The Royal Horseguards
Overview
When The Royal Horseguards gracefully swept open its resplendent doors in 1884, it commenced over 100 years of Victorian splendor and genuine British hospitality, with an architectural pedigree that immediately made it one of London’s most iconic buildings in the heart of the city. More than 120 years later, this magnificent five-star hotel near Charing Cross, Trafalgar Square, and The Strand, has played host to some of Britain’s greatest writers, thinkers, and political leaders, and recently swept accolades for the AA London Hotel of the Year 2010-2011. Its Victorian façade overlooks the River Thames and is surrounded by winding streets and stately buildings where Britain’s history continues to be written.
In the late 1800s, The Royal Horseguards was a sanctuary from the rough-and-tumble of Westminster politics for members of the National Liberal Club. This was a time when the Oxford English Dictionary was first published, Sir Charles parsons (Newcastle upon Tyne) invented the steam turbine, and the Congo State was launched under Leopold II of Belgium. The Germans occupied Southwest Africa, France was devastated by a cholera outbreak, and the railway was the latest in technological achievement. Nearby, the grandiose London home for British sovereigns, the Buckingham Palace, saw daily Changing of the Guard ceremonies for foot soldiers, while the mounted royal horseguards changed over their duties in Horse Guards Parade, off of Whitehall—giving the hotel its legendary name.
The magnificent architecture of this elegant, imposing presence has earned the hotel Grade I listed status for its cultural heritage. The interior of this prestigious hotel rivals this outer beauty with its hallowed halls that provide a stage for state entertaining, official banquets, and investitures. The sheer richness and decorative luxuriousness mesmerizes with its grand marble staircase, soaring ceilings, and shimmering chandeliers.
One Whitehall Place presents the best architecture of the Victorian Age, giving this striking hotel a unique sense of occasion. The classic elegance and contemporary comfort confirms The Royal Horseguards place among the capital’s most luxurious and desirable hotels where honored guests share its unique history—and discover a hotel as spectacular as its location.
The Royal Horseguards, a charter member of Historic Hotels Worldwide since 2011, dates back to 1884.
The Victorian Era, 1837 ~ 1901
When The Royal Horseguards gracefully swept open its resplendent doors in 1884, it commenced over 100 years of Victorian splendor and genuine British hospitality, with an architectural pedigree that immediately made it one of London’s most iconic buildings in the heart of the city.
Learn more about the History of The Royal Horseguards.
