This morning we had a sleep-in and a pretty slow start. It may be that we are at that part of a trip where things all start to catch up a bit. We’ve been away for just over three weeks and we’ve covered quite a bit of ground.

We got down to breakfast just before 10:00 am and relaxed over a rather large breakfast. It seems that we are still no better at judging how much food to order!

Breakfast at The Dorchester.
Breakfast at The Dorchester.

With breakfast done we went upstairs and re-packed our suitcases. We are staying in London but changing hotels today. We have thoroughly enjoyed The Dorchester but we are moving next door today to 45 Park Lane, a more boutique hotel (but still part of the Dorchester group). So after packing we went downstairs, checked out, and headed off for a walk and some shopping.

We had a very enjoyable day just walking around. We didn’t get very far, basically just staying in Mayfair the whole day. We did a bit of shopping, which is very easy to do in Mayfair!

Andrea, relaxing during an afternoon of walking and shopping.
Andrea, relaxing during an afternoon of walking and shopping.

We walked back to 45 Park Lane and were greeted by the doorman who, somehow, knew who we were even though we were yet to set foot in the hotel! The staff at the reception desk had taken care of everything and our bags had been seamlessly transported from The Dorchester and were already in our room. Alina, the Director of Guest Experience, escorted us to our room and spent a bit of time with us, chatting about the hotel and myriad other topics.

Our room at 45 Park Lance.
Our room at 45 Park Lance.

As Alina left, she asked if we had any plans for dinner. We told her that we were thinking of having dinner downstairs at The Cut (the hotel’s flagship restaurant) if we could get in. She said she would see what she could do for us. Within 5 minutes she phoned us to say that the restaurant was expecting us. When we got there, she made sure that restaurant staff knew who we were, and we were duly shown to our table. While we were perusing the menu, Alina returned and introduced the general manager of the hotel to us. We were starting to wonder if they had, perhaps, mistaken us for some celebrities!

We had a really fabulous dinner. It would be redundant at this point to say that we ate too much. But we did! On a trip filled with many great meals, this one was truly a standout. The food may not look as flash as others that we’ve eaten at on this trip but the quality of ingredients, the perfection in the cooking, the staff, and the room itself, all contributed to a great experience. The restaurant is known for its steak and it certainly did not disappoint on that front.

Selecting a steak.
Selecting a steak.
Dinner at The Cut.
Dinner at The Cut.

We had discussed an after-dinner walk but that soon fell by the wayside. So now we’re back in the room and shortly heading off to bed. Tomorrow is our last day in London before we depart for Melbourne on Thursday morning. We may do a bit of sight-seeing tomorrow but we have no firm plans yet.