London Hotels Insight provides up-to-date, independent advice for your perfect stay in London. We research guest feedback, meet management and identify hotels at the top of their game.
London boutique hotels round-up – Oct. 2011.
The Mercer Street Hotel recently unveiled a set of stunning new suites as part of a £15m refurbishment
As the nights draw in and Christmas looms ever closer, right now is a great time to explore London whether for a spot of Christmas shopping in the newly lit-up shopping precincts, to check out the festive markets or simply to kick back and take it easy. And if you want to stay somewhere with a dash of character and more than a sprinkling of personality, it’s well worth checking into one of London’s inspiring boutique hotels.
Read on for all the latest news on London’s dynamic boutique hotel scene…
Following last month’s prediction by consultants HVS that the number of boutique hotels in London is set to double by 2013, Hotel Chatter foresees a surge in the development and popularity of East London boutique hotels. Meanwhile, Pricewaterhouse Coopers says that the Olympics could, “[put] part of East London on the hotel map for the first time.”
East London boutique hotels like the Town Hall Hotel (pictured) are set to boom according to several authoritative hotel industry experts
The Mercer Street Hotel in Covent Garden has reopened following an extensive £15million refurbishment reports London Hotels Insight. The hotel (previously the Mountbatten) now has an extra 137 rooms, featuring free WiFi and the ability to hook all your Apple devices to the TV.
Qatari investment in London boutique hotels continued with the sale of the Sanderson Hotel and St Martin’s Lane by Morgans Hotel Group to Middle Eastern firm Capital Hill for £192 million. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the year and follows the sale of the W Leicester Square Hotel to Qatari firm Al Faisal Holding the previous month.
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The Sanderson - along with a slew of other hip boutique hotels - has been snapped by buyers from the Middle East
Meanwhile, the man who first started the Morgans Hotel Group and was responsible for launching the Sanderson and St Martins Lane hotels, Ian
Schrager, is apparently planning to bring his new boutique hotel brand Public to London, having launched a £75 million bid for the Crowne Plaza Shoreditch. Schrager is widely credited as one of the key players in the creation of the boutique hotel concept.
This December, The Montague on the Gardens will be turning its outdoor Wood Deck into a Christmas themed après-ski-styled lodge and bar in the centre of London. The focus will be very much on the vodka bar, which will feature a range of festive flavours, along with an outdoor BBQ.
The boutique luxury hotel is even giving two lucky vodka-lovers the chance to win a night’s stay for two at the hotel. All you need to enter is add your idea for a new vodka flavour on the Red Carnation blog by 11th November.
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Montague ski lodge is a creative idea which the luxury hotel near the British Museum will open at the start of December
During the October half-term, St Ermin’s Hotel offered a special top secret deal for would-be spy kids and their families. The “Budding Bonds” package paid homage to the hotel’s history as a place where spies would meet and conspire during WW2 and the Cold War. Upon arrival, kids were given a secret code book, an aptitude test for spies and a voucher for a non-alcoholic cocktail - shaken, not stirred of course.
Anyone planning a stay at the Haymarket Hotel in August 2012 (Olympics time!) may well be disappointed. Accountancy firm Deloitte has apparently booked all the hotel’s 50 rooms for 3 weeks in August. The Sun newspaper reported the news in a typically restrained way: “The accountancy firm that killed off Woolworths has booked an entire luxury hotel.”
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The Haymarket Hotel: already booked up (by one company!) during the London Olympics
As November begins, London will have a new boutique brand on its streets. The new Aloft venture by Starwood sees the opening of Aloft London Excel near Royal Victoria Dock. The hotel has 252 rooms (including 12 suites) and is directly connected to Excel International Exhibition and Convention Centre. Aloft’s Senior VP, Brian McGuiness, told Caterer.com: “We are keen to expand the brand further in the UK with more openings in London as well as in cities such as Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool.”
In an article in the London Evening Standard, Liz Hoggard, who co-authored Dangerous Women: The Guide to Modern Life, described London as the “the perfect playground for [dangerous women]” (women who are economically and intellectually independent). She also sings the praises of ‘crash pads’ (small and affordable hotel rooms) at boutique hotels, including 40 Winks, Dean Street Townhouse, Sanctum Soho and Rough Luxe.
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Rough Luxe is at the forefront of the emerging "boutique budget" trend being pioneered by London hotels
Finally, Dukes Hotel on St James’ Place recently won the title of ‘England’s Leading Boutique Hotel’ at the World Travel Awards and has been nominated for the ‘World’s Ultimate Service Award’. Speaking to Breaking Travel News, General Manager Debrah Dhugga said that award schemes such as this are important because: “People enjoy being recognised for their hard work and it’s a great motivator for the team and the business.”
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Dukes - recent winner of a much sought-after "best boutique hotel" award
That completes this month’s round-up of London boutique hotel news brought to you exclusively by London Hotels Insight.
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Photo credits: Mercer Street Hotel (Radisson Edwardian Hotels), Town Hall Hotel, Sanderson Hotel, Montague on the Gardens Hotel (Red Carnation Hotel Collection), Haymarket Hotel, Dukes Hotel, Rough Luxe.
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