The welcome
The hotel’s Grade II-listed exterior dates from about 1840, and was previously Berners Hotel, which was created by knocking together five grand town houses. The interior has been given a thorough luxury revamp by the hotelier Ian Schrager, and it’s largely successful. The mostly grey stone exterior is punctuated by a slick black doorway, from where you enter into a huge, mostly marble-covered room with an elaborate French stucco ceiling. There’s a seating area, pool table and bar to the left, and a large desk-style open working area to the right. The reception is just ahead, and after I’m checked in, I’m escorted to my room.
The neighbourhood
The hotel is in Fitzrovia, just north of Soho and Oxford Street, about five minutes’ walk from Tottenham Court Road Underground station. The best thing about its location is its proximity to London’s main shopping area. Oxford Circus and Regent Street are easily reached on foot, as is the British Museum.
The scene
The Edition is Marriott’s “grown-up lifestyle” brand, and is aimed at both business and leisure guests. It’s filled with functional designer furniture and mostly British art. It’s nearly full when I stay, so there’s a buzzing atmosphere, and a feeling of friendliness. I’m also there on a Sunday, which sees a private live music session, Raw Punch, take place in the Punch Room. It’s fantastic.
The room
Most of the hotel’s 173 rooms and suites feature walnut walls, white oak flooring and a signature fake-fur throw on the bed. In the renovation process, around £1 million (Dh55.5m) was spent on each room. My second-floor, 53-square-metre “loft suite” room has an inviting sitting area, coffee-table books and a blanket. It’s wonderfully soundproofed, and the Sealy bed is comfortable. I also like the free-standing bath, which seems to support you while you relax. My main gripe is that despite setting the air conditioning to 19°C, the room feels stuffy, and the air con seems to start and stop during the night, making it too hot. The hallways also feel too warm and airless. The bedside lights were frustrating to operate.
The service
The international staff are a varied bunch, and many of them have secondary interests as photographers, DJs and designers. There’s sometimes a wait at reception, and when I called down to query something in the minibar, the phone wasn’t picked up. When it was, though, staff came very quickly and were competent.
The food
Berners Tavern is a fabulous ground-floor space connected to the main lobby and Berners Street. The walls are covered in framed pictures; seating is a mixture of tables and banquettes. It’s overseen by Jason Atherton, who earned a Michelin star for a restaurant nearby. The menu is modern British; I love the starters of beetroot-cured salmon and roasted quail with an Earl Grey tea-and-date purée (£14 [Dh78] each), and mains of barbecue turbot with summer vegetables (£32 [Dh178]) and the macaroni cheese with braised ox cheek cubes (£20; [Dh111]. Breakfast is in the same setting, but the menu is much less inspired.
Loved
The lobby and Berners Tavern. The free high-speed Wi-Fi is good and easy to connect to.
Hated
The basement fitness room has no view, and there’s no pool or spa.
The verdict
Stay here for the location and sense of occasion.
The bottom line
Double rooms at The London Edition (www.editionhotels.com/london) cost from £250 (Dh1,388) per night, including taxes.
rbehan@thenational.ae
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