Sanderson London

Sanderson London is one of London's very smartest boutique hotels. Situated a few metres north of Oxford Street in what is occasionally called "No-Ho" (north of Soho), its location is about as central as you can get and still be slightly off the beaten track.
Described as an "Urban Spa in the heart of London’s West End", it is in a 1950s former paint headquarters transformed into a surreal and ultra-stylish dream world by iconic French designer Philippe Starck. Ethereal sheer curtains are a prominent design feature both in the public areas and the guest rooms. The indoor-outdoor lobby surrounds a courtyard garden designed by Philip Hicks, offering what could be the best of both worlds in all weathers. Expect flowering trees, fountains, mosaics and a reflecting pool for reflecting around.

Back to the lobby: Starck’s extraordinary style mixes modern with baroque, offering Salvador Dali’s curvaceous red lips sofa with hand-carved African furniture and a larger-than-life Louis XV armoire. It's so successful, you're as likely to stumble over drooling art students in the Sanderson lobby as world-famous rock stars.
We've witnessed a diverse selection of celebrities at the Sanderson: from Chuck Berry to David Bowie via The Specials to Paris Hilton. Amy Winehouse famously trashed her Sanderson room during an argument with her husband and visiting Hollywood royalty such as Tim Burton and Johnny Depp wouldn't be seen anywhere else.
London Sanderson Hotel is part of the Morgans Hotel Group, whose other establishments include L.A.'s Mondrian, the Hudson in New York City and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Vegas.
Sanderson London's Malaysian restaurant, Suka, offers fine dining at a price you would expect at a smart five-star hotel and the Long Bar is a place to be seen as much as to have a drink, The Sanderson London is not cheap but it was never designed to be. If you can't afford £7 for a pot of tea or £35 for breakfast, we suggest you stay somewhere else.


Sanderson, 50 Berners St., London, England, 011-44/20-7300-1400, sandersonlondon.com, rooms from £215 ($435).