Sun Street Hotel, London

BACKGROUND Sun Street is part of the One Crown Place development which has two towers with 246 private apartments as well as o ices.

WHERE IS IT? On Sun Street, between Finsbury Square and Liverpool Street station, which is a five-minute walk through Broadgate Circus.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? Very cleverlydesigned by Bowler James Brindley and Studio Ashby. The hotel is a new-build but, because it is behind the original Georgian façades of six houses, the moment you enter through the black-painted wooden door you feel like you are stepping back in time.

On the ground floor there are a series of rooms which would have originally been the front rooms of the houses. The central one is reception, but turn left and you walk into the lounge bar. Beyond that is ‘the Tasting Room’, which is set up as a boardroom. Turning right from reception there is the Club Room and then the Library.

The smaller, more human dimensions of the hotel provide a contrast with the larger buildings around, and also give it a sense of intimacy. The walls are filled with antique prints and quirky art which works well, but is very reminiscent of the Ivy chain of restaurants. There’s a fair bit of whimsy to the design – you’ll find large pencil sketches of the architect George Dance the Younger (1741-1825), who was the city planner responsible for a surprisingly large amount of development in the area, including Finsbury Circus and Newgate Prison, though like the prison, most of his

BEST FOR

Feeling like you are staying in a luxury London hotel 200 years ago

DON’T MISS

A drink at the bar, or a cup of tea in the Library

PRICE

Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in April start from £350 for a King room

CONTACT

Sun Street Hotel, 5-15 Sun Street, London EC2A 2EP; 020 456 7890; sunstreethotel.com buildings and developments have since been demolished.

The hotel is operated by Bespoke Hotels and the sta were friendly and helpful, which together with the design made it a memorable and pleasurable stay.

ROOMS There are 41 rooms (including seven suites) spread over four floors.

These have been designed by Bowler James Brindley with a choice of modern or Georgian-style decoration. All bedrooms have king-size beds, Oxford pillows, Illy co ee machines, air-conditioning, twicedaily maid service and Penhaligon toiletries. There are six di erent categories: King (26 of these), Superior (six), Junior Suite (two), Suite (three), Loft rooms (three) and a Master Suite. Kings are 18-20 sqm while the Superiors are 27-33 sqm and five of the six Superior rooms are accessibility rooms. Some of the suites have freestanding baths and all suites have a complimentary minibar (soft drinks). The Loft Rooms and Master suite have stair access on the fourth floor. We stayed just after opening, and there were a few teething problems with water temperature and devices not working in our Loft Room, which was also quite dark, even with all the lights on – perhaps some more freestanding lights are necessary. The Loft rooms are in the eaves of the hotel and have a wall of exposed brickwork, shuttered window blinds and sloping ceilings, with a bright bathroom and a rolltop freestanding bath. There are no phones, so you use Whatsapp to communicate with the hotel.

There are no phones, so you use Whatsapp to communicate with the hotel

FOOD AND DRINK The wood-panelled restaurant at Sun Street Hotel has 40 covers and a courtyard with tables in the summer as well as a glass-roofed Orangery where breakfast is served. The evening menu is modern British cuisine and dishes include Dover sole, burrata and black tru le tortellini with sage and pine nuts, as well as sirloin grass-fed Hereford steak and Ridgeway Farm Irish Wagyu, shorthorn, chocolate fed, ribeye 280g.

MEETINGS The Library and the Tasting Room are available for private events, as is the private dining room in the restaurant. There is also a terrace on the third floor.

LEISURE The hotel does not have a fitness centre.

VERDICT This is a lovely boutique hotel, perfect for staying in the City of London while avoiding corporate design and enjoying some luxurious service. Tom Otley