The Dorchester unveils The Oliver Messel Suite; A Restoration of Character and Care

Posted in News on 2 July, 2025

The Dorchester will reopen The Oliver Messel Suite this September, following a detailed restoration of one of Britain’s most singular hotel interiors.

First revealed in 1953 and created by stage designer Oliver Messel, the suite has been returned to life with an exacting precision that honours its theatrical spirit, unapologetic craft and cultural importance.

The project reflects The Dorchester’s continued commitment to celebrating places with depth and meaning. Led by some of the country’s most skilled artisans and conservators, the work brings clarity and intention back to a suite long known for its playful elegance and layered design.

The Dorchester, London will reopen The Oliver Messel Suite this September

A LEGACY OF IMAGINATION AND ARTISTRY
Oliver Messel was born in London in 1904 and became one of the most original stage designers of the 20th century. Known for his inventive work across ballet, opera and theatre, he later brought that same sense of wonder to interiors, shaping a more romantic, expressive approach to post-war design. The suite he created at The Dorchester in 1953 – a place, he said, he would have liked to live himself – remains the most complete and transformative expression of that vision.

A scale model of the original 1953 suite now forms part of the permanent collection at the V&A museum, London

Commissioned by then-owner Sir Robert McAlpine, the suite was imagined as a private escape where theatre, beauty and craft could sit easily together. Silk-lined walls, gilded mouldings, chinoiserie mirrors and a show-stopping bed canopied in imperial yellow Ottoman silk gave the space a distinctive, dreamlike quality.

To mark its completion, Norman Parkinson was invited to photograph the interiors for a special design brochure, helping to establish the suite’s visual legacy. The impact was lasting: a scale model of the original 1953 suite now forms part of the permanent collection at the V&A. This rare, institutional recognition of a hotel interior underscores the suite’s place in British design history.

A show-stopping bed canopied in imperial yellow Ottoman silk gives the space a distinctive, dreamlike quality

The revival has returned every element of the suite to its original 1953 brilliance

The conservation process called for over 2,000 hours of work and more than 2,750 sheets of 23.5-carat gold leaf, applied using traditional techniques

A RESTORATION ROOTED IN PURPOSE
The revival has returned every element of the suite to its original 1953 brilliance. Led by Hare & Humphreys, Royal Warrant holders and specialists in conservation, the process called for over 2,000 hours of work and more than 2,750 sheets of 23.5-carat gold leaf, applied using traditional techniques.

Among the discoveries was a hand-painted mural on the domed ceiling between the corridor and drawing room. An arch of roses painted by Messel himself, long hidden beneath layers of paint, has now been carefully revealed and restored as a quiet gesture to the artist, and the spirit, behind the room.

The Dorchester has introduced a dedicated care guide and staff training programme to support its long-term preservation

The Dorchester’s Special Projects team worked for years alongside historians, conservators and original records, including Parkinson’s photographs, to ensure that every detail returned with accuracy and intention. Every choice made has been a continuation of the story that began in 1953 and told through surface, form and light.

The floral silk wallcoverings, originally selected by Messel, were reissued exclusively for the suite by Sekers in collaboration with Sanderson Design Group. Other fabrics include azalea-pink silks and a re-woven imperial yellow Ottoman cloth for the bed canopy, produced in Italy.

At the same time, the suite has been discreetly updated to reflect today’s way of life at The Dorchester. Contemporary elements have been integrated with precision and ease: a Bang & Olufsen television is concealed behind a retractable panel printed with a Messel illustration, preserving the atmosphere while quietly delivering modern comfort.

FUTURE-PROOFING THE PAST
In recognition of the suite’s cultural and architectural significance, The Dorchester has introduced a dedicated care guide and staff training programme to support its long-term preservation. These measures reflect an ongoing commitment to treat the suite not only as a place for guests, but as a living archive of British design and craftsmanship.

A NEW CHAPTER AT THE DORCHESTER
The Messel Suite remains not only for what it represents, but for who it reflects. It stands as a tribute to the rare individuals who can’t help but shift the atmosphere around them. Messel was one of those voices. His work resisted the flat and the safe. The Dorchester continues to honour those who do the same today, in whatever field they move through.

The Messel Suite’s return follows the hotel’s most significant transformation in over thirty years, including the renovation of guest rooms, The Promenade and Vesper Bar. With the suite restored to its full theatrical splendour, The Dorchester takes another step into its evolution.

The story continues this September. The restoration of the Penthouse and Pavilion will follow in early 2026.

ABOUT OLIVER MESSEL
One of the 20th century’s most celebrated stage designers, Oliver Messel (1904–1978) rose to prominence for his enchanting work across ballet, opera, theatre and film. Renowned for his ability to conjure illusion and romance, Messel’s sets for productions such as The Sleeping Beauty at Covent Garden and The Magic Flute at Glyndebourne became defining examples of theatrical design. His talent for visual storytelling extended beyond the stage to interior architecture, where his signature mix of whimsy, fantasy and historical pastiche captivated a new audience.

Messel’s work for The Dorchester is widely regarded as the pinnacle of his interior design legacy. Commissioned in 1953 to create a suite “in which he himself would like to live,” Messel’s work was so well received that he was soon invited to design the Penthouse and Pavilion which sits atop the suite.

Messel transformed part of the seventh and eighth floor of The Dorchester into a world of theatrical splendour. Drawing on post-war materials and a “make do and mend” philosophy, he blended English country charm with rococo extravagance and fantastical detail, from chinoiserie-adorned mirrors and mirrored trellises to golden door handles shaped like birds on branches.

These protected interiors, unique in their historical and artistic value, remain among the finest surviving examples of mid-century British decorative arts.

A favourite of both the cultural elite and society’s upper circles, Messel’s circle included Margot Fonteyn, Cecil Beaton and Princess Margaret. His legacy lives on in museum collections, in Caribbean villas bearing his “Messel green” paint, and most significantly, within the walls of The Dorchester, where his imagination continues to astonish and delight.

THE DORCHESTER
The Dorchester is a London landmark, set in the heart of Mayfair with views over Hyde Park. Part of Dorchester Collection, it has welcomed the world’s most discerning guests since its opening in 1931. Following a bold renovation, it continues to offer signature service, exceptional dining and a way of life shaped by elegance, culture, and connection.

dorchestercollection.com/london/the-dorchester