London is buzzing, with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations the highlight of a sizzling summer. It’s also an exciting time for luxury hotels, with several notable properties opening in London this year and some of the world’s most prestigious brands set to debut soon. Here’s where to stay in 2022 and 2023.
The route from the Tube station to The Londoner couldn’t be any ‘Londoner’ unless you abseiled down Big Ben. The short walk passes West End theatres brandishing billboards for the current hit shows and ends in lively Leicester Square. This new hotel is smack-bang in the middle of the action, yet somehow blocks out the noise.
Billed as “the world’s first super boutique hotel”, The Londoner has 350 rooms and suites, an underground pool and spa, six bars and eateries including a rooftop lounge serving Japanese cuisine, rare whiskies and reserve sakes, and a French-Mediterranean restaurant, Whitcomb’s, with an outdoor terrace.
The Residence, for hotel guests only, has three private areas: Drawing Room, which provides complimentary antipasti, soft drinks, tea and coffee alongside board games, newspapers and magazines; Y Bar, for evening drinks and light bites; and The Whisky Room, accessed via a secret door.
Spacious suites are equipped with thoughtful extras such as a Dyson hairdryer, handheld clothes steamer, Nespresso machine, smart TV with Chromecast, and fluffy slippers. The Tower Penthouse comes with a mixologist to make cocktails in your room, silk pyjamas to take home and a Burberry raincoat to use during your stay.
Most secluded is the subterranean wellness floor, The Retreat, where you can be pampered from head to toe in the hair and nail salons, saunas and spa treatment rooms. For total relaxation, book a poolside cabana (free of charge), sink into the cushions, swim or nap in peace.’
Adjacent is Refuel, a superfood and supplements clinic that serves sparkling water infused with CBD, which, it’s claimed, helps you feel more productive and less stressed. Or you could have a drink in the lobby’s tavern for a similar result, before heading out to a show on your doorstep.
The city’s coolest neighbourhood, Shoreditch, is home to East London’s best places to eat, drink and shop, but this new hotel gives you every reason to stay within its stylish walls. There are six excellent bars and restaurants, a local artists’ workshop, comfortable workspaces (in case you’re in town for business or remote working), and a room full of Peloton bikes. Guests can even exercise in privacy by booking an in-room bike from the Peloton concierge.
One Hundred Shoreditch’s studio suites feel like luxury apartments, with large balconies, bespoke furniture, curated artworks, and living and dining areas. Interconnecting rooms are also available for families.
The most stunning space is The Rooftop, a plant-filled bar that blends spiky succulents, spicy margaritas, fine wine and wonderful views. Take a seat at a pink marble table, order a few snacks and beverages, and enjoy Latin music (Thursday to Saturday) as you watch the sunset. In the basement is the more laidback Seed Library, created by award-winning bartender Ryan ‘Mr Lyan’ Chetiyawardana. Choose from a bottle of Krug, a chive daiquiri or a black elderflower French martini.
Don’t miss the impeccable food and service at Goddard & Gibbs, which specialises in ethically sourced British seafood, such as the roasted skate wing with XO butter, or Maldon oysters accompanied by a glass of Rathfinny Estate’s lovely sparkling wine from Essex. On weekends, bottomless brunch flows with Laurent-Perrier champagne.
Within walking distance are the Columbia Road Flower Market, Brick Lane Market, Spitalfields Market, Victoria Miro Gallery, the century-old Whitechapel Gallery, the Museum of Happiness and plenty of amazing street art (including a priceless Banksy on nearby Rivington Street).
Be the first to stay at these five-star icons, scheduled to open next year.
Raffles’s first property in the UK will have 11 bars and restaurants, a spa with a 20-metre indoor pool, a separate vitality pool and a grand ballroom. Open to the public for the first time in more than a century, the landmark Old War Office building was Winston Churchill’s headquarters during World War II.
Overlooking Hyde Park Corner and the Wellington Arch from its rooftop bar, this legendary brand will offer The Peninsula Spa, a Cantonese restaurant and a luxurious shopping arcade in the heart of Belgravia.
Renowned interior architect and designer Martin Brudnizki describes his creation as “your eccentric godmother’s Soho townhouse”, with 57 lavish rooms, a Sicilian-inspired restaurant and wraparound rooftop bar.
In the new London Battersea Power Station development, this lifestyle hotel is set to unveil an art gallery, rooftop pool and garden, and bold interiors by designer Jaime Hayon.
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