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Original poster

Has anyone stayed at Claridge's?

17 replies

Cappuccinfortwo · 18/12/2023 12:38

It's on my wish list but is way beyond my budget! Are there any tricks for getting cheaper rooms? Can you make them an offer?? And I have never been to a hotel where you tip staff. How much are you expected to tip and to whom?

OP posts:
HappyHamsters · 18/12/2023 12:40

Have you looked at the LateRooms.com site

Original poster
Cappuccinfortwo · 18/12/2023 12:43

Still seems to be over £1000!

OP posts:
HelpMeGetThrough · 18/12/2023 12:45

Can you make them an offer??

Not unless you want to be laughed at!

Interested in this thread?

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Holidays
HappyHamsters · 18/12/2023 13:04

Sunday night is a bit cheaper but Brown's is a lovely hotel then tea at Claridges

GingerKombucha · 18/12/2023 13:12

If you have lots of Amex points you can pay with that, we used hotels.com free night credit to make it a little cheaper but that just got it down to £700 and we needed to stay in lots of hotels to build up the amount. No magic way of making it super cheap and no real offers.

MalcolmTuckersSwearBox · 18/12/2023 13:16

The rooms are extortionately overpriced and you will be charged an extra fee for room cleaning/turn downs, I think it's around £30 a go. A joke when the basic rooms are priced as they are, just include it or add the £30 to the standard room rate, otherwise it feels like they're just constantly wringing cash out of you. The hotel is nice and obviously a classic but they are really only catering to the uber wealthy foreign travellers who are spending eye watering amounts and get the full toadying treatment. Don't stretch yourself to stay there, you'll be disappointed.

I totally agree with Browns instead. It's lovely. Much cosier but still has the luxury feel, plus the bar, Donovan's is much nicer (imo) and less busy. IME, the staff treat you as warmly when you are staying in a standard room as when you are staying in a suite.

goldierocks · 18/12/2023 13:17

Hi @Cappuccinfortwo

I've stayed there once, 20 years ago. For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event and it took me two years to save for it. We also had dinner there (Gordon Ramsay ran the restaurant at the time).

The entire experience was simply amazing from start to finish. I'm from an imigrant working class family, and was raised on a council estate. I was completely terrified that I'd feel totally out of place and break every social etiquette rule in the book! The staff could not have been nicer and completely put me at ease. There is no expectation to tip.

I'd told the reservations team about my reason for booking - we got a special tour of the kitchen during the gap between lunch and dinner service. GR wasn't there during our tour, but he came to our table after dinner to say he'd hoped we'd had an enjoyable evening. Quite a few famous people were there that night too!

The whole thing cost just over £1k (20 years ago) and it was worth every single penny.

Keep an eye on their own special offers page, and go for the less-popular days (Monday/Tuesday nights tend to be less expensive, but not by much).

If you don't have a specific date in mind, it might be worth investigating if the price drops significantly 'on the day', i.e. a very reduced rate rather than under-occupancy. In fact I'm sure they'd tell you if they do this if you phoned to enquire.

Fulshaw · 18/12/2023 13:25

Cappuccinfortwo · 18/12/2023 12:43

Still seems to be over £1000!

It’s Claridges! One of the most famous and luxurious hotels on the planet, it’s not going to £200 a night.

therealcookiemonster · 18/12/2023 13:41

I do love claridges but refuse to spend 1000k a night for a room and bathroom which while undoubtedly luxurious, I will spend time asleep in. the price of a weekend in claridges will buy me a week's holiday elsewhere or if i just have money spare, will help fund contributions to food banks etc.! it's just not worth it. I do however, make regular trips to their reading room restaurant for lunch/dinner as the food and service are lovely and pretty much everything is halal. their Xmas Dinner is glorious and worth every penny.

YouBetYourBippy · 18/12/2023 13:42

I've stayed there twice. It's a lovely hotel with great service but it would not be somewhere I would absolutely stretch myself to stay. We didn't tip anyone whilst we were there - I don't think there is any specific expectation to!

Original poster
Cappuccinfortwo · 18/12/2023 13:44

I didn't expect it to be £200 - where did I say that?

Thanks for the helpful tips and I will check out Browns.

OP posts:
LaChienneDesFromages · 18/12/2023 13:53

We stayed the night after attending a wedding there. It was a lovely experience and everything was just as it should be. Very luxurious and calm, with excellent staff. The wedding was beautiful and again very ‘perfect.’ The wedding catering was by an outside (kosher) company, but the hotel breakfast the next day was gorgeous. I don’t recall tipping- that’s not the norm in any Londn hotels (unless I’ve made a massive faux-pas)

That having been said, it’s neither my favourite hotel stay nor favourite wedding by far (just a bit too formal and perfect for my taste.) And not one of the hotel stays that we talk and talk (and laugh) about, so not that memorable perhaps.

Piccalino3 · 18/12/2023 14:17

This is on my bucket list - but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to stump up to pay the money to do it! I love Claridge's

LightToTheWorld · 18/12/2023 14:19

goldierocks · 18/12/2023 13:17

Hi @Cappuccinfortwo

I've stayed there once, 20 years ago. For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event and it took me two years to save for it. We also had dinner there (Gordon Ramsay ran the restaurant at the time).

The entire experience was simply amazing from start to finish. I'm from an imigrant working class family, and was raised on a council estate. I was completely terrified that I'd feel totally out of place and break every social etiquette rule in the book! The staff could not have been nicer and completely put me at ease. There is no expectation to tip.

I'd told the reservations team about my reason for booking - we got a special tour of the kitchen during the gap between lunch and dinner service. GR wasn't there during our tour, but he came to our table after dinner to say he'd hoped we'd had an enjoyable evening. Quite a few famous people were there that night too!

The whole thing cost just over £1k (20 years ago) and it was worth every single penny.

Keep an eye on their own special offers page, and go for the less-popular days (Monday/Tuesday nights tend to be less expensive, but not by much).

If you don't have a specific date in mind, it might be worth investigating if the price drops significantly 'on the day', i.e. a very reduced rate rather than under-occupancy. In fact I'm sure they'd tell you if they do this if you phoned to enquire.

This is so lovely, what a great experience.

TokyoSushi · 18/12/2023 14:24

Browns is divine, I used to work for the hotel group that they are in, it's also ££££££££££

Gettingcolder · 18/12/2023 15:23

I have stayed at Claridge's but only when paid for by somebody else! It is the height of luxury but I was attending an award function and although the food was lovely, for the function, it was no better than any other top-rated hotel. Breakfast was good but nothing particularly memorable. If I had no need to stay there, I would probably choose somewhere else.

Webex · 18/12/2023 15:45

I do love claridges but refuse to spend 1000k a night for a room and bathroom

I would also refuse to spend a million pounds a night on a hotel!

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