There are some London hotels that almost feel woven into the fabric of the city itself, and for me, The Dilly hotel London was always one of them. Long before I ever checked in as a guest, I used to walk past the grand entrance every single morning on my way to work in London, wondering what was beyond the grand and imposing entrance, so finally staying there years later for a work trip felt oddly nostalgic and a definite 360 moment.
Unfortunately, I picked the one week in the year when renovations were disrupting the whole building, which was a bit unfortunate! We had to sneak in the side entrance (above) rather than enter through the main beautiful doors.
Set right on Piccadilly, the location of the Dilly Hotel London really is one of the biggest selling points. You are moments from Piccadilly Circus, Soho, Regent Street and Green Park, which makes it such a convenient base whether you are in London for meetings, shopping, theatre trips or sightseeing. For me, it worked perfectly as somewhere to stay while attending an evening event and dinner nearby, because everything was within easy walking distance. Above is the view from the amazing old windows out onto Regent Street – a pretty fantastic location!
The first thing that strikes you about the hotel is the sense of history. It has that classic grand London hotel feel, with beautiful period features, high ceilings and those slightly old-school touches that make you feel like you are staying somewhere with real character rather than just another modern chain hotel. You can absolutely imagine the glamour the building would have seen over the years. That said, it is fair to say parts of the hotel are looking a little tired in places, especially the corridors and hallways which are certainly not glamorous and needed some TLC in all honesty, as didn’t do the building justice.
As I mentioned, during my stay, the hotel was also undergoing renovations, so some areas were closed off, which was a shame because I had really been looking forward to sitting in the famous orangery-style terrace restaurant. From the photos online, it looks absolutely stunning, so it was disappointing not to experience that part of the hotel fully, but I’m happy to report that I’m going to go back in a few weeks to remedy this!
Even so, the renovation work did not ruin the stay, and you could tell there is a lot of potential there once the updates are complete. In many ways, the slightly faded grandeur almost added to the charm rather than taking away from it.
The rooms at the Dilly Hotel London
My room itself was a really good size for a central London hotel, which immediately made it feel more comfortable and relaxing after a busy day in the city.
The room had everything you would expect, including a desk area, TV, wardrobe and hanging space, complimentary bottled water and a fridge, which is always useful for longer stays or work trips.
As a panelling and period feature fanatic, I loved the details in the room, even though they did need a bit of refreshing to be honest. A lick of paint would go a long way here.
The bathroom was probably the most dated part of the room and could definitely benefit from a refresh, but it was still clean, practical and reasonably well equipped. There was a good amount of complimentary toiletries arranged nicely round the sink and lots of clean facecloths and towels.
Is there a swimming pool at The Dilly Hotel, London?
Yes!! (can you believe it, right under Piccadilly!)
One of the standout features of the Dilly Hotel London was the leisure facilities. Having a proper swimming pool, steam room, gym and spacious changing rooms right in the centre of London feels like quite a luxury, especially at this price point. The morning after my work event it was lovely being able to take a swim and steam – a treat.
What was the breakfast like at the Dilly Hotel London?
Overall, the food options were good and varied but the ambience was really lacking as we were in a function room with A LOT of small tables set up like a school dinner hall.
There were lots of fresh pastries and cold meats, cheese and bread for those who prefer a continental.
The decor was tired, the lights were overly bright and it was very very busy. You had to queue for a machine coffee and the whole experience felt lacking for the price tag (£25 per person!!). I think it would be much better value if you were soaking up the atmosphere of the glass-roofed terrace restaurant and admiring the view across Picadilly, so don’t let my renovation-affected experience put you off.
Another thing worth mentioning is the value. London hotels can be eye-wateringly expensive, especially in this part of the city, but if you shop around on hotel booking sites, there are actually some surprisingly good deals available for The Dilly. I booked mine through Secret Escapes and felt it offered really good value considering the location and facilities.
There were lots of nice little touches, the complimentary water and toiletries and a little card with a list of items in case guests have forgotten anything (although there’s a Tesco 5 minutes walk away so you might be better grabbing any forgotten bits in there to save money and getting some snacks and drinks while you’re there!).
Overall, The Dilly hotel London is probably best described as a grand old London hotel with plenty of charm, an unbeatable location and some fantastic facilities, even if parts of it currently feel a little worn around the edges. If you love historic hotels with character and do not mind a few imperfections, it is definitely worth considering, especially if you can find a good deal online.
Where next?
Looking for things to do in London during your stay?
5 things to do along the Southbank
Take a free visit to St Martins in the fields church and crypt
Want to stay somewhere else?
Read why I wouldn’t advise booking in at the Melia House Hotel, London
Check out all my travel advice and tips on my main travel on a budget hub page
