Admiring the sight of St. Paul's Cathedral against the orange autumn sky while courgette flowers with goats cheese and truffle honey melted in my mouth, I had to admit that the Radio rooftop bar at the ME hotel in London offered a panoramic view like no other. Located in the heart of West End and a short walk from city highlights like Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square, is Spanish hotel chain Meliá’s British outpost.
Walking into the monolithic lobby, it’s hard not to be awestruck by the architecture. It felt like I was standing inside a gigantic pyramid clad in white marble with a sharp beam of light pouring in from the skylight, 80 feet above. The height of the ceiling is comparable to a cathedral, giving the space a rather spiritual energy, and it reminded me of standing in the centre of the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona.
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West End glamour
The triangle-shaped plot where the ME hotel is located is where the Gaiety Theatre once stood. What sets the hotel apart though is that everything “from the shell of the building to the bathroom fittings” has been designed by Foster + Partners, the firm started by renowned British architect Norman Foster.
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The reception is housed in the triangular atrium, which also doubles up as a Champagne bar, and the setting — soft lounge music, dim lighting and a lovely fragrance in the air — works both ways. While waiting there, I was drawn to a coffee table that looked like it had ripples of water on the surface. It turned out to be a piece by artist Brodie O’Neill, designed from recycled plastics found in the ocean to create awareness about the consumption of plastics and the level of pollution in our waters. Fascinatingly enough, the material looked like terrazzo, but was actually plastic with chips of resin. The site-specific installation was showcased during London Design Festival, last year.
Rest and retreat
The hotel has six types of suites and seven categories of rooms, each with a distinctive design aesthetic. Some of the suites have terraces overlooking the amazing London skyline, while others overlook the Thames. As a business traveller, I stayed in a guestroom called ‘Vibe’ which was extremely comfortable, chic and minimalist, much like the decor, and had the highest quality of bed and bath linens, which to me is the mark of a luxury hotel. The rooms are very high tech, and I did struggle with the digital-display control panels for the mood lighting but the staff was in my room almost instantly to help me with it. With two amazing restaurants and three bars, travellers at ME are spoilt for choice. The Marconi Lounge is one of the trendiest spots in London, where the vibe of the lounge evolves throughout the day. They serve delicacies like the Big Ben Battenberg and artisanal teas and coffees during the day and exotic cocktails like the Gaiety Girls later in the evening. I liked the fire pits in the center of each table, which made this otherwise sleek and minimalist space very warm and earthy.
Impeccable service and a great location make the ME Hotel a great place to stay. The contemporary feel and rooftop views ensure you don’t miss the lack of a pool or a spa, and the unmistakable party vibe is icing on the cake. Rooms start at Rs. 30,000 per night.
This column is a round-up of high end design in boutique hotels