06.02.10
Five Best Design Hotels in London
Having its reputation for cutting-edge style, architecture as well as art, it’s really no surprise London is home to examples of the freshest looking design-led hotels around the world. The following is our choice of the 5 best London hotels where the surroundings are as superb as the service
Sanderson
A hidden treasure in the West End, the Sanderson London hotel’s a fascinating combination of surreal, classy and refined. Where else would you locate Salvador Dali’s iconic red lips couch together with timeless 1960s mosaics and handcrafted African furniture? The 1950s building that contains the 5-star hotel has been developed into a spectacular, dreamlike environment by well-known French designer Philippe Starck. Another design highlight is Philip Hicks’ open-air Courtyard Garden, a private space bursting with luxurious vegetation, fountains, mosaics and a reflecting pool.
Charlotte Street Hotel
A night at the wonderful Charlotte Street Hotel London, found just north of Soho, is a must for literary and creative types traveling to London. Motivated by the infamous ‘Bloomsbury set’, a twentieth century group of artists and writers which included Virginia Woolf, interior designer Kit Kemp has introduced original art from the group’s own illustrious artists: Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and Roger Fry. Their fascination with Matisse as well as other striking French painters meanwhile forms the foundation for the drawing rooms, while the creative design carries on within the brasserie with a mural of modern day London life.
The Zetter
In a former life, this kind of attractive boutique hotel in east London was a Victorian warehouse. Renovated by restaurateurs Michael Benyan and Mark Sainsbury, The Zetter opened in 2004 to instant acclaim and was identified as among the world’s 50 coolest hotels by Cond© Nast Traveller. Each one of the London hotel’s fifty nine rooms ” including the luxurious roof-top pad ” is individually designed using a combination of vintage and modern. The attention to detail and design continues throughout the hotel and in to the adjoining Bistrot Bruno Loubet and Atrium Bar.
St Martin’s Lane
Taking inspiration from its theatrical setting, St Martins Lane hotel is really a dramatic add-on to London’s West End. Positioned in Covent Garden, the snappy design brings together the modern and baroque with a playful sense of humour. From the extra-large luminescent yellow-glass revolving doors to the jam-packed art columns of the Asia de Cuba restaurant, there is certainly plenty of eye candy to feast on. While for individuals who wish to express their creativeness, many of the London hotel’s rooms include a distinctive light installation with a colour to reflect your every mood.
The Mandeville
Located within London’s trendy Marylebone Village, The Mandeville Hotel recently underwent a £15million refurbishment. Interior designer Stephen Ryan has given the London hotel’s public areas an innovative, modern day twist with French upholstered walling, Venetian masks, witty paintings and neon lights. Meanwhile in the bedrooms, the marriage of traditional and modern continues with luxurious fabrics from top design houses such as Canovas, Zubor Catherine Huntley and Brunswick.
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