51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences
London's architectural marvel
51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences offers everything one would expect from a hotel by the Taj Group, famed for its attention to detail and genteel service. The hotel provides more of a residence than hotel stay, with 86 rooms and suites divided across three Edwardian red-brick buildings surrounding a charming courtyard.
Ministers Suites and Falconers Suites speak to the hotel’s upscale Westminster neighborhood, but the luxury hotel strikes more of a contemporary tone with modern furnishings in rooms and neon lighting in the courtyard at night.
Check-in is conducted over tea in the cozy lounge with leather-upholstered armchairs, which also serves as the breakfast room. Service has a home-away-from-home warmth that can be hard to find in buttoned-up London, and even international guests will feel right at home thanks to the hotel spa by Anne Sémonin and Indian restaurant, Quinlon.
Ministers Suites and Falconers Suites speak to the hotel’s upscale Westminster neighborhood, but the luxury hotel strikes more of a contemporary tone with modern furnishings in rooms and neon lighting in the courtyard at night.
Check-in is conducted over tea in the cozy lounge with leather-upholstered armchairs, which also serves as the breakfast room. Service has a home-away-from-home warmth that can be hard to find in buttoned-up London, and even international guests will feel right at home thanks to the hotel spa by Anne Sémonin and Indian restaurant, Quinlon.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- All suites, even the basic type, are exceptionally well-equipped with a full kitchen that includes fridge, freezer, stovetop oven, dishwasher and a plethora of dishware and cooking utensils. The washer/dryer in the kitchen doesn’t hurt either.
- A booklet of hundreds of available DVDs is placed in each room, ranging from thrillers to children’s favorites to Bollywood films. As an added bonus, staff will be happy to bring up complimentary popcorn and soda with the movies.
- We love being welcomed to our new home upon checking in, and reception, Library and concierge staff really do go out of their way to make guests feel like they’ve been residents for ages.
- Even the lowest room type is huge by London standards, with a separate sitting area and a gigantic bathroom that includes two heated towel racks, a large glass-walled shower and a deep tub.
Things to Know
- Some of the rooms, such as the Kings suites, are housed in a separate building from the lobby, which means guests can often come and go as they please during their hotel stay, without having the reception, concierge or door staff as a touch point.
- Also, older elevators are more of the rule than the exception in London, but those at the luxury hotel are rather small and worn and are shared by service staff and guests alike, resulting in long waits for those on higher floors.
- Guests of the luxury hotel are invited to partake in the Library’s daily complimentary cocktails and canapés, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There is a free flow of wine, beer and cocktails and a sampling of three delicious canapés.
The Rooms
- The rooms have a contemporary style and an earth-toned color palette, ensuring they’ll meet the tastes of even the most discerning travelers.
- Through the foyer is the bedroom with a king-sized plush bed and a flat-screen television, as well as a three-seat sofa with a coffee table that displays numerous magazines and the day’s newspapers.
- The bathroom is huge, featuring a double-sink vanity, his-and-hers robes and heated towel racks, a spacious tub and a glass-walled shower with fixed and handheld heads.
The Look
- The design style of 51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences has a light enough touch on design flair to border on feeling somewhat corporate. The public areas blend polished wooden furnishings with contemporary framed artwork.
- Bowls of fruit and potpourri are displayed, along with gilt-framed mirrors and leather-bound books.
- The cozy Library of the main building features velvet-upholstered banquettes, leather club chairs and plush embroidered pillows, with fresh pink orchids displayed on the tables.
- Along with Quinlon, its on-site Indian restaurant, the luxury hotel also offers outdoor barbecue and shisha in its central courtyard, and there are a number of other restaurant options available to hotel guests.
Amenities
24-hour room service 
Babysitting services
Bar
Meeting rooms
Restaurants
Spa
Getting There
51 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6AF
TEL44-0-20-7769-7766
