From our origins as Mayfair’s most exclusive 1960’s nightclub to our prime location on Park Lane, discover how we became the London hotel where art meets contemporary style.
Park Lane was first developed around 1720 and is now the heart of Mayfair, the most prestigious area of London. The road itself was originally a simple country lane on the boundary of Hyde Park, separated by a brick wall.
Notable Park Lane residents in the early days included the Duke of Wellington at Apsley House, the Dukes of Somerset at Somerset House, and the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli at number 93.
The building dates back to the early 1960s and was designed by Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus school and a pioneer of modernist architecture who also designed the iconic MetLife Building in New York.
In 1965 the building became the famous London Playboy Club and at its peak, it was the most successful casino in the world. Today, the roulette tables have long gone, replaced by our elegant LA-style cuisine scene.
Dorchester Collection acquired the building and appointed Thierry Despont, renowned architect and interior designer, to transform it into a hotel. It was his creative genius that gave us our distinctive horizontal aluminium ‘fins’ that wrap around the building, giving it an aerodynamic look.
45 Park Lane opened as a Dorchester Collection hotel in September 2011 and has firmly established itself as a leader on the London boutique hotel scene.
