Good lord, am I still to be found loitering under that tree?? I remember the book...the lost honour...
Good lord, am I still to be found loitering under that tree?? I remember the book...the lost honour of katherina blum by Heinrich Boll: jolly good, but please believe me that it hasn't taken me the last trillion years to read it! Hello all Kx
Member since:23.05.2002
Reviews:164
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Number 45 St Martins Lane is anything but an ostentatious building. Looking like an old 1960’s cinema you would be forgiven for walking past without even realising it is a hotel. Oh, and yeah, there’s nothing to SAY it is a hotel either. There’s no sign, there’s no writing in the window, there’s just a revolving door…
So having walked up and down the Theatreland street several times in the pouring rain, bumping my stewardess’s luggage trolley on all the kerbs I was less than impressed with this hotel before I had even walked through the door!
Yet hang on, St Martins Lane Hotel is far from inexpensive: with single rooms starting from £160 and reaching the heady heights of £340 for a night: surely this Ian Schrager hotel would be in the same stratosphere as the famous Delano in Miami, the Hudson in New York and the beautiful Clift in San Francisco? Schrager is known for his fabulous design and opulent hotel chain…so perhaps I should suspend my disbelief for a little while longer.
The reception room of the hotel is quite simply incredible. Ultra-modern, minimalist and HUGE with a tiny little “reception desk” off to the left, and a smattering of the infamous Stark furniture on a pure white marble floor: perhaps this is a taste of things to come. Sure enough checking in is a pleasure and I am escorted by the bellboy to my room. And what a journey. Tiny tiny little television screen are “implanted” into the lifts on three sides and play clips of things like a little kid grinning at you, gold fish swimming, a man lifting his eyebrows up and down…oh yes, ube-trendy.
So my little white room. What do I have? Well, I have an enormous double bed, all in white with eight big white pillows. I have a white wardrobe set into a white wall, a little white desk and a little white chair. Of course I have a TV hidden in a white unit and I have a light switch. Now I would have thought that light switches aren’t usually even worth mentioning in a hotel review – are you concerned that I have become way way too detailed and you’ll have to swoop over the rest of this review? Well HANG ON one minute missy because this is no ordinary light switch. No, this light switch allows me to colour my little white room to suit my mood! I have pink, I have green, I have purple and I have yellow. I also have normal, but I don’t think that will be getting much use.
My second room contains a power-shower to die for and an attachment that is designed for you to be able to move it around all over (including washing your feet!). Of course, the obligatory white fluffy towels and robe, and a basin below the enormous mirror complete the set. What more could I want?
Dinner of course.
Now St Martin’s Lane hotel boasts two restaurants – the famous Asia de Cuba and the more relaxed Tuscan. Unfortunately the Asia de Cuba was fully booked by the time we got around to checking so we dined in the Tuscan. But that, as they say is definitely another story and along with the oh-so-trendy Light Bar is the subject of another review.
As for the hotel experience, well it was simply wonderful. From the courtesy Aqua shampoo, conditioner and body lotion in the shower room (yes of course I took them home!) to the doors with no handles in the ladies, everything was just that bit different, just that bit clever that it kept me very very happy throughout my stay!
If you would like to get the feel of this clever building and fabulous design take a look at www.ianschragerhotels.com The hotel also has three ultra high-tech meeting rooms and prices range from £160 - £340 for a single room and £160 - £520 for a double.
I most definitely forgave them for the “we’re too cool to have a sign in the window” faux-pas and would highly recommend this hotel to anybody looking to escape the predictable. 10/10
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About to check in here next weekend and really looking forward to it! Those light switches sound funky!
firelighter 17.09.2002 20:30
Wow! this sounds brilliant, but maybe a little too expensive for me. Dave :o)
Klara13 17.09.2002 15:54
Ow, I wanna room that I can change colour to suit my mood, it sounds absolutely wonderful and I’m off know to check out the web site so I stare in awe and wonder. K x
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Sep 16th, 2002
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