At the western end of Piccadilly, where Green Park meets the grandeur of St James's, stands one of London's most enduring monuments to the art of hospitality. The Ritz London — opened in 1906 by César Ritz and designed by the architects Mewès and Davis — has hosted royalty, heads of state, writers, film stars and the quietly powerful for over a century. To stay at The Ritz is not simply to choose a hotel; it is to make a statement about how one believes a night in London should be spent.
But the quality of a night at The Ritz begins before you step through its Piccadilly doors. The journey to the hotel — from Heathrow's Terminal 5, from a private jet at Farnborough, from a penthouse in Mayfair, or from St Pancras after the Eurostar — is the opening movement of the experience. FFGR UK ensures that opening movement is as composed and distinguished as everything that follows.
The Ritz Arrival: Why Piccadilly Demands the Right Vehicle
The entrance to The Ritz on Piccadilly is one of the most photographed hotel facades in the world. The pale stone Edwardian baroque facade, the burgundy awnings, the liveried doormen — it is a setting that rewards a considered arrival. To pull up in a Rolls-Royce Ghost or a Mercedes S-Class Long, to have your door opened by the chauffeur, to be greeted by the Ritz doorman before you have taken a single step, is to begin the stay in precisely the right register.
The practical aspects of arriving at The Ritz by private car are worth understanding. Piccadilly itself is a major thoroughfare, and vehicle access to the hotel entrance requires a driver who knows the precise drop-off protocol. FFGR drivers are thoroughly familiar with the approach from both the east — from Green Park and St James's — and the west, from Hyde Park Corner. The vehicle is positioned, the door is opened, and your arrival is managed without the awkward pause that characterises a less considered transfer.
"There is no adequate preparation for arriving at The Ritz for the first time — but the right vehicle, the right chauffeur, and the right entrance makes the moment everything it should be."
The Ritz London: What to Expect Inside
The interior of The Ritz is an exercise in Louis XVI-inspired grandeur that has been maintained, restored and enriched over more than a century of continuous operation. The Long Gallery, which stretches the length of the hotel from the Piccadilly entrance towards Arlington Street, is one of the great hotel corridors in the world — gilded, mirrored and impeccably proportioned. It sets a tone that permeates everything from the service to the floral arrangements in the rooms.
Accommodation ranges from Classic Rooms on the upper floors to the elaborate William Kent and Royal Suites. The latter, on the first floor overlooking Green Park, spans over 2,000 square feet and has been used by HM The King and visiting heads of state. Whatever the category, every room is furnished with antiques, hand-woven fabrics, and the kind of obsessive attention to comfort that has characterised the hotel's housekeeping since its founding.
Dining at The Ritz: The Restaurant and Afternoon Tea
The Ritz Restaurant is one of fewer than ten restaurants in London to hold a Michelin star, and its dining room — overlooking Green Park, decorated in the original Louis XVI style with gilded columns and hand-painted ceiling panels — is widely considered the most beautiful in the city. The kitchen delivers classical French cuisine of genuine refinement, with a wine list that is among the most comprehensive in London.
Afternoon Tea at The Ritz requires advance reservation of several weeks, sometimes months, and is conducted across two sittings in the Palm Court — the hotel's central atrium space, flooded with natural light and adorned with an extraordinary floral centrepiece. The tradition of finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones with Devonshire clotted cream, and patisserie served on three-tiered stands to the accompaniment of live piano music is one of London's most coveted experiences.
- The Restaurant: Dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Jacket required for gentlemen. Advance reservation essential — book directly through the hotel concierge.
- Afternoon Tea: Sittings at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm daily. Book six to eight weeks in advance for weekend sittings.
- The Ritz Bar: Adjoining the restaurant, with a cocktail list of considerable distinction and the same Louis XVI decor. Opens for drinks from noon.
- The Rivoli Bar: The hotel's Art Deco bar, a more intimate setting for pre-dinner cocktails. A favourite of the hotel's literary and artistic guests through its history.
Concierge Excellence: Making the Most of The Ritz Stay
The concierge team at The Ritz is among the most capable in London. They hold connections across every sector of London's cultural and gastronomic life — from theatre tickets to private museum tours, from reservations at restaurants with years-long waiting lists to the arrangement of bespoke shopping experiences. The key to maximising their assistance is to request early, specify clearly, and leave room for their expertise to add details you had not imagined.
For guests who wish to explore London from the hotel, FFGR UK can be arranged as the dedicated chauffeur service for the duration of the stay — at the disposal of the guest from morning until late evening. This is a service we provide on daily account terms, with the vehicle and driver reserved exclusively for the guest's use. The concierge is provided with the FFGR driver's contact details, and all movements — Harrods in the morning, the National Gallery after lunch, dinner at Scott's in the evening — are coordinated seamlessly between the hotel and the car.
FFGR Recommends: The Perfect Ritz Arrival
For a first night at The Ritz, FFGR recommends the following arrangement. Arrive from Heathrow or Farnborough in the Rolls-Royce Ghost — the one vehicle in the fleet that genuinely matches the occasion. Request a room or suite facing Green Park; the view from the first floor across the trees at dusk is singular. Reserve the Restaurant for dinner on the first evening, and the Palm Court for Afternoon Tea the following day. Allow the concierge to suggest the appropriate theatre for the evening, and ensure the chauffeur is informed of curtain-down time for collection.
This is not complexity — it is orchestration. And orchestration, whether of a symphony or a perfect stay in London, is what distinguishes the exceptional from the merely excellent.