London is known for its incredible hotel scene, but one brand has relatively few properties in the United Kingdom’s capital, Hilton. While the Hilton chain has some fine hotels in London, the brand’s reach in major metropolitan cities is less than that of Marriott.
But a new partnership between Hilton and Small Luxury Hotels of the World has really changed the options for Hilton lovers in London.
A work trip to London made me keenly discover the ever-evolving hotel scene, and the collection of Hilton Honors points opened up some interesting new possibilities, as several SLH hotels, including some gems in London, are now part of the Hilton Honors universe. .
I decided on Dukes London in the historic St. James neighborhood, minutes away from some of London’s most important sites, including Buckingham Palace. The hotel is famous for the Dukes Bar, where the creator of James Bond drank martinis back in the day.
But unlike 007, my mission will not be a spycraft. Instead, I tried to find out if SLH properties treat this Hilton Honors Diamond elite member as well as regular Hilton properties.
Book Dukes London using Hilton Honors Points
I booked a two-night stay at Duke’s London for 100,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
While 200,000 points may seem like a lot, it’s a decent redemption in my opinion. Since the hotel was about $1,000 a night during my stay, my points were worth about 1 cent. TPG values Hilton Honors points at 0.6 cents as of our December 2024 Appraisal, making this a suitable redemption value.
Plus, I also earned a few Hilton points during my stay. I earned 2,500 Hilton Honors points through the hotel’s 2024 Power Up promotion, which gives members the ability to earn bonus points for every stay through December 31.
I also earned an additional 2,009 points after charging $136.19 in room spend to my Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which earns 14 points per dollar spent on qualifying purchases at Hilton hotels.
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Information for the Hilton Aspire Card is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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 (other than getting a 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 fee on award stays
- Silver: 20% points bonus, fifth grade reward night free and all “member” benefits
- Gold: 80% points bonus, complimentary breakfast (for two guests), room-available upgrade, fifth grade award night free and all “member” benefits
- diamond: 100% points bonus, complimentary breakfast (for two guests), space-available upgrades, free fifth grade award night and all “member” benefits
As a Diamond Elite member, I was upgraded to a Superior Twin Room, one rung 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 grand twin bed.
Despite having top-tier Diamond status, I wasn’t really expecting to be upgraded to a suite, especially since I booked with points.
During my two-night stay, I enjoyed complimentary breakfast for Diamond and Gold elite members. The hotel asked me to either choose the continental breakfast buffet or order a la carte.
I had an omelette with spinach and cheddar cheese that would have cost $15. My London-based colleague Jordan Waller tried the eggs benedict, which would cost about $21. We also ordered fresh juices and espresso drinks, including a cappuccino with a cute image of the hotel mascot.
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The restaurant also let me partake in the breakfast buffet, which was limited but had enough variety to satisfy almost any appetite.
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Overall, the free breakfast is a great perk. It’s better than what Hilton offers to high-level elite members in the U.S. At most domestic luxury Hilton brands, you might expect $25 daily food and beverage credit.
Room at Duke’s London
The Duke’s London is a boutique property in every way, with just 79 rooms.
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There are essentially two wings of the hotel spread across two Victorian buildings which have been combined to form the Dukes.
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Standard rooms at this property are small, as you would expect in central London. Inside the rooms, the antique furniture shows its age, and the rooms themselves are a bit dated. There is good news on that front, though, as the hotel told me renovations will begin sometime in 2025.
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As I mentioned, I didn’t get much of an upgrade as an elite Hilton Honors member while staying at Dukes London. The room was comfortable, with two twin beds pushed together to form a sort of king-size bed.
There was a decent-sized closet, a small minibar, and a coffee maker that made delicious espresso using pods.
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Note that this was no free bottle of water for the Hilton Diamond, but a cute little work desk. Even though the hotel didn’t have US-compatible plugs, he immediately brought some adapters. While I loved the antique keys, the TV was at least 15 years old; Basically, rooms really start to show their age.
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The bathroom was small but adequate, and I loved the look of the black marble. The hotel offered amenities by Noble Isle, a regional brand regularly used by SLH Properties. It specializes in products made in the UK
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Facilities at Duke’s London
When it comes to notable features at Dukes London, there isn’t much to report. A small gym with a few weight machines, two elliptical machines and two stationary bicycles by Star Trek, as well as a weight rack with dumbbells.
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Sadly, the Italian marble steam room near the gym was closed and will be repaired when renovations begin in 2025, according to a hotel employee.
Restaurants at Duke’s London
The main restaurant at Duke’s London is the Great British Restaurant on the lower level of the hotel. Apart from breakfast, GBR (as it is often called by the locals) also serves lunch, high tea and dinner. I enjoyed dinner there one night, a lovely non-alcoholic bubbly made with tea and priced at $10. I also had butter and bread and a side of buttered rainbow carrots, which cost $6.30.
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As a main course, I had the delicious Yorkshire Wagyu Burger with Somerset Brie and Summer Truffle ($16). It was served with french fries and made for a complete meal.
There’s plenty else on the menu, including a variety of steaks, as well as British classics like shepherd’s pie and fish-and-chips.
Of course, no visit to Dukes would be complete without a cocktail at the famous Dukes Bar.
It’s not easy to get a table at Duke’s, where people start lining up to get in around 2:30pm and the bar opens at 3pm.
As evidenced by James Bond memorabilia – a favorite of writer Ian Fleming – Duke’s is known for its giant martinis made fresh at your table. Queen Elizabeth is also known to have frequented this bar before her death.
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The hotel told me it limits guests to just two of its signature Vesper Martinis because they’re so strong (thanks to five shots of gin). That wasn’t a problem for me because I stuck to a non-alcoholic mojito-style cocktail that still looked pretty good.
I highly recommend that you drink an ice-cold martini “shaken, not shaken.”
Accessibility at Dukes London
As Dukes London only has two fully accessible rooms, it may not be the best option for people with disabilities. Remember that the hotel was once two Victorian buildings, so it is difficult to make it fully functional for people in wheelchairs.
That said, there is an elevator to provide access to higher floors, although it is not as wide as most accessible elevators in use today.
While there are steps to the entrance at street level, the hotel told me it has a ramp for guests in wheelchairs to use when staying on property.
If you book one of the accessible rooms, you’ll have access to wide doors, low furniture and a bathroom with a roll-in shower and grab bar.
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The 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 is not as strong.
Although I didn’t get much of an upgrade, the hotel’s delicious breakfast and overall boutique feel made me a happy customer. It was charming and, in fact, some of the best service I’ve ever experienced. From the bellmen to the front desk workers to the housekeeping team, the service was impeccable.
Other than breakfast, I didn’t feel like I got anything extra Special through my Hilton Honors Elite status. While I hope regular upgrades for Hilton’s top customers become more common at SLH hotels, I will continue to earn Hilton Honors points when I stay at these boutique hotels. who knows Maybe I’ll even find some more worthy redemption along the way.
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