Rosewood London: Dogs Are Welcome in Every Restaurant and Bar

Your dog can sit with you in the restaurant. Not the lobby, not a designated corner. The restaurant, the bar, all of it, free of charge.

That is unusual enough at a five-star hotel to be the first thing worth knowing about Rosewood London.

“Rosewood London welcomes cats and dogs free of charge.”

And then the line that separates it from the many hotels that technically allow pets:

“Pets are welcome in all food and beverage outlets.”

All of them. Holborn Dining Room, Scarfes Bar, the Mirror Room, the Terrace. No supplement, no size limit published, cats included.

The conditions are short and reasonable:

Pets should always be kept on a leash.

Owners pick up after them.

No pets in the spa or fitness facilities.

“Please make every effort to keep your pets from barking indoors.”

That is the whole policy. If you are looking for a dog friendly hotel in central London where the dog is genuinely included rather than tolerated, this is the clearest version of it we have found.

The cheapest way in is twelve hours a week

You do not need a room to use Rosewood London, and the least expensive door is a takeaway counter with very short hours.

The Pie Hole: “Available Tuesday to Thursday from 11 am to 3 pm.”

Twelve hours a week, three days, four hours a day. Handcrafted British pies, baked fresh each morning, pre-ordered or collected to take home.

Miss that window and the pies are not available to take away at all. Friday to Monday, there is no counter.

The Pie Room behind it is a glass fronted kitchen devoted to British pie making, which turns into a private dining room in the evening. The format is specific: up to 10 guests, seated around the kitchen counter itself.

There is also a Pie Making Masterclass, hands-on with the hotel’s pie makers, and each session ends with pies to take home.

Scarfes Bar opens at 4pm

The other way in, and the hours are simple.

Scarfes Bar: 4pm until late. Reservations on 020 3747 8620.

Velvet armchairs, antique books, an open fire and the original works of Gerald Scarfe on the walls, in a room the hotel describes as reminiscent of a classic gentlemen’s club. Live jazz features in its own listed experience.

Nothing opens before four, so this is an evening room rather than an afternoon one. For the afternoon, the Mirror Room serves breakfast and Art Afternoon Tea with a Champagne bar, and Holborn Dining Room is the grand brasserie, adjoining both the Terrace and the Pie Room.

The Terrace is the courtyard: Mediterranean-inspired alfresco dining, seasonal cocktails and Neapolitan pizzas.

No prepayments inside 72 hours

An odd rule, stated plainly, and worth knowing if you are trying to settle a bill in advance.

“Please note that the hotel does not accept prepayments made within 72 hours of arrival.”

So if you are booking for someone else, or arranging payment from abroad, the window closes three days out. After that it has to be settled at the hotel.

The cancellation deadline is tighter and more conventional:

“Any cancellation or amendment to a reservation is received by 6 p.m. hotel local time the day prior to arrival in order to avoid a penalty charge.”

Later than that and one night’s rate is charged. Group bookings and some promotions run on different terms.

Check-in from 3pm, check-out at 12 noon.

On pricing: all rates are quoted in sterling and include 20 per cent tax, so the number you see is the number you pay, and a change in the VAT rate flows through automatically.

Children up to 16 stay free, but under 18s cannot check in alone

Two separate rules that are easy to conflate.

“Children aged 16 and under may stay in their parents’ room at no additional cost, and an extra bed can be provided upon request in selected room types.”

Sixteen and under, free, in the parents’ room. The extra bed depends on the room type, so ask when booking rather than on arrival.

Then, separately:

“We require all guests under the age of 18 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian when checking in and checking out.”

So a 17 year old can have a room but cannot check into or out of it without an adult present. That catches families sending older teenagers ahead or collecting them separately.

The smoking area is in the courtyard, 24 hours

Short and useful, because most hotels send you to the pavement.

“Smoking and vaping are not permitted inside the hotel. Our dedicated smoking area in the courtyard is open 24 hours.”

Vaping counts as smoking indoors, and the courtyard never closes.

What else is in the building

Sense, A Rosewood Spa, with treatment rooms and a sauna, plus a separate fitness suite and the Face Place for facials.

Services listed: concierge, in-room dining, daily housekeeping with evening turndown, butler service for the top suites, a full-service business centre and valet parking.

Events run from the Grand Ballroom down through salons, the Chairman’s Boardroom, a Living Room and a Dining Room, with private hire of the restaurant and bar available.

