St Martins Lane Hotel
45 St. Martin's Lane, London, England, UK
Neighborhood: Leicester Square
Check availability as rates may vary for dates. Best rate guaranteed.
St Martins Lane was the first Ian Schrager/Philippe Starck collaboration on English shores, moving into Covent Garden a few months ahead of its younger sister, Soho’s Sanderson. The concept (at both hotels) is Urban Resort, and there’s no question guests walk into a different world upon entering, a world furnished with golden tooth-shaped seats, life-size chess pieces and hanging bare lightbulbs. Starck’s trademark irreverence may not look as novel as it did a few years ago, but it certainly sets a tone, quite a contrast to the English urban-country-house norm.
Rooms are loft-style, open-plan, with a custom-designed lighting system allowing guests to set the mood with light in any color of the spectrum, emanating almost magically from a projector behind the headboard, an arrangement that makes use of the blank canvas provided by the rooms’ all-white color scheme. Windows are floor-to-ceiling, allowing for impressive views of central London—one of the benefits of retrofitting a Sixties office block rather than some Georgian landmark. As in any loft-style building, corner rooms will see the most light, and while at many hotels the “garden rooms” are those with inferior views, here it means something different; an outdoor patio with a touch of greenery provides a breath of fresh air.
A Schrager hotel without a chic and in-demand restaurant would be unthinkable—this one has the tried-and-true Asia de Cuba. The Starck-designed Rum Bar and Light Bar round out the social life, which draws at least as many locals as guests. St Martins Lane lacks one thing the Sanderson has, which is a spa; then again this location is a shopper’s paradise—in choosing between the two, the key, ultimately, is: Covent Garden or Soho?
How to get there:
St Martins Lane Hotel is a 3-minute walk from the Leicester Square tube station. If you’re arriving from Heathrow Airport, the most convenient transfer option to central London is the Heathrow Express train, which leaves Heathrow Airport every 15 minutes and takes 15 minutes to arrive at Paddington Station. One-way fares are available from £18 and round-trip fares from £32. By black cab, St Martins Lane is approximately a 45-minute ride from Heathrow Airport (depending on traffic) and can cost upwards of £50.
- 204 Rooms
- Style: Cutting-Edge
- Atmosphere: Happening
- 95 Guest Reviews
- St Martins Lane Hotel
- 45 St. Martin's Lane
- London, England, UK
- Neighborhood: Leicester Square
Hotel amenities and services
- 24 hour front desk
- 24 hour gym
- Babysitting (on request)
- Bar
- Luggage storage
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Self service parking (charges apply)
- Wi-fi (charges apply)
Other London hotels
95 Guest Reviews
All reviews are from Tablet guests with verified stays.
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- Kashif
- Stayed June 2011
- Rating: Good
What I liked:
Great ambience, perfect central location.
Impeccable customer service.
What the hotel could do better:
Although I was upgraded, which was great, there was an odour of cigarettes in my room.
The public spaces are looking a little aged, but still striking.
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- Teresa
- Stayed January 2011
- Rating: Excellent
What I liked:
Service was friendly, efficient, not snooty. The decor of the rooms was trendy yet comfy. Very nice.
What the hotel could do better:
Free wi-fi would be REALLY nice. And while the bathrooms were amazingly practical large and filled with great amenities, it could use better lighting for makeup application. Also, nowhere to plug in my hair appliances near a mirror!
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- Ed
- Stayed November 2010
- Rating: Good
What I liked:
Location. Lobby.
What the hotel could do better:
Rooms a little tired...need updating.
