The theatrical-inspired London hotel suite that I would break a leg to stay in again

There’s no business like show business, except perhaps for the hospitality business, which in the Dorchester’s Oliver Messel Terrace Suite, comes with all the bells and whistles of a West End sell-out. It is rare to stay somewhere where the designer’s original vision has been so tangibly realised and well preserved, but on my hunt for the best hotel rooms in the country, I managed it in here.

Throughout the room, rosette-style hangings frame watercolour costume designs by Messel as the prize pieces of art they are. By the door there is an illuminated ‘EXIT’ sign, just like those in London’s theatres, that I can’t imagine ever wanting to follow. The Dorchester’s star suite is a marvel. And that’s all before I’ve mentioned the set-pièce de résistance: the loo seat shaped like a golden shell that is decadent enough to make any performance feel Olivier Award-worthy.

Messel, the English artist who died in 1978, is remembered for much more than just this golden throne. One of the best-known stage designers of the 20th century, his theatrical debut came when he designed the masks for a London production of Serge Diaghilev’s ballet Zephyr et Flore (1925). Famously, he also designed the sets and costumes for the Royal Ballet’s 1946 production of Sleeping Beauty, many illustrations of which hang in the suite, as well as a string of other impressive shows and films. Those in his close circle included the production’s prima ballerina Margot Fonteyn, Princess Margaret and Cecil Beaton.

The suite, a short spit away from where Messel grew up in a house overlooking Hyde Park, was originally designed by the artist and opened in 1953. It has been restored and was re-opened this January as part of larger restoration works at The Dorchester. The work was led by the specialist painters and decorators at Hare & Humphreys, who spent more than 2,000 hours and used more than 2,750 sheets of 23.5-carat gold leaf to meticulously refresh every detail of the 133sq m suite. Messel said that it is a place he would have liked to have lived in himself, a wish that I am sure would still be true today (more modern features include a large television in the living area, but this has been hidden behind a panel printed with a Messel painting that slides up on demand in order to keep the era-specific magic of the suite alive and well).

A particular gem, courtesy of the restoration, is a hand-painted mural on the domed ceiling between the corridor and drawing room. This was discovered under layers of paint by the renovation team and features an arch of roses painted by Messel himself, complete with his original pencil sketch marks.

The suite as a whole is a marvel, with a sense of playfulness throughout — exemplified by its ‘bookshelves’ that are actually hidden doors. A parlour for waiting visitors leads through to a well-stocked pantry, sitting and dining room, outdoor terrace and a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom. Messel’s career-long dedication to ballet, opera, theatre and art shines through in all. So does the sun, which beams through the curved French doors to the three-sided terrace when we arrive for our stay (I took my mum along for the experience. We were both giddy with excitement when we saw the suite). Despite overlooking the many building works going on around the hotel, this still serves as the perfect tranquil suntrap on which to relax with a book in one hand and a chilled glass of Dom Perignon (courtesy of the hotel) in the other.

It’s easy to see why the suites’ catalogue of former guests includes the rich and fabulous. It was Elizabeth Taylor’s favourite place to stay in London, apparently, although when my mum presses our butler Sean for further names his discretion is impressively ironclad. ‘I can assure you, your secrets will be very safe. I will tell nobody what you did here tonight,’ he promises enigmatically, which is a shame given we had a lovely, yet notably not outrageous, stay. And, it’s not just the array of mysterious guests that makes the Oliver Messel suite famous. The design of the residence itself is so notable that a scale model of the original 1953 suite is part of the permanent collection at the V&A Museum.

The showstopping room is the bedroom. Ottoman yellow silk-lined walls and gilded mouldings make for grand yet whimsical sleeping quarters. ‘It’s like marmite. People either love it or they hate it,’ Sean tells me. We loved it. A skirted dressing table decorated with a vase of yellow roses and a perfume atomiser is such a picture of 1950s glamour that it's almost as though Taylor could strut in at any moment to powder her nose before a glamorous night out. Hand-painted mirrors featuring Messel’s characters and enchanted trees frame a large indulgent bed canopied in yet more yellow silk. It’s the perfect stage to inspire a night of dreams in which you are the lead performer in a show entirely of your own making.

Room rates are subject to enquiry and may vary. For enquiries, please visit The Dorchester’s website.