The Goring
London’s last family-run luxury hotel — the first in the world to give every room its own bathroom, and the only hotel ever granted a Royal Warrant.
At a glance
The Goring stands on Beeston Place, just east of Belgravia and moments from Buckingham Palace. Opened in 1910, it is the only hotel in London still owned and run by the family that built it, and its royal connections have made it one of the capital’s most quietly prestigious addresses.
History
Otto Richard Goring opened the hotel on 2 March 1910, claiming a world first: every room with its own private bathroom and central heating, unheard of at the time. During the First World War the hotel became a command centre for the Chief of Allied Forces, and in 1917 it served as the U.S. Army’s London headquarters; in 1919 Lady Randolph Churchill, Winston’s mother, moved in.
The hotel has stayed in the Goring family across four generations. In 2011 it hosted Catherine Middleton for her last night before her wedding to Prince William, and in 2013 Queen Elizabeth II granted it a Royal Warrant for hospitality services — the only hotel in the world to hold one.
What you see
The Goring presents a restrained Edwardian façade with 69 rooms and suites behind it, opening to a private garden — a rare thing in central London.
Its Belgravia setting, a short walk from the Royal Mews and Buckingham Palace, is part of its identity as the hotel closest, in every sense, to the crown.
Cultural significance
The Goring is a survivor of a vanished model — the independent, family-owned grand hotel — and its Royal Warrant makes its bond with the monarchy official. From private bathrooms in 1910 to a royal wedding eve in 2011, it has quietly tracked a century of British hospitality.
Key facts
- Opened: 2 March 1910, by Otto Richard Goring
- World first: claimed the first hotel with a private bathroom in every room
- Royal Warrant: granted 2013 — the only hotel in the world to hold one
- Royal wedding: Catherine Middleton’s last night before the 2011 wedding
- Ownership: the only London hotel still run by its founding family
Practical information & getting there
The Goring is on Beeston Place, near Victoria station (Underground and rail). Its dining room and bar, and the celebrated afternoon tea, are open to non-residents by booking.
Sources & resources
- Luxury London — “The Goring: London’s last family-run luxury hotel”
- Historic Hotels Then & Now — The Goring (1910)
- AFAR — The Goring Hotel review
- Wikipedia — Goring Hotel
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