Parking a car at The Dorchester costs £85 a day. Putting an extra person in your room costs £84.
So the car is more expensive than the guest, by a pound, and both are published on the hotel’s own FAQ page where nobody looks.
The dress code is far looser than the Ritz’s
Two Mayfair hotels of equal standing, a few hundred yards apart, with completely different doors.
The Dorchester encourages elegant attire throughout its dining venues, and asks guests to avoid shorts and sportswear during afternoon tea service and in the evening.
That is the whole code. No jacket, no tie, no ban on jeans.
At The Ritz, by contrast, gentlemen must wear a jacket and tie for afternoon tea and for lunch and dinner in the restaurant, and jeans are not permitted for anyone.
So if you want Mayfair afternoon tea without borrowing a tie, this is the hotel. And note the inversion: The Dorchester holds more Michelin stars than The Ritz and has the more relaxed dress code.
Three Michelin stars, and three other restaurants
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester holds three Michelin stars. Contemporary French haute cuisine, and the only three-star room in any of these hotels.
The Grill at The Dorchester is the informal one.
China Tang at The Dorchester is the Cantonese room.
The Promenade is where afternoon tea is served.
Bars: the Artists’ Bar, the Vesper Bar, The Snug at Vesper Bar and the Vesper Bar’s upper area. Plus Parcafe and The Spatisserie.
Private dining: Table Lumière, Salon Privé, the Chef’s Table and The Wine Vault.
Dogs can come to afternoon tea, in a carrier
The most precisely drafted pet policy of any London hotel.
Up to two small dogs, maximum 7kg or 15lbs, at a daily fee of £35.
Then the detail. Dogs must remain in your room while you visit the bars, Alain Ducasse, China Tang, The Grill, the spa or the gym. In The Promenade they are allowed, if kept in a carrier.
So a dog is welcome at afternoon tea and nowhere else you would eat or drink. At £35 a day it is also the cheapest of the three charges on this page, less than half the parking.
There is no pool, and that is fine
Guests at The Dorchester have access to the pool at the neighbouring hotel, 45 Park Lane.
Which means the hotel has no pool of its own. The spa has treatment rooms, fitness facilities and personalised wellness services, and the swimming happens next door under the same ownership.
Worth knowing before booking if a pool matters, because it is a walk rather than a lift.
The charges, in order
Valet parking: £85 per day.
Extra bed, for guests aged 13 and above: £84 per night.
Dogs: £35 per day, up to two, maximum 7kg each.
Infant cots: complimentary.
Note the age line on the extra bed. Thirteen and above needs a bed at £84; a baby needs a cot and that is free. There is nothing published between the two.
Two accessible rooms
The Dorchester has two accessible guest rooms designed for guests with accessibility requirements.
Two, in a hotel of this size, is worth knowing early, because they will go.
No smoking inside
A strict non-smoking policy applies inside the hotel. Smoking is permitted in outdoor areas only.
That is a clear difference from The Ritz, which runs a cigar shop as one of its six food and drink venues.
Cake and flowers, 10am to 7pm
Cake & Flowers is open daily from 10am to 7pm, as a boutique you can walk into, with Click and Collect, and with delivery anywhere in London.
So you can buy a Dorchester cake without booking anything, which is the cheapest way through the front door. There is also a florist boutique and an art programme.
Where it is
Park Lane, Mayfair, London W1K 1QA, overlooking Hyde Park. Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch are the nearest stations.
The hotel is part of Dorchester Collection, whose other UK properties are 45 Park Lane next door and Coworth Park at Ascot.
Suites run from Superior, Deluxe and Executive Junior Suites up through the Mayfair, Belgravia, Hyde Park, Dorchester and Regal Suites to the Garden Terrace, the Oliver Messel Terrace and The Royal Suite.
How to plan it
Dress: avoid shorts and sportswear for tea and in the evening. That is all.
Three Michelin stars: Alain Ducasse. Informal: The Grill.
Driving: £85 a day for valet parking, which is more than an extra bed.
With a dog: £35 a day, under 7kg, two maximum, and it can join you at tea in a carrier.
With a baby: the cot is free. With a teenager: £84 a night.
Wanting a swim: the pool is at 45 Park Lane next door.
Needing an accessible room: book early, because there are two.
Not booking anything: Cake & Flowers, daily 10am to 7pm.
The Dorchester
- Address
- Park Lane, Mayfair, London W1K 1QA, overlooking Hyde Park
- Nearest
- Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch
- Hours
- Cake & Flowers open daily 10am to 7pm. Restaurant and bar hours vary by venue
- Booking
- Online or through the reservations office by email
- Price
- Five-star hotel rates. Valet parking 85 pounds per day, extra bed for guests 13 and over 84 pounds per night, dogs 35 pounds per day, infant cots free
- Standing
- A Park Lane hotel with the three Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse, four restaurants and four bars, part of Dorchester Collection
How to get in
The dress code asks only that guests avoid shorts and sportswear at afternoon tea and in the evening, which is far looser than The Ritz’s jacket and tie. Valet parking at 85 pounds a day costs more than the 84 pound extra bed. Dogs are welcome at 35 pounds a day, up to two under 7kg, and may join you at afternoon tea in The Promenade if kept in a carrier, but nowhere else. There is no pool, guests use the one at 45 Park Lane next door, and only two accessible rooms.
Where to go next
The Ritz is the stricter Mayfair alternative, and Claridge’s has the festive tea blackout.
The hotels page compares the rest, and London dress codes cover the other doors with rules.
Questions we get asked
What is the dress code at The Dorchester?
The hotel encourages elegant attire throughout its dining venues and asks guests to avoid shorts and sportswear during afternoon tea service and in the evening. There is no jacket and tie requirement and no ban on jeans, which makes it considerably less formal than The Ritz nearby.
How many Michelin stars does The Dorchester have?
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester holds three Michelin stars, for contemporary French haute cuisine. The hotel's other restaurants are The Grill, China Tang and The Promenade, which serves afternoon tea.
Does The Dorchester allow dogs?
Yes, up to two small dogs of a maximum 7kg or 15lbs each, at £35 per day. They must stay in your room while you visit the bars, Alain Ducasse, China Tang, The Grill, the spa or the gym, but may join you in The Promenade for afternoon tea if kept in a carrier.
How much is parking at The Dorchester?
Valet parking is £85 per day. That is more than the £84 charged for an extra bed for a guest aged 13 or over, and more than twice the £35 daily dog fee.
Does The Dorchester have a pool?
Not its own. Guests at The Dorchester have access to the pool at the neighbouring hotel, 45 Park Lane, which is under the same ownership. The Dorchester's own spa has treatment rooms, fitness facilities and wellness services.
Does The Dorchester have accessible rooms?
Yes, two accessible guest rooms designed for guests with accessibility requirements. With only two in a hotel of this size, booking early matters.
Can you smoke at The Dorchester?
Not inside. The hotel maintains a strict non-smoking policy indoors, with smoking permitted in outdoor areas only. The Ritz, by contrast, runs a cigar shop as one of its venues.
Can you buy a cake at The Dorchester without staying?
Yes. Cake & Flowers is open daily from 10am to 7pm as a walk-in boutique, with Click and Collect and delivery anywhere in London.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 308 in the guide.
Last checked 6 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
