Sneak Peek: The world’s first Super Boutique Hotel
If you’ve not heard of The Londoner hotel yet – where have you been? The highly anticipated hotel opened its doors towards the tail end of last year. It’s been a decade in the making, but it’s certainly been worth the wait.
The Londoner is part of the exclusive Edwardian Hotel London Group and a proud member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Legend Collection. And, considering there was a staggering £500m spent on this project, I think we can agree they have earnt the self-claimed title of “super-boutique” hotel.
Guests can enjoy the best of both worlds during their stay. The hotel’s central location is in the hustle and bustle of Leicester Square, meaning you have all the excitement London has to offer on your doorstep. But, once you walk through the front door, you enter a world of sanctuary and bliss. There are 350 spectacularly designed bedrooms, a choice of six intimate food and beverage establishments, an exclusive private residents’ area, jaw-dropping event facilities or endless relaxation at The Retreat.
The hotel is over 16 storeys. Six levels are subterranean, which has earned the hotel the ‘Iceberg Hotel’ nickname. Spanning 30m below ground is a true feat of architectural engineering and is London’s deepest habitable-grade commercial building basement. Also, another badge of honour is the sustainable approach to building functionality. It’s a known fact that hotels consume high energy levels, so part of the design brief was to combat this issue. The Londoner received an ‘Excellent’ rating from BREEAM – you can read more about this here.
An extensive design team visualised and developed a West End Story narrative in the core of The Londoner, which is fitting of its location. A sleek, modern décor that reflects the elegance of West End Life with a flair for the dramatic and a diverse, boutique aesthetic.
The events space ticks ALL the boxes for an event planner. State of the art technology, inspiring spaces, and a seamless, visually stunning guest journey split over three floors. The main areas include The Ballroom, The Green Room, The Gallery showing private art collections, and their own 2-screen Odeon cinema.
The Ballroom is breathtakingly vast and makes a statement, seating 850 guests in a reception style. It is ingeniously pillarless and features state the art audio-visual elements. The event space also lends itself to smaller, private events with a selection of seven meeting rooms adjoining The Gallery or exclusive drink receptions hosted in The Green Room. All the spaces can be hired together, creating an out-of-this-world “Super-Event” venue for up to 1,560 guests. It truly is awe-inspiring and must be seen to be believed.
A variety of dining options were developed by Amir Jati, Creative Director at Edwardian Hotels and The Londoner’s Executive Chefs; Matt Downes, Shailesh Deshmukh and Neil Armstrong. The signature restaurant welcomes you to a corner of the French Mediterranean, offering simple yet elegant cuisine. On the rooftop is decadent 8 at The Londoner, an izakaya lounge capturing informal and traditional Japanese style of dining and drinking. Joshua’s Tavern pays homage to Sir Joshua Reynolds, the 18th-century portrait artist and former Leicester Square resident, and offers a relaxing environment to enjoy a selection of gins and draught beers. The Stage is the perfect place to enjoy an afternoon tea or champagne breakfast situated in the hotel’s heart. If you’re looking for super-nutritious produce, The Refuel Clinic is an experience designed to improve the body and mind with results-driven superfoods and drinks.
The icing on the cake for the boutique hotel is The Retreat, an entire level devoted to wellness, including a spa, barber, nail bar and salon, pool, gym, fitness studio and the home to The Refuel Clinic. It brings tranquillity and a therapeutic setting that juxtaposes the busy London location. You’ll leave feeling refreshed, pampered and your soul soothed.
The Londoner is ahead of the times regarding innovation, sustainability and offers an unforgettable experience. We are in love with the event space, which provides everything an event planner could ever wish for; versatility, large capacities, central location and exceptional dining. This “super-boutique” hotel is certainly super, and we give it the In2Events seal of approval.
Written by, Katherine West, Venue Service Manager, & Leah Parslow, Digital Content.
