St Martins Lane, London, United Kingdom
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Exterior: St Martins Lane Hotel in London, England -
Guestroom: St Martins Lane Hotel in London, England -
Penthouse Living Room: St Martins Lane Hotel in London, England -
Light Bar: St Martins Lane Hotel in London, England -
Lobby: St Martins Lane Hotel in London, England -
Events Room: St Martins Lane Hotel in London, England -
Events Room Dinner: St Martins Lane Hotel in London, England
St Martins Lane 5 Stars
"Stark outside, Starck inside – this fun and funky design hotel has private garden rooms, inspiring views and the famed Light Bar.”
Hotel Overview
Review of St Martins Lane, by Isabel Clift
Effortlessly well packaged, St Martins Lane has established itself as London's go-to hotel for press events, photo-shoots and star-spotting. The clientele sport haircuts as sharp as the Philippe Starck interiors, making this a destination to see and be seen, rather than simply a place to crash at the end of a long day.
It's possible to have a whole night out under one roof. Start at Asia De Cuba for fun Asian/Latin fusion food - the restaurant is relaxed, with smart white tables played off against crookedly hung lighting. Another quirky touch is the room's central columns, which are ringed with bookshelves and collections of portrait photography.
After you've filled up on calamari salad, move on to the Light Bar, entered via a circular wall panel on which a huge moving fishbowl is projected. The ceiling of the long, low bar is broken up by two atriums with huge faces painted on each inside wall. Lighting is multi-coloured, to match the cocktails - sup on something from the seasonal menu, or get a bespoke creation from the mixologists.
Round off the evening at Bungalow 8, St Martins Lane's attached celeb-magnet nightspot. Hotel guests can roam the lounge bar and downstairs dance floor until 10pm - then it's members only till 2am.
The 204 all-white rooms are kitted out with Philippe Starck furniture, crisp white beds and lights that can be colour-adjusted according to mood. Minimalist T-shaped cabinets house chests of draws with built-in TVs and DVD players, and bathrooms have block porcelain sinks, deep freestanding baths and Korres toiletries. There's also a white marble-topped writing desk in every room, with a transparent Lucite chair.
Pick a standard room for the nifty corner windows, or a Deluxe for a satisfyingly large expanse of bright white space. Make a statement by checking in to a Penthouse or Apartment suite - both have top floor panoramic rooftop views, and crisp white lounge areas with huge flat screen TVs. Bathrooms have baths big enough for two, and kitchenettes are also included.
Facilities
Hotel Policies
Awards
"Gold List" Conde Nast Traveller 06
Who stays here?
David Walliams, Paris Hilton, Ewan McGregor and Jade Jagger.
Come for...
- The 'no-business centre', a fun chill-out space
- Advertising your mood with the lighting
- A drink at the Light Bar, very trendy
Not Suitable for...
- Fuddy-duddies
Children
The hotel provides extra cots and sofa beds for children and has interconnecting rooms for families. There is no children's menu as such, but the concierge is happy to arrange a special meal on request.
Eating in
Asia de Cuba is buzzy and much-booked, so make a reservation early. It serves up a cheeky fusion of Asian and Cuban cuisine, alongside delectable cocktails, and is a prime place for some A-list celeb spotting.
The Press Say
"... from fluorescent revolving doors to tooth-shaped stools in the lobby. The show continues in the Light Bar, with shafts of pink, orange and green light." Conde Nast Traveller 06
Reviews
Review of St Martins Lane, by Angela Moore
The stark exterior of St Martins Lane and the slightly scary-trendy look of the improbably tall orange revolving door are belied by the cheery greetings of the doorman. This was the first Schrager and Starck design hotel in London and shook the London hotel world up completely when it opened. Today, it's just as subversive and just as much fun.
The lobby is a sweep of blonde wood dotted with Starck-esque bits and pieces, including molar-shaped stools and merry little garden gnomes. A line of light leads towards the famous Light Bar, walled off during the day with a luminous wall screen, with arty clips projected onto it. There are panels painted a happy sunlit primrose yellow and tall colonnade pillars set off by dramatic lighting.
The lobby then segues into Asia de Cuba, the much-loved restaurant. Fat columns run the length of the room, each decorated differently in installation style. There is a tufted silk column, a column with shelves stuffed with books and mini-tvs, a column hung entirely with black-white photographs and another covered in identical pot plants.
St Martins Lane attracts a similar trendy crowd to its sibling, Sanderson, though here guests tend to be younger and more relaxed. Of the two, the Sanderson is more dramatic and better conceived; however, St Martins Lane feels more fun. If you want formal service and high-quality business facilities, or if you're of the "Yes, but what's it for?" school of thought, you may be happier elsewhere.
The 204 rooms are faintly Lego-like. Some have wonderful full-length windows which allow light to come cascading in. All have comfortable beds and kitten-soft linens with a dramatic thread count. The 'mood lighting' (now much-imitated) allows you to change the colour of the room to suit you.
There are other touches of designer Starck: clear Perspex chairs, solid walls of colour, dramatic hanging lights. TVs and minibars are hidden in white freestanding cupboards. Open-plan bathrooms (separated by glass walls and white drapes) are stylish and good-looking and mainly have sleek walk-in showers. Some also have cool and curving tubs. The best rooms, for my money, are the garden rooms, each with a tiny private outdoor area hung with greenery and romantically lit at night with candles.
Review of St Martins Lane, by Vanessa Kaoukji
St Martins Lane is a slick design hotel only minutes from Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square and attracts a mixture of theatre enthusiasts, media types, and young trendies. Public areas are fascinating: molar shaped stools; giant chess pieces; cluttered bookshelves; unshaded light bulbs dangling on long wires. No inviting looking sofas, and certainly no softness to contrast the hard lines.
Bedrooms are crips, bright and neat. Corner rooms are the best with floor to ceiling windows on two sides of the room. Garden rooms have a cube of patio area surrounded by a high wall, so you can sit outside to drink a bottle of wine in the evening even if it is in a area four feet squared.
No flashing neon sign outside this hotel, in fact there is no sign at all, so only those in the know will walk through the imposing revolving doors.