Hotel
RAFFLES LONDON AT THE OWO
Years in the making, Raffles London at The OWO is not only the first Raffles hotel in London but the rejuvenation of an iconic building with a remarkable history. Completed in 1906, the Old War Office carries long associations with great figures of the twentieth century, from Winston Churchill to Ian Fleming, who was inspired by the building’s resident spies to create the James Bond series. As well as luxury rooms and suites (plus some seriously swanky residencies), a Guerlain spa and high-spec wellness centre, the big draw at Raffles at The OWO is the food. Superstar chef Mauro Colagreco, who’s behind the former World No 1 restaurant, the three Michelin-starred Mirazur in the south of France, has two spots here – the fine-dining self-titled Mauro Colagraco at Raffles London at The OWO and Saison – but there’s also Paper Moon, Cafe Laperouse, Langosteria and Kioku by Endo to keep you busy.
MANDARIN ORIENTAL MAYFAIR
One of the more prolific hotel groups, the Mandarin Oriental now boasts a second London site – not too far away from the other one. The new hotel is on Hanover Square, Mayfair’s oldest square, which is just under a 30 minute walk from the Hyde Park location. Unlike the first, however, the new Mandarin Oriental is housed inside a new build and offers a more intimate experience, with only 50 guest rooms (as opposed to 168 at Hyde Park) and 78 private residencies. There are also restaurants and a lounge by Michelin-starred chef Akira Back, a destination spa and large indoor swimming pool.
190 bedrooms and suites, 25 opulent residencies, a spa, an indoor pool, a retail arcade and a ballroom makes for one hell of a hotel but The Peninsula London gets even more impressive when you look at the food and drink options. Claude Bosi oversees the two-star modern European rooftop restaurant Brooklands, inspired by classic British aviation and motorsport, with an overhead scale model of Concorde, rare motoring memorabilia and a rotating display of classic cars from the Brooklands racetrack inside. The ground floor of the hotel is home to Chinese restaurant Canton Blue, headed up by Chef Dicky To, which celebrates the spice trade link between Asia and Britain across the dining room and Little Blue Bar. You can also indulge in afternoon tea and an all-day menu of classic dishes to a soundtrack of live music at The Lobby restaurant, with grab-and-go food available at The Peninsula Boutique & Cafe.
The BT Tower Is Being Turned into a Hotel
MCR Hotels has bought the iconic tower for £275m
The BT Tower will remain a London landmark after MCR Hotels and BT Group agreed to a £275 million sale as part of BT’s cost-cutting measures, including downsizing the number of offices they have. Standing at 189 meters high, what was once the tallest building in London will soon also be an upscale hotel, operated by US-based company, MCR Hotels, which owns over 150 properties.
Located in Fitzrovia, the British Telecommunications Tower is a Grade II-listed building. When the tower first opened in 1965, it played a central role in communication networks around the city, though since mobile technology has evolved, BT now no longer relies on the tower to carry microwave signals across London and the UK. For the first six years, parts of the tower were even open to the public, and it famously had a revolving restaurant at the top. Recently it’s only been open to the public for one day a year as part of London’s Open House Festival. Though there is no exact date for when the hotel will open – BT has said it’ll take years to empty the site of all its technology – it’s not too early to get excited about what it’ll be like to sleep over in the tower.
In regards to the sale, CEO and owner of MCR Hotels, Tyler Morse, said, “We are proud to preserve this beloved building and will work to develop proposals to tell its story as an iconic hotel, opening its doors for generations to enjoy.”
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THE MANDRAKE
The five-star luxury boutique Mandrake Hotel is a bit of a mysterious one, housed inside a converted RIBA award-winning building on Newman Street. The subdued corridor paves the way into the lobby where the dark interiors continue with a mix of art featuring mythological creatures and scenes of nature. The rooms come with top amenities – big beds, Italian linens, rainfall showers, Grown Alchemist products, flatscreen TV – but if you can, you’ll want to nab one with a balcony overlooking the hanging garden and courtyard. The Mandrake’s main restaurant Yopo is South American-inspire, and there are more creatures to marvel at during a meal, including a giant ostrich-like beast, which has a rather impressive headdress and snakeskin running down its entire neck. After dins, the bar picks up as the DJ provides a backdrop of beats for the crowd gearing up for a night out – the hotel is a popular party destination Thursday through Saturday. If you love an early night, then maybe this isn’t for you as it’s all about joining in the experience at The Mandrake.
