London’s best design hotels for designjunction 2019

Cutting-edge design event designjunction returns for its ninth and biggest edition this September and where better for the 30,000 attendees to stay than London’s most image-conscious hotels? With bold interiors, designer furnishings and eye-catching artworks, these are the best design hotels in London. 

If you’re attending designjunction 2019, which takes place throughout King’s Cross from 19th to 22nd September, you can access the official hotel deals from HotelMap? here. 

by Steven Potter & Vicki Forde

The Mandrake Hotel

With a central London location just north of Oxford Street and an unassuming entrance, The Mandrake is as deceptive as the deadly plant from which it takes its name. Upon entering through a dark corridor, guests will soon discover that the facade belies what’s inside. Beyond the opulent, velvet-draped lobby is a striking verdant courtyard featuring colonial-style furniture and a greenhouse filled with medicinal plants. There are 34 bedrooms placed around the courtyard along with a brand-new South American restaurant and a swanky bar serving plant-based cocktails. 

The London Edition

The 2013 opening of The London Edition marked Ian Schrager’s return to the capital, 15 years since he launched the Sanderson and St. Martins Lane. In true Schrager style, the hotel has a strong design focus with interiors that remain sympathetic to the building’s history while still incorporating modern elements. The magnificent lobby combines work and play with a bar, snooker table and work areas all sitting under a glorious stucco ceiling and an eye-catching silver sphere light. Berners Tavern, the in-house restaurant overseen by Jason Atherton, is one of the city’s most attractive dining spots while the 173 guest rooms contrast dark wood panelling with pristine white sheets and bathrooms. 

Sea Containers London

Tom Dixon and his Design Research Studio are responsible for the interiors at the sleek Sea Containers London, which takes inspiration from the Golden Age of transatlantic ship travel. The theme is most evident in the lobby, where a striking copper installation resembles a ship’s hull, but it continues throughout the hotel with a yellow submarine suspended above the cocktail bar and guest rooms reminiscent of luxury cabins. Sitting on the South Bank, between the OXO Tower and Blackfriars Bridge, the hotel offers spectacular river views while on-site facilities include an in-house Curzon cinema, a futuristic spa and Lyaness – a stylish new cocktail bar from the award-winning Mr Lyan.

Hoxton Hotels

Branded as ‘open-house hotels’, The Hoxton group is renowned for its open-to-all lobbies that invite everyone from hotel guests to local freelancers to relax, work, drink and play. There are three Hoxtons in London – the Hoxton original, one in Holborn and the latest addition, The Hoxton Southwark. The original pioneered the edgy, hip interiors that the capital has since become accustomed to and the others have followed suit. Exposed brick walls, low lighting and parquet flooring are punctuated with velvet furnishings, geometric patterns and antique furnishings. Aside from the lobbies, all three Hoxton hotels boast destination bars and restaurants.

The Curtain

The first European property by New York hotelier Michael Achenbaum, The Curtain brings a taste of Manhattan living to Shoreditch. Part members' club, part hotel, the playful property has 120 handsome guest rooms each featuring exposed brickwork, bold colours and patterns, Chesterfield sofas, and photography by Mick Rock. There are also two trendy restaurants, including the first London outlet of Red Rooster, Marcus Samuelsson’s famed Harlem institution. The rooftop swimming pool and Lido restaurant are exclusive to hotel guests and Curtain members, and there is a 24-hour gym and a basement spa. 

The Henrietta Hotel

Introducing Parisian charm to Covent Garden, The Henrietta Hotel is the first London hotel from the Paris-based Experimental Group – best known for their Experimental Cocktail Clubs in Paris, London, New York and Ibiza. Sitting above a casual in-house restaurant and bar, the quaint 18-bedroom property boasts unique and quirky interiors by Dorothée Meilichzon. Pastel pinks and midnight blues dress the walls and furnishings while Art Deco headboards, terrazzo patterned carpets, hand-painted bathroom signs and retro touches complete the decor. 

The Hospital Club

Located on the third floor of a hip Covent Garden members’ club, The Hospital Club has 15 chic Russell Sage-designed rooms. Ranging from small to suites, the rooms each boast an individual style with a common 1970s aesthetic running throughout. Roberts radios and original artworks sit side by side with stained glass windows, mid-century modern furnishings and clashing patterns while an evening cocktail trolley service enhances the in-room experience. Hotel guests have access to member privileges, which include movie screenings, live music and comedy gigs. 

Artist Residence

Placing upcycled furnishings – bed frames made from old gates and tea chests turned into bedside tables – against a backdrop of exposed brick and timber walls, the ten-bedroom Artist Residence London offers affordable and stylish accommodation close to Victoria Station. All of the rooms are unique with original works of contemporary art and mismatched furnishings while the Cambridge Street Kitchen and Clarendon Cocktail Cellar are just as imaginative with experimental drinks – think avocado lemonade – and theatrical dining. 

COMO The Halkin

Hidden within a classic Georgian building in Belgravia, COMO The Halkin offers discreet, design-led accommodation that’s a far cry from the outré establishments dominating London’s design hotel scene. Larger than most in the city, the 41 rooms are satisfyingly smart and simple with crisp white walls and furnishings placed against polished maple detailing and forest green leather – don’t expect any statement artworks here. The Michelin-starred restaurant, Ametsa with Arzak Instruction, breaks from the theme with an eccentric test tube ceiling and an experimental Basque menu. 

Ham Yard Hotel

Part of Tim and Kit Kemp’s Firmdale group, the Ham Yard Hotel is a designer bolthole that showcases the pair’s hotelier credentials. Having built the brand new hotel on a three quarter acre former bombsite in Soho, the 91 rooms are unusually large for such a central location, and thanks to Kit Kemp’s signature use of patterned textiles, fabrics and tapestries, they’re all distinct and exceptionally inviting. There’s a colourful 1950s-style bowling alley, a cinema room, a contemporary British restaurant and a fourth-floor terrace offering views across Soho’s eclectic rooftops. 

Nobu Hotel Shoreditch

The first European hotel from the upmarket Japanese brand, Nobu Hotel Shoreditch is striking from the offset thanks to a glass, concrete and steel facade that features cantilevered beams jutting out beyond the angular balconies. Inside, Japanese latticing and shoji screens are juxtaposed with industrial London touches while the earthy colour palette is interjected with pops of gold and murals by local artists. There is, of course, an in-house Nobu restaurant while further facilities include a spa, gym and meeting space.

Town Hall Hotel

Located in trendy Bethnal Green, the unique Town Hall Hotel fuses historic architecture with modern design. Original marble staircases and Art Deco meeting rooms, along with the original Council Chamber, set the hotel apart while the juxtaposition of classic and quirky furniture and the addition of specially commissioned artworks give it design credential. The mix of bedrooms, suites, studios and apartments widely differ but all come with one-off vintage furniture and all but 10 of them feature fully fitted kitchens. Two destination restaurants and a bar are located within the hotel. 

BOOK NOW

A number of special hotel deals have been arranged for registered visitors and exhibitors for this year's designjunction: Check out the hotel deals for designjunction 2019.

CONTACT THE DESIGNJUNCTION CONCIERGE TEAM

If you are attending designjunction you can access the official hotel deals from HotelMap? here.

Alternatively, email: [email protected]

Telephone: +44 20 7292 2320. Get your local number.