Hotel Café Royal
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Founded | 1865 |
| Founder | Daniel Nicholas Thévenon (Daniel Nicols) |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Hotel accommodation, dining, private members' club, events |
| Parent | The Set Collection |
| Website | hotelcaferoyal |
The Hotel Café Royal is a luxury five-star establishment located at 68 Regent Street in London's Piccadilly district. Prior to its transformation between 2008 and 2012, the site was famous as the Café Royal, a distinguished restaurant and gathering spot.
History
Established in 1865 by Daniel Nicholas Thévenon, a French wine trader who escaped bankruptcy and relocated to Britain with very limited resources, he adopted the name Daniel Nicols. Under the stewardship of him and his spouse, the Café Royal flourished, becoming renowned for possessing one of the finest wine cellars globally.
By the 1890s, the Café Royal had become a leading social venue. Its patrons included eminent personalities such as Oscar Wilde, Aleister Crowley, Virginia Woolf, D. H. Lawrence, Winston Churchill, Noël Coward, Brigitte Bardot, J. Paul Getty, George Bernard Shaw, Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor, and Diana, Princess of Wales. The venue notably hosted the 1895 encounter where Frank Harris counseled Wilde to abandon his libel lawsuit against the Marquess of Queensberry—a legal battle that eventually resulted in Wilde's incarceration. From 1951 onwards, it became home to the National Sporting Club and was purchased by David Locke in 1972.
In the early 2000s, the establishment continued to be recognized as a prestigious location for exclusive events. For instance, in 2014, Kanye West premiered twenty new tracks during a private DJ performance alongside Frank Ocean at the Café Royal. That same year, the British Fashion Awards after-party took place there, hosted by Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, with attendees including Harry Styles, Cara Delevingne, and Rihanna.
Restoration and conversion
The Café Royal ceased operations in December 2008, after which its furnishings and décor were sold at auction. The building itself is a grade II listed building and preserves many architecturally important elements.
The site underwent restoration and redevelopment led by David Chipperfield Architects in collaboration with Donald Insall Associates, resulting in a hotel comprising 159 rooms. The new facility includes historic suites, various dining options, a private members' club, conference spaces, a ballroom, and a wellness spa featuring an 18-metre swimming pool. The Grill Room continues to serve classic afternoon tea. Hotel Café Royal belongs to The Set Collection group, which also encompasses sister hotels such as Amsterdam’s Conservatorium Hotel and Paris’s Hotel Lutetia.