The Dorsett Shepherds Bush is a four star hotel with a five star feel. The converted cinema in Shepherd’s Bush holds 317 luxury rooms and suites, two restaurants, a bar, spa, executive lounge and meeting rooms, all with a contemporary and elegant style mixing British and Chinese influence.
The lobby is all black, gold, sleek and shiny tiled hosting dark wooden slated walls with gold spotlights resting in the floor lighting the walls. Cinema lights and props are dotted about and the odd picture of an actor graces the walls. It has a very Art Deco feel and the marble tiled floor leads you to Pictures, the all day dining brasserie style restaurant, which serves ‘contemporary European cuisine’ with a barbecue in the warmer months. The space is open plan, looking out onto the street at one end, with outside tables laid up. White walls hold gold framed mirrors, while a wall of glass combines a dark wood feature to ensure your privacy from the lobby. Shiny black tables sit on a wood floor and the room is lit by gold feature lighting with half the ceiling being made of glass letting in much natural light. Chairs are ensconced in a silvery grey velvet and are a wide and comfortable throne for your meal. I enjoyed breakfast here, which serves up a large selection of food including your usual cereals, cold meats, cheese, pastries, breads and traditional English breakfast items on a hot buffet. In addition to this you can have noodles, beef sausages, bagels and there is an omelette bar where you can have a bespoke omelette made in front of you. There was no hot menu to order from but there was more than enough to choose from on the buffet.
Shikumen is the resident fine dining restaurant offering Asian cuisine in a modern space with décor reflecting the gate buildings of 1940s Shanghai. Food offered includes home made dim sum and Beijing Peking duck carved at your table. For an afternoon treat or pre dinner cocktail the atrium bar, Jin is light, bright and offers luxuries such as celebration afternoon teas to include Champagne.
My room was a corner suite with superb floor to ceiling windows along a curved wall allowing plenty of daylight to fill the room. Running along the back of the room was the bathroom, which had entrances from either end. A separate shower had a large, flat shower head offering a tropical rain like wash and all the extras were there such as a disposable razor and shaving cream, toothbrush and the typical toiletries found in a hotel. There were two sinks sitting in a black unit with Art Deco style mirrors above and plenty of surface space to store your toiletries. A set back toilet, light wood flooring, white marble tiled walls and set back windows at one end completed the look. I liked the layout of the room with doors either end and the mirrors situated in the right places – not in front of the toilet or shower – I can’t stand that!
Back to the spacious room, which reflected the modern Chinese influenced décor as previously mentioned. A pale brown wallpaper sat on the back wall with birds and traditional houses in white forming the pattern. Creams, golds, browns and metallics ruled the room and cream furniture with mirrored fronts behind a decorative wood pattern formed a wardrobe and cabinet, which held a mini bar. A large cosy bed offered us a few good night’s rest and a desk and comfortable white swivel chair came in handy, as did a brown velvet two seater sofa and a black and gold oval coffee table. The curtains were a little shiny for me, they were a light bronze colour and covered a lot of the room but that really is picking it apart! We had a delicious bowl of fruit delivered and housekeeping did a great job of tidying up between our two nights.
The hotel is very stylish as a whole and, although it holds four stars, I really felt we had a five star room. You can see that money has been spent on this hotel (opened to the public in 2014) and it certainly offers a luxurious stay with elegant décor.
There are three meeting rooms available, all fully equipped and offering groups of up to 14 in one room or more if rooms are combined. There’s a spa with four treatment rooms where you can book in for a massage, facial, aromatherapy treatment, among others, and there is also a sauna and steam room. A gym is open 24 hours a day and rests on the seventh floor and a range of services are available to make the most of during your stay including babysitting, a limousine service and valet parking. The hotel overlooks Shepherds Bush Green but is not in the most upmarket of areas. It is conveniently located within a few minute’s walk of two tube stations and is a five minute drive to the M4 and M40 so is easily accessible. Westfield London shopping centre is a dream for the visiting shopper and it is a two minute walk away.
In a nutshell
A modern, elegant and stylish hotel with all the luxuries you would need. A stay in a suite is a must as is a Champagne afternoon tea and visit to Shikumen after a hard day’s shopping or soaking up some London culture.
Address: 58 Shepherd’s Bush Green, London W12 8QE / 020 3262 1026
