London's The Dorchester Ballroom Reopens Following Restoration

As the location of numerous high-profile events, the newly restored rooms are already seeing a strong demand in 2012. The Ballroom is now the only venue in London to offer à la carte dining for up to 500 guests.

From a celebratory dinner for 500 people to cocktails for 1,000, The Ballroom's versatility is one of its attractions. In the past year, Executive Chef Henry Brosi also extended a three-course à la carte menu offering in The Ballroom, a service rarely included in such large functions due to the high skill involved in grand scale production.

The restoration of one of London's most elegant destination ballrooms - which included the Park Lane entrance, Crush Hall, Silver Room and The Gold Room - was overseen by international interior architectural design studio, Alex Kravetz Designs Ltd. The company was briefed to restore the rooms to their former glory in keeping with the existing palette of cream, white, blue and gold, while simultaneously adding a lighter more contemporary touch to appeal to modern tastes. Underpinning the surface design, additional technology and lighting was added to ensure even greater value for clients.



Upon arrival at The Ballroom's main entrance, the renovations make an immediate impact with a widened more welcoming staircase, and the replacement of carpet with luxurious marble by Italian company, Santucci, extending through to the Crush Hall. Gilding has also been refreshed with warm, contemporary shades of white-gold leaf and ceiling lights have been replaced with Viennese "Lights of Vienna" chandeliers to complement the restored wall lights.

Director of Group and Event Sales, James Partridge, who oversees a total of 16 event rooms across Dorchester Collection's three UK hotels, commented "In current times, clients look for outstanding venues with excellent service and stunning design. We are delighted to offer back to London a space which exudes the glamour of the hotel's founding era and is yet understated enough to offer guests a blank canvas for any type of event."

Moving through to the Crush Hall, pineapple motives which are considered the symbol of hospitality have been retained within the interiors which feature antique mirror paneling complemented by hand-painted friezes. The Silver Room and The Gold Room, previously separate spaces, have been joined into one room to provide a more fluid pre-function space.

In The Ballroom, three large crystal chandeliers have been returned to the room's iconic ceiling domes inspired by the 1930s originals, enhancing the play of light across the ballroom's antique mirror wall paneling. The original 16 13-feet high pillars made from a blue semi-precious stone (sodalite) provide the room its overall color, enhanced by a new hand-made Champagne toned carpet and custom made Venetian drapery. An integrated audio system has been installed and lighting can now be controlled remotely to enable dedicated spotlights for each table in any configuration.

The restoration of the Ballroom Suite comes during celebrations of The Dorchester's 80th anniversary in 2011 and follows shortly after the announcement of its UK Group and Events restructure to offer an even more seamless event enquiry and booking process. The restoration is also part of the hotel's commitment to continuous renewal.

For more information or to book an event, call 011.44.20.7629.888.

The Dorchester Collection includes the following hotels:

The Dorchester, London
The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills
Le Meurice, Paris
Hotel Plaza Athénée, Paris
Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan
Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
Coworth Park, Ascot, UK
45 Park Lane, London
Le Richemond, Geneva