Hotel of the Week: the Sanderson
Posted by Sarah on April 2nd, 2010
Chocolate eggs are nice and all that, but you can’t sleep in them can you?* With that (admittedly somewhat left-field) sentiment in mind, we proudly bring you our Easter Hotel of the Week: the Sanderson in London.
Style Starck contrasts, statement interiors
Setting Off-the-beaten-track Fitzrovia
Why this week? From now until the beginning of September, Smith members can take advantage of the hotel’s special offer: three nights for the price of two. If that isn’t enough to tempt you, the Sanderson has recently started offering a Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea, with Willy Wonka-style treats such as pineapple lollipops that turn your mouth from cold to hot, a Queen of Hearts teacake that melts in your mouth, and rainbow-coloured finger sandwiches. Ooh er.
Our favourite bits? This is one of the original London boutique hotels, styled by the now world-famous pairing of Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck – and their fun, fashion-influenced take on design. Outside, it’s all concrete and Cold War-era austerity; inside you’ll find oversized statement furniture, a buzzing, catwalk-like bar area and a playful vibe that extends throughout the entire property. We love the seventh-floor Apartment, a Zen-like, two-bedroom suite that comes with its own living area – in which striking, idiosyncratic Philippe Starck furniture sits on an enormous rug depicting a segment of an Old Master painting – and kitchen. The Sanderson’s restaurant, Suka, specialises in tapas-like dishes of Malaysian street food – tuna tartare with a black-pepper pineapple pickle, crispy chilli soft-shell crab with toasted brioche – that are designed to be shared.
Mr & Mrs Smith say ‘During my days as a Soho-based magazine editor, the Sanderson was the place to hang out and memories of nights there are some of the most glam I have. It was at this designer crashpad that Pharrell Williams kissed my hand and where I watched Amy Winehouse perform an exclusive gig and hung out with Razorlight in the Purple Bar. When the place first opened, nearly a decade ago, Ian Schrager, its then owner, along with Philippe Starck were the hotel dream team of the moment – having just launched London’s sister hotel St Martin’s Lane and the Delano in Miami a few years before – and hip young things flocked to this rock ’n’ roll alternative to the capital’s more chintzy offerings.
So stepping through this sleek hotel’s shiny glass doors and white floaty curtains on a Friday night gives me a distinct sense of déjà vu. It is no secret that the hotel was designed to bring a dose of Miami style to London but it would also appear that Starck was heavily inspired by Alice in Wonderland and Salvador Dalí back in the day. The spacious lobby, though urban, is rather dreamlike, with its scarlet lips-shaped sofa and stretch Louis IX chaise longue mixing surreally with little toadstool-like tables…’
Read the full anonymous review of the Sanderson…
* If you could make a bed out of a boutique egg, we bagsy this one…
[...] In the extract below, Simon stumbles upon sunny songstress Kylie celebrating her birthday at London’s Sanderson hotel (currently featuring as Smith Travel Blog’s Hotel of the Week). [...]
By Discombobulated at the Sanderson | Travel Blog - Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique & Luxury Hotels
On April 8th, 2010