THE DORCHESTER, LONDON From the moment the famous doors of The Dorchester first opened back in 1931, it has attracted high-profile guests and those with a taste for the finer things in life. The Dorchester was the vision of Sir Robert McAlpine, who created a blueprint for what he considered to be the perfect hotel. His vision came to life when the hotel opened its doors on April 18, 1931. The state-of-the-art design was built in record time over 18 months, at the speed of a floor a week, to become the world’s first hotel to be constructed from reinforced concrete.
Throughout its history, the hotel has been a favourite of royalty and celebrities, hosting countless state banquets and legendary parties – between 1946 and 1948, The Dorchester hosted an average of one charity ball a week, with most of these attended by a member of the British royal family. During WWII, The Dorchester was considered the safest hotel in London thanks to its modern construction. Cabinet Ministers Lord Halifax and Duff Cooper moved in on a semi-permanent basis, and General Dwight D. Eisenhower set up headquarters on the first floor in what is now known as The Eisenhower Suite.
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