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Hip hotels that breathe life into the historic corners of London

Some of the ritziest hotels emerging in the heart of the capital

April 1, 2010 10:23
Cool colours, hot room: this guest room decorated in pink and lime is typical of the  decor at London’s ultra hip Haymarket Hotel

By

Anonymous,

Anonymous

4 min read

It Is a sign of the times that you can pay as much, or more, to stay in a converted car park in a grimy London mews as in a purpose-built palace hotel in leafy Park Lane. And why not, if both offer beautiful rooms, excellent restaurants and five-star service, and the mews is right in the heart of the capital's creative action?

Hip hotels are transforming developing areas of London in the same way they have made New York's Bowery and Meatpacking District unlikely new centres of cool.

A certain edginess remains, but it lends an energy and modernity to these latter-day arrivals which strike a chord with a new generation of fashion-conscious visitors.

Buildings are being renovated for dual use as luxury hotels and smart restaurants throughout Soho, which as London's creative hub is as much a magnet for film-makers, musicians and media types living in the capital as for their out-of-town counterparts.