Dukes London review: What it's like staying at a Hilton SLH property in London as a top-tier elite

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

London is known for its incredible hotel scene, but one brand has relatively few properties in the United Kingdom's capital city: Hilton. While the Hilton chain does have a few fine hotels in London, the brand's reach in the major metropolitan city pales in comparison to Marriott's.

But a new partnership between Hilton and Small Luxury Hotels of the World has really changed the options for Hilton lovers in London.

A work trip to London had me eagerly scoping out the always-evolving hotel scene, and a stash of Hilton Honors points opened up some intriguing new possibilities since many SLH hotels, including a few gems in London, are now part of the Hilton Honors universe.

I decided on Dukes London in the historic St. James neighborhood, an area just a few minutes away on foot from some of the most important sites in London, including Buckingham Palace. The hotel is famous for Dukes Bar, where the creator of James Bond sipped martinis back in the day.

But unlike 007, my mission wouldn't be spycraft. Instead, I sought to find out if an SLH property would treat this Hilton Honors Diamond elite member as well as a regular Hilton property would.

Booking Dukes London using Hilton Honors points

I booked a two-night stay at Dukes London for 100,000 Hilton Honors points per night.

Dukes London confirmation — Dukes London booking confirmation. HILTON HONORS

While 200,000 points may sound like a lot, that's a decent redemption, in my opinion. Since the hotel was around $1,000 a night during my stay, my points were worth 1 cent apiece. TPG values Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents apiece, per our August 2025 valuations, making this a decent redemption value.

I even earned a few Hilton points during my stay. I earned 2,500 Hilton Honors points via the hotel's 2024 Power Up promotion, which gives members the ability to earn bonus points for every stay through Dec. 31.

I also earned an additional 2,009 points after charging $136.19 in room expenses to my Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which earns 14 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels.

Hilton points earned via credit card spend. — Hilton points earned via credit card spending. HILTON HONORS

Hilton elite benefits at Dukes London

While I didn't feel like my Hilton Diamond status dramatically improved my stay, it certainly helped around the edges (aside from getting the room "free" with points).

Hilton Honors members can expect the following benefits during an SLH stay:

Member: Guaranteed member discount, complimentary standard Wi-Fi, complimentary late checkout, bottled water and no resort fees on award stays
Silver: 20% points bonus, fifth standard reward night free and all "member" benefits
Gold: 80% points bonus, complimentary breakfast (for two guests), space-available upgrades, fifth standard reward night free and all "member" benefits
Diamond: 100% points bonus, complimentary breakfast (for two guests), space-available upgrades, fifth standard reward night free and all "member" benefits

As a Diamond elite member, I was upgraded to a Superior Twin Room, which is one category above the most basic Dukes London room. This room has what the hotel describes as a "UK Double" bed — in reality, it looks like a glorified twin bed.

Despite holding top-tier Diamond status, I wasn't really expecting to get upgraded to a suite, especially since I booked with points.

During my two-night stay, I enjoyed complimentary breakfast, a perk for Diamond and Gold elite members. The hotel told me to choose either the continental breakfast buffet or order a la carte.

I had an omelet with spinach and cheddar cheese that would have cost $15. My London-based colleague Jordan Waller tried the eggs Benedict, which would have cost about $21. We also ordered fresh juice and espresso drinks, including a cappuccino with a cute image of the hotel's mascot.

The restaurant also let me partake in the breakfast buffet, which was limited but had enough variety to satisfy nearly any appetite.

Overall, the free breakfast is a great perk. It's even better than what Hilton offers top-tier elite members in the U.S. At most domestic luxury Hilton brands, you can expect a daily food-and-beverage credit worth $25.

Rooms at Dukes London

Dukes London is a boutique property in every way, with just 79 rooms.

There are essentially two wings of the hotel spread across two Victorian buildings that have been combined to form Dukes.

