Get a room! London’s newest hotels

Get a room

It’s boom time for London hotels, it seems – but it’s not just the big names in the most traditional neighbourhoods who are opening their doors. From Bethnal Green to Grosvenor Square, Lisa Markwell reports on the biggest launches of 2019, and discovers that although they have much-anticipated restaurant, there are exciting ideas behind closed doors too

Eight hotels in, including two already in the capital, and now The Hoxton has opened right in the centre of things. Just south of Blackfriars Bridge, the new hotel is creating buzz already for its stylish, quirky rooms and rooftop Seabird restaurant, created in partnership with the Maison Premiere team. There are 192 bedrooms, from ‘shoebox’ to ‘biggy’, and guests can buy hand-picked products in the lobby – we love Kana ceramics to Blackhorse Denim. The Hoxton is joining the local community and all sorts of events are planned. The ground-floor all-day restaurant Albie will be open to all, and bustling. As you’d expect from Ennismore, every detail is spot on – from the antique and bespoke furniture to light-flooded bedrooms.

The Hoxton

Southwark

Inhabit

It’s billing itself as London’s first mindfulness boutique hotel, which might sound like marketing jargon, but Inhabit certainly has a peaceful, nourishing feel about it. Situated in Paddington and opened this summer, Inhabit has 89 rooms with bespoke scented candles from Self Care Co, amenities by REN and sizes from ‘sleeper’ to ‘family’. Of interest not only to those travellers transiting through London (it’s very handy for

the mainline station) but also those working in west central London, Inhabit is also home of the Yeotown café, which focuses on plant-based dishes and organic juices and coffee. There’s a library, and infared sauna and peleton training in the gym. A calm atmosphere pervades all areas and the wellbeing goes beyond just that of the guests – food waste is minimised by a ‘Happy Hour’ and inhouse Belu water supports WaterAid.

Mama Shelter

Well, it’s not every day you find cartoon masks in your hotel room, but then Mama Shelter is not an everyday hotel group. Now ninestrong, in locations from Paris to Rio, and with many more in the pipeline, Mama London opens this month. The Trigano family, who set up the company in 2008, specialise in lowbudget but high-quality hotels in buzzy cities, and always in a slightly off-centre location – so the London site, with 195 rooms, is between Cambridge Heath and Bethnal Green. The design is by up-and-coming design team Dion & Arles, featuring vintage lamps, chalkboard ceiling and kitsch macramé, but also crisp linen, kingsize beds and custom skincare products (which you can also buy at the in-hotel store. The 100-cover restaurant and downstairs karaoke room and photo/ video booth will draw plenty from the east London surroundings as well as hotel guests.

The Biltmore

Grosvenor Square is a commanding location, now it has a new hotel that fits that location. The Biltmore Mayfair, which has just opened (following a yearlong refurb), is one of the biggest London openings for some time and is the first European venture for LXR Hotels & Resorts. Most familiar to many will be The Betterment, the in-hotel restaurant from Jason Atherton, which sees him return to the very same square where he once worked for Gordon Ramsay. The super-chef and his head chef Paul Walsh, who was at City Social, will oversee all the food and drink for the hotel – including the Pine Bar, room service and afternoon tea. Away from the headline-grabbing chef, the 308 rooms and 57 suites at the Biltmore Mayfair will have opulent furnishings and, for some, commanding views over the square. Expect parquet floors, wood panelling, marble bathrooms, fresh flowers and a deep sense of satisfaction if you get to stay here.

The Standard

Great location, stunning exterior and restaurants with buzz – the newly opened Standard is a big asset for London. Its brutalist carapace (with a small Banksy if you know where to look) is offset by a bright scarlet lift soaring up the outside to Decimo, the destination restaurant of the 10th floor by celebrated chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias. Inside on the ground floor is a fabulously retro/futurist duo of dining spaces – Isla and Double Standard, both overseen by chef Adam Rawson. Meanwhile the bedrooms 266 of them, have 42 different styles and some of the larger rooms on the upper floors have terraces with amazing views… and the occasional outdoor bath. There are custom Craig Green robes, ‘overstocked minibars’ and the whole place is pet-friendly.