THE HOXTON, LLOYD
The Hoxton has a brand new spot in Amsterdam, having taken over the iconic Lloyd hotel and restored it in to a new 136 bedroom beauty in the Eastern Docklands. The building is an Accidentally-Wes-Anderson stunner with an amazing history, having been a shipping company headquarters, and a shelter for Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in the Second World War, amongst many other things. Many original features of the building remain with colourful tiled walls and floors and the central clock tower that now houses one very unique ‘Tower’ bedroom. You can expect the usual Hoxton great design across the whole property, plus lively public spaces such as Breman Brasserie (see above) and Barbue, a cocktail bar created in partnership with drinks legend Tato Giovanni.
Maison Delano is a very luxurious new five-star luxury hotel in an 18th century mansion in the swanky 8th Arrondissement. There’s 56 classically-styled suites, plus a restaurant from Michelin-starred Spanish chef Dani Garcia.
A beaut new outpost of The Hoxton located in the Poblenou neighbourhood of Barcelona. As well as the superbly designed, spacious bedrooms, there’s a rooftop pool and restaurant (Tope), plus Four Corners Detroit-style pizza, and bikes to rent. Poblenou is a relaxed yet buzzing neighbourhood situated a little away from the centre – so you’re free from the tourist hoards that clog up downtown Barca, but still just a quick cycle or taxi away.
MAMA SHELTER LA DEFENSE
Mama Shelter La Defense hotel is located out in Paris’ business district, and although it may feel like you’re in the suburbs, La Defense is super accessible, only a 15-minute metro ride to the centre. Mama Shelter injects a heavy dose of fun and personality into a relatively serious La Defense. The hotel’s playful and colourful branding is instantly recognisable and a welcomed contrast to its surrounding neighbours – think plenty of neon signs, bold interiors and a cheeky personality. This runs throughout the whole hotel, from the minute you step into reception right up to where you lay your head. Like at the sister sites, you’ll even have the classic cartoon masks hanging by your bed. Their TVs come loaded with some of the latest films and even x-rated vids – ooh la la. And if you’re looking for an extra couple of hours in the room, (perhaps you’ve painted the town a little too hard the night before) you can opt for a 3pm checkout. There are two restaurants housed in the hotel. Up top is the Mama Penthouse, which has panoramic views of Paris, and a new retro diner located on the ground floor, which is an Instagram dream with pastel pink decor, planet lights, jukeboxes and leather booths.
THE BOTREE
The BoTree hotel is all about conscious luxury set across 199 rooms, including 30 suites. Examples of this are in abundance throughout the hotel, such as the use of Jo Loves products, all vegan and natural with packaging made using Ocean Bound Plastic; pillows made from recycled post-consumer waste plastic bottles; and motion sensors to turn off lights and heating. The lobby is stunning, filled with fashion flowers, comfy couches and art on every wall, and if there’s no art then it’s because it’s a floor-to-ceiling glass window. The suites are flooded with light from the huge windows overlooking central London and filled with light wood panelling, bold furniture, huge beds, dual sinks and walk-in rain showers in the bathroom, and Dyson appliances. The in-house restaurant Lavo is all about Italian food with a playful twist, which means massive 500g wagyu and Italian pork sausage meatballs with marinara sauce and 20-layer peanut butter cakes – skip this and you’ll have to live with the regrets.
HOTEL WALLACE
Hotel Wallace is part of the Orso group, founded by Anouk and Louis Solanet, a young cool couple that own a collective of seven Parisian boutique hotels and have plans to open more. Orso Group has a great ethos, using locally made, good produce throughout all its sites. It also has its own Orso guide, showcasing the 100 best neighbourhood spots less than 15 minutes away from the hotel, to check out during your trip – very handy if you want to live like a local! Hotel Wallace has a prime location in the 15th arrondissement, around a 25-minute walk to the Eiffel Tower. The building had a major makeover back in 2021, and, with the help of well-known interior gurus Hauvette & Madani, it was transformed into the riviera-inspired retro-chic hotel it is today. Think tasselled lamp shades, striped curtains, slick lacquered wooden headboards and terrazzo features throughout, with mod cons in the rooms and their own-brand Colomba skincare in the bathroom. There’s even a Scandi hot tub on the terrace for you to soak in after a day of sightseeing and then you can head down to the Wallace bar for nightcap.
