Mr & Mrs Smith

Sanderson

London, United Kingdom

One of the original London boutique hotels, the Sanderson brought the now world-famous pairing of Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck – and their fun, fashion-influenced take on design – to the capital’s attention back in 2000. Situated just north of Oxford Street, the hotel occupies a municipal-style, Grade II-listed building. But the difference between exterior and interior couldn’t be more, erm, Starck. 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.

Need to know

• Rooms 150, including six suites.
• Rates Double rooms from $359.83 (£228), excluding tax at 20 per cent.
• More details Rates exclude breakfast.
• Facilities Gym, spa and treatment rooms, CD/DVD library, Japanese garden, WiFi (£15 a day), laundry service, valet parking. In rooms: sleigh beds, flatscreen TV, CD/DVD player, iPod dock, air-conditioning, minibar, Korres toiletries.
• Poolside There are no swimming pools at Sanderson.
• Check-out Midday, though this is flexible on request. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
• Children Kids are welcome at the hotel. Complimentary cots are provided, and extra beds can be added to rooms for £30 a night. Babysitting with a local nanny is also provided – costs vary. Alas, there is no children’s menu in the restaurant. More...

Food and drink at Sanderson

• Hotel restaurant

  Overseen by consultant chef Zak Pelaccio, owner of top New York restaurant the Fatty Crab, 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. The canteen-like space, in which long, communal tables sit beneath a ceiling full of black pendant lights, blends into the adjacent bar, and it’s buzzy, informal and fun.

• Dress code

  This is a seriously smart space, so make sure you dress accordingly.

• Top table

  Request ‘the Table’, set in a dark, intimate booth beside Suka’s open kitchen. If you’re lucky enough to secure it, you’ll be treated to a tasting menu personally created by the chef – the ideal introduction to the restaurant’s Malaysian cuisine.

• Last orders

  Dinner is served in Suka until midnight; the last cocktails are shaken in the Long Bar at 3am.

• Room service

  Guests can order from a 24-hour room service menu, which contains a selection of dishes from the main Suka menu.

• Hotel bar

  Inspired by the catwalk, the Long Bar is – as its name suggests – a light, corridor-like space in which London’s fashionable set come to sip cocktails while sitting on Starck’s eye-motif high chairs. Glass doors lead out to a tranquil Japanese garden. The guest-only Purple Bar is a beautiful and intimate space, designed to look like the inside of a jewellery box. With its low, purple-leather ceiling, miniature Alice in Wonderland-inspired tables and chairs, and flickering candles, it makes an incredibly romantic spot for a nightcap.

Sanderson 50 Berners Stree, London, W1T 3NG