The St Martin’s Lane Hotel is housed in an erstwhile 1960s office building with an eye-catching façade, partly composed of coloured glass. Inside, Philippe Starck’s smart, witty and sophisticated design is a brilliant collision of influences - from the modern to the baroque - that suffuses the hotel with energy, vitality and magic. The spacious lobby has cream painted walls and is furnished with abstract items of modern art, which originate from all over the world, especially Africa.
The 204 guestrooms are full of light, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of London. The walls, curtains, Venetian blinds and duvets are all white, but in every room the prevailing colour scheme can be changed to pink, blue, green or red by full-spectrum lighting. All are immaculately maintained, as are the state-of-the-art en suite bathrooms.
For global travellers with a cultured palate and a love of variety, the hotel’s “Asia de Cuba Bar” – housed in a dramatically colonnaded space – combines elements of Asian and Cuban cuisine served sharing-style in a high energy, sophisticated, yet relaxed environment. Alternatively, the “Light Bar” is a unique and breathtaking space that takes the concept of atmospheric lighting to new heights. Guests gather here to sip famous cocktails, consume light snacks and people-watch in a series of cosy niches that are bathed in warmly vibrant shafts of pink, orange, violet, and green light.