It’s been a curiously productive 12 months for some, as evidenced by the exceptional new crop of London hotels polishing their luggage carts ready for first guests. Delays and challenges aside, 2021 looks set to be a vintage year for notable openings – from European debuts by NoMad and Pan Pacific to a £300 million “super boutique hotel” in the West End. Here are some of London’s shiny new hotels for 2021 open now and coming soon.
This Grade II listed Georgian building commands considerable kerb appeal on smart Upper Berkeley Street, but it’s the interiors that really sing. Owners Steven and Jane Collins combined forces with Russell Sage Studio – the creative maestros behind The Goring and Zetter Townhouse – to unveil one of 2021’s most desirable stays. Its past is storied (the eponymous Henry, Jane Austen’s favourite brother, lived here) and its opening, timely; the seven exquisite bedrooms can be booked individually, or you can have the run of the house from top to Aga-warmed pantry. Rooms are cosy rather than capacious, but the devil is in the detail: even the hairdryers are Dysons. Come here for stellar service, Bollinger on arrival and a masterclass in old meets new.
Henry’s big-name neighbour, just a handful of doors down, does things very different. Clubby, clean-lined Nobu Portman Square is the latest opening from the prestigious group; a relocation of Nobu Berkeley Street with more space and, improbably, Robert De Niro behind it. The hoped-for hush of Japanese zen permeates almost every space, from the light-filled lobby to the minimalist guest rooms. It’s only the restaurant, the star of the show, that feels dark, lively and glamorous – order the Miso Black Cod, or submit entirely and opt for the omakase tasting menu, paired with sake.
The team behind Cliveden House and Chewton Glen had bar-raising ambitions with the opening of their first urban property – and it’s the bar that’s done it. The ground-floor Dandy Bar is an Art Deco dazzler in dark-green leather and is assured in its cocktail-making, which doesn’t shy away from the avant garde (edible paint, anyone?). Upstairs, the rooms and suites feel plush and theatrical without being overly themed, and some even feature London’s most sought-after commodity: a private terrace. If the garden suites are out of reach, green space certainly isn’t – the townhouse’s Half Moon Street location puts three royal parks on your doorstep.
Locke’s millennial-minded aparthotels always crop up in interesting locations, and the newest opening is no exception. Despite its SE1 postcode, Bermondsey has a creative energy you might not expect to find so close to London’s picturebook sights. Bermonds Locke couldn’t be more in sync; there’s an easygoing coffee shop, a co-working space and contemporary studios, with views over the city skyline from the higher floors. The aesthetic is inspired by the American south-west, with desert-loving plants, low-slung chairs and mixed materials, many of which were saved from landfill. Food is procured by the family-run Bermondsey Larder, much to the delight of its original Clapham devotees.
Slated to open in late summer, the long-awaited Pan Pacific London is readying itself to bring sophisticated Singaporean hospitality to the capital. It’s the group’s first foray into Europe and they intend to make an entrance, with amenities including a vertigo-inducing infinity pool and design by the world-renowned New York studio, Yabu Pushelberg
Yabu Pushelberg haven’t had much time off lately. The duo are leading on the interiors for a hotel that defies superlatives, with ambitions to become the greenest, deepest (its lowest floor is said to be 30 metres below ground), newly coined “super boutique hotel”. Plans include a rooftop bar, restaurants, spa, screening room and residents-only club. After seven years – and far north of £300 million investment – a summer opening is being teased.
The perennially cool US hotel brand NoMad has chosen a former magistrates court and police station for its transatlantic debut, which is far more elegant than it sounds. The Grade II listed building in Covent Garden centres on a triple-height, glass-ceilinged atrium that’s set to be one of London’s most beautiful new dining rooms. Rooms are arty, contemporary and adjoined by Carrara marble bathrooms: the work of New York design powerhouse Roman and Williams.
As part of a revival of London’s “Tin Pan Alley”, Chateau Denmark is a 55-key boutique hotel with apartments and “session rooms”. A crash pad for musos (a la The Sex Pistols, who lived above their Denmark Street rehearsal studio), the vibe is louche and rebellious – hey, even the minibars will be maxi-bars. A collaboration between ex-Firmdale Carrie Wicks and immersive media district Outernet, it’s a paean to punk, but with great sheets. Launching late summer.
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