If you want on-property, easily accessible healthy food – and by that we mean things like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and freshly squeezed – plus other wellbeing options like a yoga studio, as well as close proximity to Hyde Park, then this is a good, central choice on the more reasonable hotel front.
The Hotel
A classic white townhouse tucked away on Queen’s Gardens, most would call this location Bayswater. You’re less than 10 minutes to Paddington and Notting Hill, a 25-minute walk to Bond Street, a short jog to Hyde Park, and very close to the changing (in a good way) Leinster Terrace, home to Foreign Exchange (a coffee shop/newsagent/foreign exchange), and Sol’s wine and small plates bar.
The Vibe
The focus here is on rest and relaxation, and there are meditation pods, signs with phrases to encourage conscious living, and books on these themes from well-known brands like The School of Life – but this is also central London. And with 158 rooms, the reception is bustling all day.
The Rooms
Rooms are cosy; you really do feel like you’re in a flat in Notting Hill. They’re all designed to help you relax; TVs are hidden and there’s a panel on the bedside tables that essentially hide your phone. They also make the most of their space, with built-in safes under the beds and standalone sinks in the rooms. There are tea and coffee stations and books on how to get over jetlag. Rooms also have bespoke aromatherapy scents, Skandinavisk products, and on most floors, there are water and filter coffee stations. Be sure to look at the rooms carefully before you book, as they really vary.
Restaurants/Bars
We are huge fans of Yeotown, the hiking-focused retreats in North Devon and Madeira, and could eat at their plant-centric restaurant here everyday.
For breakfast, they have homemade granola, fiery fresh ginger shots, and blueberry pancakes with coconut yogurt and butterfly pea maple syrup; for lunch, vegan spinach and kale caesar salads and mushroom, lentil and quinoa burgers with air-fried chips; and for dinner, seabass with buckwheat risotto and spring bowls with mixed grains.
To drink, they have smoothies, adaptogenic lattes (including a medicinal mushroom and a blue spirulina blend), probiotic drinks like kombuchas, and, thankfully, they also have beer, wine and cocktails. The restaurant is separate from the hotel, so it’s pay-as-you-go, and you can bring things to your room, but there is no room service, as such.
Wellbeing
Their Inhale space has a gym and studio for yoga and meditation – they have daily classes in the AM here – and they have two treatment rooms for facials, massages, and sleep therapy sessions. If you just need a mat to stretch, they have those, too.
Visible Sustainable Efforts
They take sustainability seriously here and were the first hotel group in the UK to be B Corp certified. They also hold a Green Key certification and work with over 100 B Corps and social enterprises to supply, furnish and decorate the hotel.
Highlights
The proximity to Hyde Park and Yeotown.
Anything Else
They have another property on Southwick Street, which is their flagship.
