Dukes London evaluation: What it is like staying at a Hilton SLH property in London as a top-tier elite

Booking Dukes London using Hilton Honors points

I booked a two-night stay at Dukes London for 100,000 Hilton Honors points per night.

Hilton elite benefits at Dukes London

While I didn’t feel like my Hilton Honors Diamond status dramatically improved my stay, it certainly helped around the edges (aside from getting the room “free” with points).

Hilton Honors members can expect the following benefits during an SLH stay:

• Member: Guaranteed member discount, complimentary standard Wi-Fi, complimentary late checkout, bottled water and no resort fees on award stays
• Silver: 20% points bonus, fifth standard reward night free and all “member” benefits
• Gold: 80% points bonus, complimentary breakfast (for two guests), space-available upgrades, fifth standard reward night free and all “member” benefits
• Diamond: 100% points bonus, complimentary breakfast (for two guests), space-available upgrades, fifth standard reward night free and all “member” benefits

As a Diamond elite member, I was upgraded to a Superior Twin Room, which is one category above the most basic Dukes London room. This room has what the hotel describes as a “UK Double” bed — in reality, it looks like a glorified twin bed.

Despite holding top-tier Diamond status, I wasn’t really expecting to get upgraded to a suite, especially since I booked with points.

During my two-night stay, I enjoyed complimentary breakfast, a perk for Diamond and Gold elite members. The hotel told me to choose either the continental breakfast buffet or order a la carte.

I had an omelet with spinach and cheddar cheese that would have cost $15. My London-based colleague Jordan Waller tried the eggs Benedict, which would have cost about $21. We also ordered fresh juice and espresso drinks, including a cappuccino with a cute image of the hotel’s mascot.

The restaurant also let me partake in the breakfast buffet, which was limited but had enough variety to satisfy nearly any appetite.

Rooms at Dukes London

Dukes London is a boutique property in every way, with just 79 rooms.

There are essentially two wings of the hotel spread across two Victorian buildings that have been combined to form Dukes.

The property’s standard rooms are as small as you’d expect in central London. Inside the rooms, the antique furniture is showing its age, and the rooms themselves are a bit shopworn. There’s good news on that front, though, as the hotel told me renovations will start sometime in 2025.

As I mentioned, I didn’t get much of an upgrade as an elite Hilton Honors member staying at Dukes London. The room was comfortable, with two twin beds put together to form a sort of king-size bed.

There was a decent-size closet, a small minibar and a coffee maker that made delicious espressos using pods.

Note that there were no free water bottles for this Hilton Diamond, but there was a lovely small work desk. While the hotel didn’t have U.S.-compatible plugs, it did promptly bring up some adapters. While I loved the antique keys, the TV was at least 15 years old; basically, the rooms are really starting to show their age.

The bathroom was small but sufficient, and I liked the black marble look. The hotel offered amenities by Noble Isle, a regional brand regularly used by SLH properties. It specializes in products made in the U.K.

Amenities at Dukes London

When it comes to noteworthy amenities at Dukes London, there’s not much to report. There is a small gym with a few weight machines, two elliptical machines by Star Trac and two stationary bicycles, as well as a weight rack with dumbbells.

Sadly, the Italian marble steam room near the gym was closed and is scheduled to be overhauled when renovations start in 2025, per a hotel employee.

Restaurants at Dukes London

The main restaurant at Dukes London is Great British Restaurant on the lower level of the hotel. In addition to breakfast, GBR (as it’s often called by locals) also serves lunch, high tea and dinner. I enjoyed dinner there one night, starting with a lovely nonalcoholic bubbly called a Royal Flush that’s made with tea and costs $10. I also had butter and bread and a side of buttered rainbow carrots, which cost $6.30, to start.

As a main course, I had a delicious Yorkshire wagyu burger with Somerset brie and summer truffle ($16). It was served with french fries and made for a perfect meal.

There’s plenty else on the menu, including several types of steak, as well as British classics like shepherd’s pie and fish-and-chips.

Of course, no visit to Dukes would be complete without cocktails at the famous Dukes Bar.

It’s not easy to get a table at Dukes, where folks began lining up to enter around 2:30 p.m. ahead of the bar opening at 3 p.m. Fortunately, hotel guests are given preferred seating.

A favorite of author Ian Fleming — as evidenced by the James Bond memorabilia on display throughout — Dukes is known for its giant martinis made fresh at your table. The bar is also reported to have been frequented by Queen Elizabeth before her death.

The hotel told me it limits guests to just two of its signature Vesper Martinis because they are so strong (thanks to five shots of gin). That wasn’t a problem for me since I stuck to a nonalcoholic mojito-style cocktail that still looked very pretty.

I highly recommend a visit to the bar just to say you’ve had an ice-cold martini “shaken, not stirred.”

Accessibility at Dukes London

Since Dukes London has just two fully accessible rooms, it may not be the best option for people with disabilities. Remember that this hotel was once two Victorian buildings, so it’s hard to make them fully functional for those in wheelchairs.

That said, there is an elevator to provide access to higher floors, though it’s not as wide as most accessible elevators in use these days.

While the entrance at the street level has steps, the hotel told me it does have a ramp to use when guests in wheelchairs stay at the property.

Should you book one of the accessible rooms, you’ll have access to wide doorways, lowered furniture and a bathroom with a roll-in shower and grab bars.

Bottom line

Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties are a great addition to Hilton’s portfolio — especially in places like London, where Hilton’s footprint has not been as robust.