From the outside, The London EDITION looks like a period Georgian hotel with its columned portico and intricate moldings. But notice the all-glass entrance doors? They are a hint of something more modern inside.
To be sure, The London EDITION leaves its Georgian heritage at that door and sweeps you through its grand lobby bar to a minimalist black reception desk, lit with chunky candles. The large 18th-century reproduction tapestry might catch your eye, but so will the friendly and approachable staff, as it checks you in.
Everything here has been installed with beauty in mind (even, it seems, the staff members themselves) and the eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary feels like a nod to both the leafy, stately Fitzrovia neighborhood surrounding you and the hip Soho area just across Oxford Street. It’s a beguiling combination and the modern guest rooms and buzzy restaurant and bars attest to its appeal.
To be sure, The London EDITION leaves its Georgian heritage at that door and sweeps you through its grand lobby bar to a minimalist black reception desk, lit with chunky candles. The large 18th-century reproduction tapestry might catch your eye, but so will the friendly and approachable staff, as it checks you in.
Everything here has been installed with beauty in mind (even, it seems, the staff members themselves) and the eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary feels like a nod to both the leafy, stately Fitzrovia neighborhood surrounding you and the hip Soho area just across Oxford Street. It’s a beguiling combination and the modern guest rooms and buzzy restaurant and bars attest to its appeal.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- The ever-pioneering Ian Schrager has done it again here, with the fanfare of the vast lobby and its lavish 19th-century stucco ceiling somehow made intimate with pools of warm lighting and high-backed couches.
- You’re a short stumble from Soho here but there’s no need to head out — the London hotel tempts you to stay in with a flurry of post-dinner drinks options.
- Tuck yourself in to the cozy corners of the Punch Room, which feels a bit like a Victorian gentlemen’s club but serves ladles of — what else — punch, laced with interesting flavors such as jasmine tea and oak moss.
- The hotel’s signature restaurant, Berners Tavern, is helmed by homegrown chef Jason Atherton, who is taking over London with multiple award-winning restaurants.
- Oak floors, wood-paneled walls, custom furnishings and evocative photography from Hendrik Kerstens create a cabin-like feel, akin to that of a private yacht, in each of the 173 guest rooms and suites.
Things to Know
- You’ll notice the copious silver orb chandelier by Ingo Maurer in the lobby (look for your reflection standing beneath it).
- In-room amenities include bespoke facial products by skin specialist to the stars Shane Cooper. You also can get in-house treatments by the very man himself.
- Turn on the hotel's exclusive yoga television channel, Yoga for Bad People, to stretch along from the comfort of your guest room.
The Rooms
- Modern rooms have high ceilings and vast white beds for a sense of space, in turn tempered with warm wood-lined walls and cozy fur (faux, of course) throws slung over that king-sized bed.
- Suites have the wow factor of towering windows and large sinks, as well as a free gin trolley, with all the accouterments necessary to make a mean martini.
- The paintings by Hendrik Kerstens seem to sum it up, playing with old versus new with their napkins as bonnets and hoodies as timeless garments.
The Restaurant
- Homegrown chef Jason Atherton’s Berners Tavern sits just off the luxury hotel’s lobby and serves high-end comfort food with a staunchly British slant.
- Take a seat surrounded by gilt-framed modern paintings and order dishes like roasted New Forest wild mushroom focaccia, charcoal-cooked char siu Dingley Dell pork chop or line-caught crusted cod with white coco beans, fennel and yuzu.
- If there’s two of you, the shared plates are the way to go, with options like Buccleuch Estate Côte de Boeuf and eight-hour slow-cooked Cumbrian Herdwick lamb shoulder arriving piled high and carved tableside.
- Whatever you decide, you simply must have the Flaming Alaska for dessert, it’s quite the show.
Getting There
10 Berners Street, London W1T 3NP, United Kingdom
TEL44-20-7781-0000
NEARBY AIRPORT(S)
LHR (35-50 min)
Stories
