Hotels Kate Middleton Has Stayed At

A private garden with room for croquet gives The Goring an unusually expansive backyard for a hotel within walking distance of Buckingham Palace. Its lawn, planted borders and deckchairs bring something of the English country house to Belgravia, with afternoon tea served on the overlooking Veranda. Run by four generations of the Goring family since Otto Goring founded it in 1910, the hotel carries that personal character indoors. Individually designed bedrooms include garden-facing rooms lined in Gainsborough silk, while the Michelin-starred Dining Room serves seasonal British cooking beneath wall decorations of monkeys drinking Champagne and emerging from cakes. Such playful details give its traditional English style a distinctly eccentric streak.

Ludwig Bemelmans’s murals and nightly piano at Bemelmans Bar give The Carlyle an identity that extends well beyond its guest rooms. Cabaret at Café Carlyle makes music central to this Upper East Side Art Deco landmark, where art and entertaining shape the public spaces. In The Gallery, decorator Renzo Mongiardino took inspiration from Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace, creating a distinctive setting for afternoon tea. Upstairs, rooms include designs by Tony Chi and Thierry Despont, while suites furnished with original artwork carry a residential character. Central Park, Madison Avenue, and nearby galleries put the neighborhood within easy reach, but the hotel’s own rooms for music, drinks, and conversation are reason enough to spend an evening here.