Dorset Square Hotel is situated on the edge of one of London’s most idyllic private garden squares. It is worth visiting in the early summer when the lush foliage creates a wonderful oasis in the heart of Marylebone.
The open spaces of Regent’s Park and Lord’s Cricket Ground are just a stone’s throw away. Dorset Square was once the site of the original Lord’s Cricket Ground. In fact, little squares of turf from the square’s garden opposite the hotel are still sent to cricket pitches all around the world.
In a nod to the hotel’s place in British cricketing history, we had a lot of fun creating a subtle cricket theme in the design.
Downstairs is The Potting Shed Bar and Restaurant on the site of the old Groundsman’s hut. Two cricket still life compositions by Peter Rocklin hang alongside old bats and school boy team photographs. Some of the bats are signed by famous cricketers like Sir Gary Sobers and members of the Barbados cricket team.
On the back wall of the restaurant, we have a collection of porcelain pots by Martha Freud which light up with famous cricketing sayings, which include ‘how to cure a cricketer’s red nose, drink ’til it’s purple’ and of course, Richard Bernard’s famous quote, ‘that’s a contradiction in terms’.
Cricket themed memorabilia and art adorn the walls in the drawing room and guest areas. In the bedrooms, we used miniature cricket balls as door handles on the wardrobes.
Why not pop in for dinner or a drink to get in the mood for the Cricket World Cup, currently being hosted on our own turf.
