Room Request! The Londoner

by Natasha Wolff | April 4, 2024 11:30 am

The Londoner[1] calls itself “the world’s first super boutique hotel,” and there’s some real truth to that. A relatively new construction located in bustling Leicester Square, just below London’s busy Chinatown and smack in the middle of the West End, it features 350 rooms across 16 stories (designed with interiors by Yabu Pushelberg) Based on location and size, one would think the hotel would be as bustling as a train station. And sometimes, breakfast in the lobby at Whitcomb’s feels a bit frenetic. But this is not a party hotel. The lobby bar can be lively, but everything else here is surprisingly peaceful, a refuge from the occasionally overwhelming tourist traps just outside. The hotel uses the theater as its muse whether it’s in the buzzy main lobby bar, gin-focused Joshua’s Tavern, Whitcomb’s restaurant or the Japanese menu accompanied by sweeping city views at the rooftop venue, 8 at The Londoner. A massive excavation project resulted in extensive subterranean meeting and event spaces, as well as The Retreat, a full-service spa and pool (we enjoyed the sauna and steam rooms even on a sweltering day) located four stories below ground, making for the ultimate urban wellness experience. We spent a lot of time working at The Residence, hidden above the ground floor. A mezzanine area only accessible to hotel guests, it is somewhere to relax, work or socialize and complimentary snacks, antipasti, soft drinks tea and coffee are served throughout the day. Besides a shockingly easy to use contemporary light switch system in the guest rooms, there’s a Japanese toilet—always a plus—and maybe the best shower we’ve ever been in in London. Press a button and just enjoy.

DuJour spoke with the property’s general manager, Michael Cheung, to discover what makes it so special.

The Penthouse suite at the Londoner

What’s the most requested room at the property?

Rooms 730 and 832

What makes it so special?

It is the sense of being truly immersed in London—not just visiting it. Room 730 places you at the heart of the city’s financial story, with a skyline that shifts and glitters from dawn to dusk. Room 832 offers something altogether more stately—a front-row seat to London’s most storied landmarks, a view that never loses its ability to inspire. Waking up to either is, quite simply, a privilege.

What is the nightly rate for this room?

From £650 per night

What’s your favorite design element on property?

The staircase that connects our event spaces. There is something genuinely awe-inspiring about standing at Level B3 and looking upward—it is architectural theatre at its finest, and a moment that never loses its impact, no matter how many times I experience it.

A Corner suite at the Londoner

What’s an interesting titbit about the hotel that speaks to its status as an icon?

The Londoner sits at the heart of Leicester Square, one of the most storied addresses in the capital—and was built with the kind of ambition that defines true icons. The engineering required to bring this hotel to life was extraordinarily complex, and the result is a property deeply woven into London’s cinematic and cultural heritage.

What’s your personal favorite room? Why?

Room 712 holds a very special place for me. There is something about the balance it strikes—intimate yet expansive, with a beautifully appointed lounge, an abundance of natural light pouring through oversized windows and a bathroom that is nothing short of indulgent. It is a room that feels like a true retreat within the city.

How about one more fun fact about the property?

Due to the strict building restrictions that come with such a prestigious location on Leicester Square, our architects conceived something truly extraordinary, extending the hotel several levels below street level. With eight floors above ground and eight floors descending beneath the square, the hotel houses a luxury spa, swimming pool, screening rooms, dedicated event spaces and a spectacular ballroom—all below the bustling streets of London. It is, quite literally, a world unto itself.

The lobby at the Londoner

Source URL: https://dujour.com/travel/room-request-the-londoner/