The late Queen was a regular visitor to our hotel – here’s how luxury should be done

I am never happier than when sitting in the lounge of a hotel. It’s a secret delight that dates back to my school days when I would sneak across to The Maids Head Hotel in Norwich, which stood close to where my school was located. There I would use a sizeable chunk of my pocket money to order a toasted tea cake and a pot of English Breakfast tea and watch the world go by. I have never looked back.

For the last three decades, I have worked at The Goring Hotel, just behind Buckingham Palace. I started as restaurant manager and slowly moved up through various senior positions, to the role of chairman. This means, of course, that I now get paid to be in the lounge watching a rather wonderful world float by.

The Goring itself is still owned and managed by the family who built the hotel back in 1910 and placed their name above the door. This makes it unique within London’s luxury hotel market, all the others – The Ritz and Claridge’s among them – have long since been sold to large companies or foreign investors. For many years it was something of a secret among the great and the good, but that all changed in 2011 when Catherine Middleton and her family stayed with us on the night before her wedding to Prince William. That morning over two billion people focused on our hotel, as Catherine left to make her way to Westminster Abbey. Two years later, the late Queen Elizabeth II, who frequently used The Goring, granted the hotel her Royal Warrant.

I continue to love every minute spent here. However, I also love visiting other luxury hotels. I want to see what they are up to and how they set about trying to delight their guests. I want to see that they are delivering the essence of a great hotel.

In the last couple of months, I have visited six of the finest examples of English hospitality. They all have huge personalities and have all delivered really memorable experiences. I believe that the true aim of every hotel should be to deliver magic and memories - to take us out of our everyday life. So how do they do that? Here are my four golden rules.

1. Every hotel needs to be sure of its identity

Grantley Hall is a relatively new hotel outside Ripon. It is glitzy and a little brash in a slightly Yorkshire manner. It is a little in-your-face, but has spared no expense in its creation. The rooms in both the old hall and the new modern extension are all decorated in that contemporary manner seen in many large Cheshire homes which grace the pages of Hello magazine. It is delightfully nouveau in a way that obviously brings joy to its guests who flock in their droves to this beacon of luxury. The car park is awash with Rolls Royces, Bentleys, Aston Martins and the like.

Meanwhile, The Ritz has a very different heritage, though one that is no less glitzy. It is unashamedly Louis XVI in style, opened just a couple of years before The Goring. (Back in the day, Mr Goring and M Ritz would often dine together to discuss the state of the London hotel scene.) It is opulence par excellence, and it is wonderful for it. The food under the watchful eye of executive chef John Williams is magnificent.

In my opinion, he had to wait far too long for his Michelin Star but it is now firmly gripped with great pride. Although the staff are formally dressed (as are guests in the Restaurant and Palm Court) their manner is always warm and welcoming. Every guest is made to feel valued, which is the mark of a great hotel. (As an aside I would recommend that you go there for breakfast: my New Year’s resolution is to start the day at The Ritz at least once a month as a treat.)

2. Real hospitality is a prerequisite

It should go without saying that guests must feel welcome and everything should be done to make their stay magical. I have to mention my time at Thyme in the Cotswolds. From the moment you arrive, you are loved. (Indeed, as I was getting my suitcases out of the car two of the gardeners rushed over to help me.)

Nothing was too much trouble for any member of the team. When they heard that the sausages were not a highlight of my first breakfast they shot out to the butchers to ensure that they would be perfect the next day and they were! Meanwhile, the homemade biscuits, cheese straws, sloe gin and chocolate cake in my room meant that I hardly needed to go to the restaurant (although I did, of course).

At Calcot Manor on the other side of the Cotswolds, more great hospitality awaits you. I have been staying at this hotel for many years, and it always delivers on warmth, personality, and welcome. About 30 years ago the hotel decided to become a place where you could bring your children and let them really enjoy a few days in a smart hotel.

There is plenty for them to do and people to take care of them if the parents want a little bit of downtime in the fabulous spa. Each guest, no matter their age, is made to feel very welcome here (though avoid the early sitting in the restaurant if you like a quiet table, as there will be a lot of children). These are the luxury hotel guests of the future, and it’s wonderful that they can start their hospitality experiences nice and young.

3. Hotels have to be in good condition

I recently visited The Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath. It sits with two 18th-century houses at the centre of a celebrated thoroughfare and it wears its history with great pride. However, when I stayed there a couple of years ago, it was in need of a little tender care.

This has now happened. The hotel has seen a full refurbishment, employing a contemporary palette in both the public rooms and bedrooms. Once the style here was more English country house – which I think suited the building slightly better but hotels cannot stand still. They have to reflect the tastes of modern, often younger, travellers. I was lucky enough to stay in one of the grand suites, located at the front of the hotel and looking down across the Royal Crescent.

Another hotel I recently stayed in which is also in great condition is The Dorchester. It is most of the way through a major refurbishment and it is looking glorious. The Promenade is just gorgeous and so comfortable and I spent my first evening near Liberace’s mirrored piano in the Artist’s Bar as the pianist sang Sinatra numbers.

A magic moment indeed. The Vesper Bar is also in a splendid new livery. The suite I stayed in had been refurbished with the most sumptuous fabrics, hand-painted bedheads and a style which retained the classic British look for which this grande dame is known.

4. Hotels have to feed their guests well

Grantley Hall offers a wide variety of options. It has four restaurants – and you can also eat in the bar if none of those suit. All deliver great food with a warmth and generosity in the service. Tom Booton at the grill in the Dorchester is also definitely worth a visit. His food is a modern interpretation of English classics. If I had one small comment it would be that everything is very rich in a world where people are beginning to dine more lightly. It was quiet the night I was there and it deserved to be much busier.

At Thyme they grow their own vegetables and herbs in the huge kitchen garden and all the meats are sourced locally. Charlie Hibbert, the owner’s son, is in charge of the kitchens and pushes us to try slightly more unusual combinations than we might normally. The food is always well cooked from the very freshest of ingredients.

There is no doubt in my mind that the luxury hotels in this country have never been better. Those running them face many challenges and no doubt making a profit will not be easy for many of them. However, there are some establishments out there which are worth every penny – even if you have to save up for a while to go.