The property's standard rooms are as small as you'd expect in central London. Inside the rooms, the antique furniture is showing its age, and the rooms themselves are a bit shopworn. There's good news on that front, though, as the hotel told me renovations will start sometime in 2025.

As I mentioned, I didn't get much of an upgrade as an elite Hilton Honors member staying at Dukes London. The room was comfortable, with two twin beds put together to form a sort of king-size bed.

There was a decent-size closet, a small minibar and a coffee maker that made delicious espressos using pods.

Note that there were no free water bottles for this Hilton Diamond, but there was a lovely small work desk. While the hotel didn't have U.S.-compatible plugs, it did promptly bring up some adapters. While I loved the antique keys, the TV was at least 15 years old; basically, the rooms are really starting to show their age.

The bathroom was small but sufficient, and I liked the black marble look. The hotel offered amenities by Noble Isle, a regional brand regularly used by SLH properties. It specializes in products made in the U.K.

Amenities at Dukes London

When it comes to noteworthy amenities at Dukes London, there's not much to report. There is a small gym with a few weight machines, two elliptical machines by Star Trac and two stationary bicycles, as well as a weight rack with dumbbells.

Sadly, the Italian marble steam room near the gym was closed and is scheduled to be overhauled when renovations start in 2025, per a hotel employee.

Restaurants at Dukes London

The main restaurant at Dukes London is Great British Restaurant on the lower level of the hotel. In addition to breakfast, GBR (as it's often called by locals) also serves lunch, high tea and dinner. I enjoyed dinner there one night, starting with a lovely nonalcoholic bubbly called a Royal Flush that's made with tea and costs $10. I also had butter and bread and a side of buttered rainbow carrots, which cost $6.30, to start.

As a main course, I had a delicious Yorkshire wagyu burger with Somerset brie and summer truffle ($16). It was served with french fries and made for a perfect meal.

There's plenty else on the menu, including several types of steak, as well as British classics like shepherd's pie and fish-and-chips.

Of course, no visit to Dukes would be complete without cocktails at the famous Dukes Bar.

It's not easy to get a table at Dukes, where folks began lining up to enter around 2:30 p.m. ahead of the bar opening at 3 p.m. Fortunately, hotel guests are given preferred seating.

A favorite of author Ian Fleming — as evidenced by the James Bond memorabilia on display throughout — Dukes is known for its giant martinis made fresh at your table. The bar is also reported to have been frequented by Queen Elizabeth before her death.

The hotel told me it limits guests to just two of its signature Vesper Martinis because they are so strong (thanks to five shots of gin). That wasn't a problem for me since I stuck to a nonalcoholic mojito-style cocktail that still looked very pretty.

I highly recommend a visit to the bar just to say you've had an ice-cold martini "shaken, not stirred."

Accessibility at Dukes London

Since Dukes London has just two fully accessible rooms, it may not be the best option for people with disabilities. Remember that this hotel was once two Victorian buildings, so it's hard to make them fully functional for those in wheelchairs.

That said, there is an elevator to provide access to higher floors, though it's not as wide as most accessible elevators in use these days.

While the entrance at the street level has steps, the hotel told me it does have a ramp to use when guests in wheelchairs stay at the property.

Should you book one of the accessible rooms, you'll have access to wide doorways, lowered furniture and a bathroom with a roll-in shower and grab bars.

Bottom line

Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties are a great addition to Hilton's portfolio — especially in places like London, where Hilton's footprint has not been as robust.

Not only will you earn Hilton elite night credits and bonus points for these bookings, but you will also get some extra perks as a top-tier Hilton Honors member. While you probably shouldn't expect the same elite status treatment that you might get at fully flagged Hilton properties, the free breakfast is clutch.

Though I didn't receive much of an upgrade, the delicious breakfast and the overall boutique feel of the hotel made me a happy customer. It was charming and, in fact, had some of the best service I've experienced. From the bellman to the front desk workers to the housekeeping team, the service was impeccable.