Where it is

Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN.

Holborn on the Central and Piccadilly lines is the nearest station, with Chancery Lane and Covent Garden both walkable. It sits between the West End and the City, which is why the hotel’s own marketing points in both directions.

The building is a Belle Époque former insurance headquarters arranged around a courtyard, which is where the Terrace and the smoking area both sit.

How to plan it

Travelling with a dog or a cat: free, and welcome in every bar and restaurant. Not the spa or gym.

Not staying but want in: the Pie Hole, Tuesday to Thursday 11am to 3pm.

Evening drink: Scarfes Bar from 4pm.

Afternoon tea: the Mirror Room.

Cancelling: by 6pm the day before, or one night is charged.

Paying ahead: do it more than 72 hours out.

With children 16 or under: they stay free in your room, but confirm the extra bed when booking.

A 17 year old needs an adult at check-in and check-out.

Check-in 3pm, check-out noon.

Rosewood London

Address

252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN

Nearest

Holborn on the Central and Piccadilly lines, with Chancery Lane and Covent Garden both walkable

Hours

Check-in from 3pm, check-out at noon. Scarfes Bar 4pm until late. The Pie Hole takeaway counter Tuesday to Thursday 11am to 3pm

Booking

Direct. Cancellations and amendments must reach the hotel by 6pm local time the day before arrival or one night’s rate is charged. The hotel does not accept prepayments made within 72 hours of arrival

Price

Rates are quoted in sterling and include 20 per cent tax. Children 16 and under stay free in their parents’ room, and cats and dogs are free of charge

Standing

A Belle Epoque former insurance headquarters on High Holborn arranged around a courtyard, holding Holborn Dining Room, the Pie Room, Scarfes Bar, the Mirror Room, the Terrace and Sense, A Rosewood Spa

How to get in

Cats and dogs stay free and are welcome in every food and beverage outlet, not just public areas, though not in the spa or fitness facilities. The Pie Hole takeaway counter opens only Tuesday to Thursday from 11am to 3pm, which is the cheapest way into the building. Scarfes Bar does not open until 4pm. The hotel refuses prepayments made within 72 hours of arrival. Children aged 16 and under stay free in a parent’s room, but all guests under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at check-in and check-out. Smoking and vaping are banned indoors, with a 24 hour smoking area in the courtyard.

Where to go next

Dog friendly restaurants cover the rest of the places that mean it, and afternoon tea compares the Mirror Room with the others.

The best cocktail bars covers Scarfes Bar in context, and the hotels page compares the rest.

Questions we get asked

Is Rosewood London dog friendly?

Unusually so. Cats and dogs are welcomed free of charge, and the hotel states that pets are welcome in all food and beverage outlets, meaning the restaurants and bars rather than just public areas. Pets must be kept on a leash, owners clear up after them, and pets are not allowed in the spa or fitness facilities. The hotel also asks that guests keep dogs from barking indoors.

Can you visit Rosewood London without staying there?

Yes, through several rooms. The Pie Hole takeaway counter sells handcrafted pies Tuesday to Thursday from 11am to 3pm, which is the cheapest way in. Scarfes Bar opens at 4pm until late, Holborn Dining Room is a full brasserie, the Mirror Room serves breakfast and Art Afternoon Tea, and the Terrace in the courtyard does Neapolitan pizzas and cocktails.

What is Rosewood London's cancellation policy?

Cancellations and amendments must reach the hotel by 6pm local time the day before arrival. Anything later is charged the equivalent of the first night's rate. Group bookings and certain promotions run on different terms set out in the contract or offer. Separately, the hotel does not accept prepayments made within 72 hours of arrival.

Do children stay free at Rosewood London?

Children aged 16 and under stay free in their parents' room, with an extra bed available on request in selected room types, so it is worth confirming at the time of booking. Note a separate rule: all guests under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when checking in and checking out, which applies to 17 year olds with their own room.

What time is check-in at Rosewood London?

Check-in is from 3pm on the day of arrival and check-out is at 12 noon on departure. Rates are quoted in sterling and include 20 per cent tax, so the advertised price is the price charged.

Can you smoke at Rosewood London?

Not indoors, and that includes vaping. The hotel has a dedicated smoking area in its courtyard which is open 24 hours, so there is no need to go out to the street at night.