London’s top new hotels for 2018
With so many fascinating things to do, see and experience in the capital, you never need an excuse to visit London. To make the most of any trip, ensure you check out the latest London breaks for great places to stay. Also keep your eyes open for these exciting new London hotels, opening in 2018.
YOTEL Clerkenwell
Those on the go have long been fans of YOTEL’s capsule-style airport hotels, which offer pit-stop-ready rooms at a modest price. Now, the Big Smoke is calling, with the chain choosing London’s Clerkenwell as the location for their first city-centre hotel in Europe.
It’s a shrewd spot to debut, crammed with creative hipster types but also a mecca for digital start-ups – a good match for YOTEL’s trendy tech-driven style of hospitality. This latest project, opening late 2018, continues YOTEL’s mission to mix the functional with the modern (see YOTEL Boston, pictured below).
White-and-silver interiors are edged in the brand’s ubiquitous purple glow, whilst the 212 compact cabins come with YOTEL’s signature adjustable beds, monsoon rain showers, mood lighting and Smart TVs. It’s the new features, however, that separate the property from the chain’s airport options. Upscale additions include a gym, a bar and a dining outlet, along with a Club Lounge offering flexible meeting and co-working spaces – all in keeping with the vibe of the surrounding area.
The Principal London
Once seen as the seedy patch of otherwise smart and proper Bloomsbury, Russell Square has cleaned up its act in recent years, bringing it in line with the leafy respectability that defines this historic area. The square’s transformation continues in 2018 with the arrival of The Principal London. The high-end hotel group, which specialises in sensitive restorations of historic buildings, have worked their magic on former grand dame Hotel Russell, giving a lick of luxury to this terracotta Victorian behemoth. Modern indulgence is the key. Elegant art-lined rooms nod to Bloomsbury’s artistic heritage, whilst public spaces include a grand Palm Court, a gastropub-style restaurant and coffeehouse. A lavish cocktail bar, meanwhile, evokes Gatsby-esque hedonism.
Hard Rock Hotel London
The original Hard Rock Café opened in London back in 1971, but the brand’s birthplace has yet to benefit from the bright and bold hotel chain that also bears its name. That’s all set to change in 2018. The Cumberland Hotel, a mammoth turn-of-the-century edifice plonked opposite Marble Arch and overlooking Hyde Park, will get a thorough music-inspired makeover. The building has the right rock ’n’ roll credentials – Jimi Hendrix used it as a bolthole – along with enough space to handle the fabulous excess the Hard Rock is famed for. A whopping 900 rooms are on offer, along with a vast lobby area where guests can sip signature cocktails and enjoy regular live music. Other highlights include an obligatory on-site Hard Rock Café, a spa area, and a speakeasy-style bar, as well as a memorabilia vault housing some of the brand’s 80,000 historical artefacts.
Vintry & Mercer
Past meets present in this latest venture from the team who helm South Kensington’s ultra-smart Ampersand Hotel. Set on a quaint cobbled street between the City and the Thames, the boutique Vintry & Mercer sits in London’s venerable Vintry Ward, where guilds dating from the 14th century traded fine wines and fine fabrics. A top-notch drinks list, bespoke furnishings and old trading maps hark back to its history, but this design-led hotel corners contemporary elegance too. Velvet and leather add a decadent touch to the 92 rooms, whilst suites open to glass-panelled balconies overlooking the Southbank. A state-of-the-art gym and a trio of chic event spaces are to be expected. More surprising, though, are the hotel’s dining spaces. There’s a rooftop restaurant with a city-view terrace plating dishes cooked in a charcoal oven, whilst a subterranean 1920s-inspired bar offers vintage cocktails and a menu of small plates.