Aside from breakfast, I didn't feel like I received anything extra special via my Hilton Honors elite status. While I hope regular upgrades for Hilton's top customers become more common at SLH hotels, I'll continue earning Hilton Honors points when I stay at these boutique hotels. Who knows? Maybe I'll even score some more decent redemptions along the way.

Related reading:

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

But a new partnership between Hilton and Small Luxury Hotels of the World has really changed the options for Hilton lovers in London.

But unlike 007, my mission wouldn't be spycraft. Instead, I sought to find out if an SLH property would treat this Hilton Honors Diamond elite member as well as a regular Hilton property would.

Booking Dukes London using Hilton Honors points

I booked a two-night stay at Dukes London for 100,000 Hilton Honors points per night.

Hilton elite benefits at Dukes London

While I didn't feel like my Hilton Diamond status dramatically improved my stay, it certainly helped around the edges (aside from getting the room "free" with points).

Hilton Honors members can expect the following benefits during an SLH stay:

Member: Guaranteed member discount, complimentary standard Wi-Fi, complimentary late checkout, bottled water and no resort fees on award stays
Silver: 20% points bonus, fifth standard reward night free and all "member" benefits
Gold: 80% points bonus, complimentary breakfast (for two guests), space-available upgrades, fifth standard reward night free and all "member" benefits
Diamond: 100% points bonus, complimentary breakfast (for two guests), space-available upgrades, fifth standard reward night free and all "member" benefits

Despite holding top-tier Diamond status, I wasn't really expecting to get upgraded to a suite, especially since I booked with points.

During my two-night stay, I enjoyed complimentary breakfast, a perk for Diamond and Gold elite members. The hotel told me to choose either the continental breakfast buffet or order a la carte.

The restaurant also let me partake in the breakfast buffet, which was limited but had enough variety to satisfy nearly any appetite.

Rooms at Dukes London

Dukes London is a boutique property in every way, with just 79 rooms.

There are essentially two wings of the hotel spread across two Victorian buildings that have been combined to form Dukes.

As I mentioned, I didn't get much of an upgrade as an elite Hilton Honors member staying at Dukes London. The room was comfortable, with two twin beds put together to form a sort of king-size bed.

There was a decent-size closet, a small minibar and a coffee maker that made delicious espressos using pods.

Amenities at Dukes London

Sadly, the Italian marble steam room near the gym was closed and is scheduled to be overhauled when renovations start in 2025, per a hotel employee.

Restaurants at Dukes London

As a main course, I had a delicious Yorkshire wagyu burger with Somerset brie and summer truffle ($16). It was served with french fries and made for a perfect meal.

There's plenty else on the menu, including several types of steak, as well as British classics like shepherd's pie and fish-and-chips.

Of course, no visit to Dukes would be complete without cocktails at the famous Dukes Bar.

It's not easy to get a table at Dukes, where folks began lining up to enter around 2:30 p.m. ahead of the bar opening at 3 p.m. Fortunately, hotel guests are given preferred seating.

I highly recommend a visit to the bar just to say you've had an ice-cold martini "shaken, not stirred."

Accessibility at Dukes London

That said, there is an elevator to provide access to higher floors, though it's not as wide as most accessible elevators in use these days.

While the entrance at the street level has steps, the hotel told me it does have a ramp to use when guests in wheelchairs stay at the property.

Should you book one of the accessible rooms, you'll have access to wide doorways, lowered furniture and a bathroom with a roll-in shower and grab bars.

Bottom line

Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties are a great addition to Hilton's portfolio — especially in places like London, where Hilton's footprint has not been as robust.

Related reading:

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Booking Dukes London using Hilton Honors points

Hilton elite benefits at Dukes London

Rooms at Dukes London

Amenities at Dukes London

Restaurants at Dukes London

Accessibility at Dukes London

Bottom line

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