AS TTN offers readers the chance to win a two-night stay at the exclusive Dukes London, we catch up with general manager Debrah Dhugga to find out about the property.
How long has the Dukes Hotel been in operation?
Dukes London dates back more than 100 years and is located in an area of London with a rich royal history.
The historical courtyard has been traced back to 1532 when King Henry VIII bought a convent at the bottom of the hill. On this site, he built St James’s Palace as a hunting lodge and refuge from the gossip of court life at the Palace at Whitehall. The new Palace also served as a convenient place for secret meetings with his future wife Anne Boleyn.
St James’s Palace continued as a royal residence for several centuries and the five-year reign of Charles II from 1660 to 1665 saw the transformation of the area around St James’s Palace into a highly fashionable district with elegant coffee houses springing up around what is now Dukes London. These were the forerunners of modern gentlemen’s clubs, three of which – White’s, Brooks and The Carlton Club – are still located nearby with Dukes sitting in the heart of gentlemen’s club land.
The property is recognised as quintessentially English, is this popular with Arab visitors?
Such a great English heritage hotel is popular with all nationalities. However, due to our doorstep location to Bond Street – only a five minute walk – the ladies love Dukes.
You have recently visited Dubai where the Dukes’ parent company, Seven Tides, owns other properties such as Ibn Battuta Gate and Royal Amwaj. Have you observed any syngergies between the two cities?
Great shopping, and the social life. Dubai is such a vibrant city at night, I only wish we had the same climate in the UK, especially in the evening.
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One of the plush rooms |
Our hotels in Dubai are so much bigger than Dukes, however, we have the same goal: offering great service with a smile. The Royal Amwaj is going to be a very special luxury property, its location is amazing. Ibn Battuta Gate is a great corporate hotel, with a lot of space and incredible restaurants and bars, it even has a nightclub and food outlets, really, it’s a destination on its own. My personal favourite is the Oceana Beach Club, I love the setting, West 14th is an amazing restaurant offering what must be the best steaks in town, can’t wait for the hotel to open.
What have been the most interesting elements of your visit from a hotelier’s point of view and how will you take these back with you to Dukes on your return?
Once a hotelier always a hotelier. Offer consistent service, remember traditional hotel management values – your customer is king. Get these right and the rest will follow you. To me great service overrides product. No matter where you are in the world service comes first.
As well as its traditional charm the Dukes is also recognised for innovation such as the introduction last year of female-friendly Duchess Rooms aimed at drawing in both business and leisure travellers. Please give details of the Duchess package and have the rooms proved popular?
In the heart of gentlemen’s club land, Dukes, St James’s has been welcoming guests for over 100 years, from royalty to writers, to poets and politicians. Today, Dukes attracts a cosmopolitan crowd and to ensure that women feel just as at home as gentlemen, the hotel has launched ‘Duchess Rooms’, a discreet service tailored to female business and leisure guests. Women travelling alone, on business or with friends can expect the following feminine touches, as standard:
• A personal welcome card from the female general manager
• A female room attendant to escort guests to their rooms and handle all room service and housekeeping requirements
• Makeup mirror, hair dyer and styling accessories are positioned at easy reach from the dressing table
• Female slippers
• Fresh flowers brighten every room and a complementary fruit bowl is on offer
• Female amenities, including a sewing kit, are in every bathroom
• A choice of glossy lifestyle magazines are laid out on the dresser or coffee table
• A quiet corner table is allocated to female guests dining alone, when available.
Are any further innovations planned?
We are delighted to announce the opening of the brand new Perrier-Jouët Lounge in April. Here, guests and locals alike will be encouraged to relax within vibrant and modern surroundings. It will be a place for those wanting to enjoy a refreshing beverage or cocktail in style and comfort.
The new lounge will provide the hotel with an additional relaxation area to compliment both its ever successful bar and the newly introduced Cigar Garden, accommodating all guests with individual tastes.