Lady’s Review of The Goring Hotel in London

One of the hardest things about being an American expat in London is being far away from family. It’s not rare that I wish I could live in England and have my family here at home with me. But sometimes I find a good surrogate, and last week I found just that at The Goring hotel in London.

The Goring Hotel in London

The Goring, which is just around the corner from London’s Victoria station and Buckingham Palace in Belgravia, is best known for being the place where Kate Middleton and her family stayed the night before the Royal Wedding.

But the family-owned five-star luxury hotel has been around for over 100 years. When they invited me to have a little staycation in London, I gladly accepted.

Afternoon Tea at The Goring

After a warm welcome at reception, I met the guest relations manager in the sunny yellow tearoom for a glass of champagne.

I had been to afternoon tea there a number of times, and the cheerful yet traditional space remains one of my favorite places for tea in London. And I’m not alone; the UK Tea Guild has given it the Top London Afternoon Tea Award.

Drinks and Canapes

While we were catching up, a tray of canapes came by. We sampled some, and the manager explained that the owners of The Goring hotel believe in treating guests like extended family.

So much so that they offer them complimentary nibbles at happy hour. It was a nice touch.

Later that evening I met some fellow expat friends for dinner, and when I returned I was happy that the staff knew my name and room number without having to ask. It really was like being part of the family.

Suite at The Goring Hotel

My friends joined me in my suite for a girls’ night in. We sat in the classically decorated sitting room, an intimate space with two sofas and historic paintings on the walls. It felt quintessentially British to us foreigners, and we loved it.

As we passed the evening, we enjoyed another treat from The Goring.

The hotel occasionally sends guests cocktails while they’re dressing for dinner, and two butlers brought us beautiful silver trays with crystal pitchers, buckets of ice, silver cocktail shakers, olives, and martini glasses.

We mixed our drinks, playing bartender as we caught up. It was the perfect night in.

When the girls went home, I retired to my suite’s bedroom, which had benefited from turndown service while I was at dinner.

The Goring Sheep

But the best part of the room was a small sheep the hotel had left next to my bed. She was a tiny token of cuteness that made me feel happily at home.

The Restaurant

The next morning I woke up early and headed downstairs for breakfast. The dining room was beautifully light and bright, and I enjoyed everything from a croissant to an omelet while sipping a latte.

The Rubber Duckies

Back upstairs, I took a quick shower, enjoying the luxurious Molton Brown cosmetics and wishing I had time for a bath in the nearby tub, which had a television above it and some adorable rubber duckies next to it.

The Goring Free WiFi

But sadly I had to head to my real home, if for no other reason than that while The Goring treats guests like family in most ways, it doesn’t go so far as to extend complimentary WiFi (although I later learned that they do offer it in suites…wish I had known!).

I couldn’t justify paying for it when I had WiFi at my flat just down the road. It was the only downside to an otherwise excellent stay. Thankfully they’ve updated their policy since then and the hotel now offers free WiFi.

The Goring Hotel Review

Leaving the hotel, I got a personal send-off from the staff. When they learned that I was a local, they invited me to come back to The Goring hotel in London any time.

It was a warm gesture that made me want to return to experience more of their hospitality and get my surrogate family fix. And my surrogate sheep fix. This is England, after all.

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