"The Rubens at the Palace has a royal history dating back to the 1700s. Over the years, it has been used as a dressmaker’s boutique, a pharmacy, an artificial flower shop, and as the home of the Aerated Bread Company. It has been family-run by The Red Carnation Hotel Collection since 1997 and I have been General Manager since 2004. 

The Rubens has always been very popular with debutantes attending royal functions at Buckingham Palace. The Royal Mews, which the hotel overlooks, is the palace entrance used by the royal family. It is also just a few moments walk to see the daily pageant of the Changing of the Guard.  

The hotel’s historic roots inspired the design for its restoration in 2018, which also introduced the English Grill, the Curry Room, the Leopard Bar, and the New York Bar. We were incredibly proud that the hotel achieved a Forbes Five-Star classification in the same year. 

We are committed to supporting local charities and eradicating single-use plastics, as well as significantly reducing our food waste in partnership with Winnow. The hotel also sustains the largest Living Wall in London and has recently introduced two rooftop beehives.

Alongside our renowned gin tasting, we have recently launched several bespoke dining experiences such as ‘Chef Kumar’s Secret Spice’ and, for our younger guests, we offer the exciting children’s ‘Pastry Experience’ and ‘Milkshake Masterclass’. We hope to share these incredible experiences with you very soon."

- Malcolm Hendry, General Manager