When your definition of an apartment is a four-story home with 20 rooms (as is Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton’s residence) and your weekends involve switching from a palace to a castle (like Queen Elizabeth II does from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle most weekends), your hotel standards are no doubt elevated.
So when the British royal family yearns for an escape, their criteria tends to focus on privacy with a unique brand of luxury and service.
For a quick getaway, the royals have a long tradition of heading about an hour west of London to Cliveden House (@clivedenhouse) on the River Thames in the village of Taplow. Every monarch since George I in the 18th century has visited, including Queen Victoria, who arrived by boat for tea. Duchess Meghan Markle also spent the night before her wedding to Prince Harry here in March 2018. One draw: The property’s secluded Spring Cottage has a private garden and boat launch mooring, plus a private chef upon request.
Further from home, both Will and Kate in 2012 and the Queen and Prince Philip in 2006, have stayed at Raffles Singapore (@raffleshotelsingapore). While it’s located near the Downtown Core, its secluded ambiance merges its historical elegance, established since its 1887 opening, with top-notch service from butlers who cater to any need. Proof of its royals roots can be seen in its Elizabethan Grill, redecorated in the 1950s for the Queen’s coronation.
Like anyone, royals also crave island escapes. One favorite is Grenada’s Spice Island Beach Resort (@spiceislandbeachresort), where discreteness is a way of life. Several suites have their own pools, but last year, Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla chose the 1,440-square-foot Cinnamon Suite with a private patio. And when it comes to the royal treatment, Spice Island knows how to serve it up. Prince Harry learned during his 2016 stay that his grandmother visited in 1966 and enjoyed avocado ice cream made by the hotel owner Sir Royston Hopkin’s mother — so the staff scrambled to find the ripe avocados to recreate it for the young royal.
