Claridge’s Announces Its First Authorised Biography

Claridge’s has announced the publication of its first authorised biography, offering a rare look inside one of London’s best-known hotels.

Image: Claridge’s Archive. © Maybourne

To be published by Hodder & Stoughton on 8 October 2026, Claridge’s: Queen of Hotels, Hotel of Kings has been written by historian Martin Williams, with access to the hotel’s previously unseen archives. The book will trace the story of the Mayfair hotel from its origins in 1812 through to its place in London life today.

For Palates & Miles readers, this is a release that is worth knowing about.

Not because every hotel book requires attention, but because Claridge’s is a hotel where the building, service, interiors, restaurants and social history all become part of the experience. For anyone interested in London hotels, British hospitality or the way certain places evolve over time, this will be the kind of book you want on your shelf.

The book is expected to cover architecture, interior design, haute cuisine, royalty, politics and high society, as well as the guests and moments that have shaped the hotel’s reputation. That combination matters because the best hotel stories are rarely about the rooms alone. They are about atmosphere, rituals, people and the small details that make a place recognisable before a guest has even set foot inside.

Claridge’s has always been part hotel, part London institution. This publication looks set to give readers a more complete view of why that has endured over the centuries.

Claridge’s: Queen of Hotels, Hotel of Kings will be published in hardback, audiobook and eBook on 8 October 2026, with pre-orders now available through Claridge’s Shop.