The Goring

The Goring is the last family-owned luxury hotel in London, and the only hotel to hold a Royal Warrant for hospitality services. Kate Middleton spent the night before her wedding here. The Goring family has run it since 1910, when O.R. Goring built it as the first hotel in the world with central heating and en-suite bathrooms in every room — the kind of innovation that seems obvious in hindsight. The garden, improbably large for central London and overlooked by Buckingham Palace, hosts afternoon tea in summer. 69 rooms, the Dining Room (one Michelin star), and a bar that serves a perfect Martini to guests who understand that the best things in London don't need to announce themselves.