Introducing you to the Dao by Dorsett West London
Combining the best of both worlds – a luxury hotel with the comforts and convenience of home, the Dao by Dorsett West London, with its thoughtfully designed apartments offers an elegant and convenient home away from home in the heart of London in Shepherds Bush.
With the shopping mecca of Westfield mere minutes’ walk away, you are ideally situated for everything West London has to offer, but is also in close proximity to Oxford Street, Notting Hill and Paddington too. The building has been renovated by architects Flanagan Lawrence who have thoughtfully retained elements of the original building and have added eight storeys to the building, effortlessly blending the old with the new.
From the spacious lobby with contemporary design with monochrome hues complimented with pops of jewel-toned turquoise. The lobby is also adorned with plants, funky artwork and striking features, making it a very welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. The lobby is shared by the apartments and the Dorsett Shepherds Bush Hotel with the beautiful atrium area which also hosts the Jin Bar which has a cool Mexican theme.
This was my first time trying out this aparthotel-style accommodation and it didn’t disappoint. Whilst it is clearly aimed at business travellers, the accommodation (which is composed of 74 apartments) doesn’t compromise on the achingly-cool decor which includes a gold-plated bath feature in the lobby, a ten pound note artwork, framed photos of Hollywood stars of the past which included a beautiful print of the iconic Marilyn Monroe.
Checking into our apartment was a real vibe, unlike traditional hotel rooms, we had a little lounge area, a smart kitchenette which had a two-ring Smeg electric hob, oven, fridge-freezer, toaster, coffee machine and kettle (complete with a selection of premium teas). The hotel has also kindly provided a very welcome bottle of wine and chocolate-covered popcorn which was a great way to kick off our stay. There was (intriguingly) no bin in the kitchen which would have been a helpful addition, but was certainly not a dealbreaker whatsoever.
Following in a similar vein as the chairs in the lobby and shared areas, the apartment came with a decadent teal sofa which was a great place to sit back and check out the large flat-screen TV. There’s also a great selection of coffee table books to peruse including a great book on the city of London.
The charcoal-hued bathroom is pretty big for a London hotel and has a huge walk-in rainforest shower and is stocked with decadent Elemis products and a handy woven bag filled with everything that you might have forgotten for your visit – toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb, hairnet, nail file, cotton pads, and a razor with shaving cream.
The expansive bedroom complete with a super king sized bed is located behind a sliding door for privacy and includes a little dressing table where some self care goodies were waiting for me. Helpfully, each side of the bed has both electric and USB outlets built into the nightstand.
Guests at the Dao by Dorsett can choose an add-on package which they call ‘journeys’ which includes dog-friendly, family and fitness (Move Your Way, where you can workout in your apartment with an in-room Peloton bike and yoga mat).
Pups will not be disappointed with the Pet Friendly package where all your four legged friends needs to do is to turn up as the hotel provides them with a super comfy pet bed or tent for them to sleep in, lots of toys to play with, food and water bowls and a handy poo bag dispenser.
As it has been a very long week, I opted for the self care package which included a YINA bio-cellulose face mask to enhance your skin’s self-renewal, a bottle of CBD balancing oil to encourage wellbeing and calm, some kombucha from You & I and a very thoughtful scented Dao candle.
In addition, guests can request a sweat blanket – which is a deeply relaxing treatment ideal for stress relief, sore joints and stiff muscles – or Red Light Therapy, that uses low wavelength red light to improve skin’s appearance. I gave this a whirl and can honestly say I feel it made a difference.
Apartments are only serviced once a week, but the staff at the Dao by Dorsett are on hand to help with whatever you might need and everyone we dealt with at the hotel were absolutely fantastic.
Truthfully, breakfast was a little bit disappointing – it wasn’t as fresh as it could be, but of course, we could have been a smidge unlucky in that respect. However, there’s a good selection to choose from the buffet which includes cold meats, fruit, cereals and pastries. Guests can also order one hot dish from an à la carte menu.
Guests can also choose to eat in the restaurant which serves up Chinese cuisine, the Shikumen Chinese restaurant is independently operated but hotel guests can take advantage of a 10% discount.
The setting was beautiful with plants everywhere and a bar with a stunning tropical design. Looking up allowed me to really take in the expansiveness of the hotel thanks to gold-plated gilded floor levels in an atrium setting.
For guests staying for longer than a few days (or for those who forgot to pack a change of clothes!) There’s a neon-hued laundrette in the basement. Following a similar design aesthetic as the other shared areas, every detail has been considered including a coffee bar and vending machines where you can enjoy a cheeky latte whilst doing your laundry.
Whilst the apartments and the surrounding hotel is ideal for business travellers, thanks to the handy working areas and the lobby space which is useful for client/colleague meetings, it is also a great option for non-business travellers who want more than just a standard hotel room whilst in London.
These sleek serviced apartments nestled in Shepherds Bush are an absolute thumbs up from me!
Check in from £158 per night at the Dao by Dorsett.
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