the mini-bar letchers are rolling in it), and £10 for the guy who got my car (the car parking having cost me £50 for parking there for about 12 hours!).

We went to the restaurant early because we had a baby with us. That was fine until the stuffy clientele made us feel like we were sat there with two heads. The helpful manager having sat us down in the corner and then despite a large empty restaurant, put a romancing couple directly next to us.

The food was from the chinese place, tiger something maybe? Food was at best, below average and the atmosphere very stuffy. Wouldn't recommend it.

I would love this place if it were more child friendly, staff who are friendly because they're actually pleasant people rather than fighting to please you for a big tip (most of whom looked scared to loosen up a bit in case of "the frown".

My best advice would be stay here, enjoy it and don't give them letches tips.

Service in hotels is not what is used to be anywhere in the world.

I have stayed at many of the best over the years, and consider the Dorchester up there among the World Class leaders with its World Class prices!!!

If you want to visit a poorly run 5* hotel, then walk five hundred meters down Park Lane to the Hilton Flagship! It gives new meaning to the word POORLY RUN!!!!

Why oh why are London Hotels so damned expensive...... Rip Off Britain.