Dukes Hotel, now known just as Dukes, is a luxury 90 room/suite hotel at 35 and 36 St James's Place, London, founded in 1908.[1] Previous guests have included the composer Edward Elgar, the author Ian Fleming, and various members of the British royal family.

Dukes Hotel
Map
General information
Location35 and 36 St James's Place, St James's, London, England
Coordinates51°30′20″N 0°08′22″W / 51.5055°N 0.1395°W / 51.5055; -0.1395
Opening1908
ManagementSeven Tides International
Other information
Number of rooms90
Website
www.dukeshotel.com

History

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The close in which the hotel is situated was once known as Cleveland Court,[2] which was named after Cleveland House, the London residence of the Duchess of Cleveland, a mistress of Charles II.[3] In 1801, Henry Thomas Austen, brother of the novelist Jane Austen, had offices in Cleveland Court.[4]

Hotel and bar

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According to The Daily Telegraph, the hotel is "reassuringly old-fashioned".[1] Jack Brooksbank, Princess Eugenie's husband, is reported to have told Richard Eden, the Daily Mail's royalty editor, that there is a secret tunnel from the nearby St James's Palace to Dukes Bar.[5][6] From the hotel itself, Dukes Bar is accessed via "a small, unmarked door".[7] The clientele were once described as a typical Mayfair set: "wealthy, tawdry, and slightly disreputable" but fading into the background after a couple of the bar's martinis.[8]

Guests

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Past guests have included the composer Edward Elgar, who often visited,[9] and the James Bond author Ian Fleming who frequented Dukes Bar where he decided that Bond's favoured drink would be a vodka martini, "shaken, not stirred".[9][6] The Vesper Martini is the Dukes Bar "signature drink" and includes five shots of gin, with a two-drink limit; any attempt to purchase a third one will be declined.[9][6]

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother is rumoured to have been a regular,[6] as well as Diana, Princess of Wales, who had "a small table in the drawing room permanently reserved" for afternoon tea.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Dukes London Mayfair, London, England". The Telegraph. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  2. ^ Laxton, Paul & Joseph Wisdom. (1985) The A to Z of Regency London. London: London Topographical Society. p. 44. ISBN 0902087193
  3. ^ Cunningham, Peter (1849). "A Handbook for London: Past and Present".
  4. ^ Jordan, John O.; Edward, Copeland; Juliet, Mcmaster (May 1997). The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen. ISBN 9780521498678.
  5. ^ McCusker, Kate (5 October 2021). "The Queen has a secret 'booze tunnel' running from St. James's Palace to a fancy cocktail bar". Marie Claire. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d Taylor, Elise (6 October 2021). "There May Be a Secret Royal Tunnel From St. James Palace to This Legendary London Bar". Vogue. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  7. ^ Breen, Martin (10 October 2021). "Explore London from Dukes, James Bond creator Ian Fleming's favourite haunt". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  8. ^ Britten, Fleur. (Ed.) (2008) A Hedonist's Guide to London. London: Filmer. 2nd edition. pp. 112-113. ISBN 9781905428236
  9. ^ a b c Crossan, Rob (21 January 2020). "Dukes London: a St James' institution". luxurylondon. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  10. ^ Dickson-Robinson, Lavinia (15 September 2020). "Dukes Hotel London". i-m-magazine.com. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
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