THE BEAUMONT HOTEL
To take a trip to The Beaumont hotel is to step into a calm, Art Deco retreat away from the chaos of nearby Oxford Street. Styled after the grand hotels of the 1920s, The Beaumont’s interiors definitely fit the bill, with its walnut-panelled walls, marble furnishings and sleek rooms. Besides actually staying at the hotel, The Beaumont houses a pretty special selection of bars and restaurants. The Colony Grill Room is an old-school NYC-style restaurant with a timeless menu, Le Magritte Bar & Terrace pays homage to the American bars that were very popular in London and Paris during the 1920s and Gatsby’s Room serves as more of a daytime venue, with an all-day menu that includes breakfast and afternoon tea.
One hotel closes, another one opens. One Hundred Shoreditch, from the Lore Group (who are also behind Sea Containers and Pulitzer Amsterdam) has moved into the site once occupied by the Ace Hotel. The property boasts 258 bedrooms and a whopping six restaurants and bars, including destination cocktail bar Seed Library from Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Mr Lyan, which’ll shake up new takes on classic serves; a lobby bar; a coffee shop; and a roof terrace with panoramic views over the city.
NOBU HOTEL SHOREDITCH
With 164 guest rooms and suites, the world-renowned Nobu restaurant, NAMI bar, alfresco terrace and a tranquil spa and gym, Nobu Hotel has a lot to offer the short stay visitor, making more than jut a base to throw your bags in and head out again. Given its position in Shoreditch and near to the City, it is a great option location wise and with so much to explore right on the doorstep, there’s plenty of fun to be found outside as well as inside Nobu. The Yuhi bedrooms are a blend of Shoreditch loft and Japanese Ryokan with warm wood tones, brushed gold accents, dark parquet floors, a custom-designed ceiling and wallpaper by Shoreditch based-artist Richard Harding, and huge king beds. You can dine on Nobu signatures like black cod miso and wagyu beef at the restaurant and then you can zen out at the hotel spa. A real touch of luxury in the heart of East London.
CHILTERN FIREHOUSE
Chiltern Firehouse, the hotel and restaurant owned by Andre Balazs (the man behind Chateau Marmont and New York’s Mercer), is a popular celeb haunt – remember when every man and his dog was papped falling out of the restaurant circa 2014? It does however live up to the hype. The 5-star hotel, housed in a Grade II-listed former fire station, features 26 luxury suites, a secret smoking lounge and a restaurant overseen by Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes. The food (dishes include crab doughnuts, fried chicken with ranch, and chargrilled Iberico pork with poblano chilli) is great, the cocktail menu is bang on trend and the place looks amazing too.
HENRY'S TOWNHOUSE
Jane Austen’s brother Henry used to own a townhouse on Upper Berkeley Street and now the Grade II listed building has been turned into a boutique hotel named after him. Henry’s Townhouse has seven bedrooms, all with Georgian-inspired interiors courtesy of Russell Sage Studio and modern amenities like Nespresso coffee machines, flat-screen TVs, Dyson hairdryers and LA Bruket toiletries. Plus there’s a sharing table in the pantry kitchen where breakfast and private dinners are served as well as a cocktail snug, an outdoor terrace and a sitting room that pays homage to Jane Austen. The rooms are available to book individually or if you’re having a very fancy party (and you’ve got the dollar) you can hire the whole place for 14 people.
THE ZETTER TOWNHOUSE
When a 13-bedroom Georgian townhouse hotel meets an award-winning cocktail lounge, magic happens. And that magic is known as The Zetter Townhouse. It’s luxurious, quirky and very, very British (think red, white and blue everything) with big comfy beds, Egyptian cotton linen and REN products in each room. Their cocktail lounge is pretty spesh too, paying homage to the neighbourhood’s distilling heritage with old cocktail classics as well as homemade cordials and infusions.
On the cusp of south London, just over from Blackfriars Bridge, is the Bankside Hotel which opened up in 2019. Art and design is a huge focus at Bankside; the industrial-chic interiors pay homage to the history of the area whilst still remaining inviting, and the lobby is home to a curated collection of multi-disciplinary art put together by designer Dayna Lee. The hotel has 161 rooms ranging from a modest double to their biggest suite, and they come with Grown Alchemist bathroom products, remote-controlled blackout blinds, Chromecast, and a Nespresso coffee machine. Sadly there isn’t a spa to relax and unwind in, but you can enjoy a 24 hour gym in case you get the urge to throw kettlebells around in the middle of the night.