Ruby Hotels brings its ‘lean luxury’ philosophy to Southbank’s Lower Marsh, launching a carnivalesque bolthole inspired by the area’s bustling fairs and theatrical past.
A real-life, resplendently moustachioed, Victorian-era strongman is striking a musclebound pose by the bed. It’s not the first thing you expect to see when you enter a hotel room, but this was just one of the surprises awaiting the first guests to tour Ruby Hotels’ debut London property in February. In other rooms around the hotel, there were tarot cards being read, candy floss being spun and folksy singers strumming guitars.
Ruby Hotels’ Head of Design, Matthew Balon, has taken his inspiration from the fairs, markets and theatre performances that have historically taken place in the surrounding Southbank area, developing a carnival theme that runs throughout the hotel. Upon entry, a dramatic red curved banquette sits beneath strip lighting reminiscent of a circus big top, while neon signage above invites guests to ‘Enjoy the Ride’. In the lobby bar and breakfast room beyond, there are fairground horses, vintage fortune-telling machines (think ‘Zoltar Speaks’ in the Tom Hanks film Big) and a carnivalesque mix of fabrics and furnishings, as well as playful props including circus drums and juggling pins.
By contrast, the design of the 75 guestrooms above is simple, pared back and in keeping with the Munich-based hotel brand’s philosophy of ‘lean luxury’. Full soundproofing, effective blackout curtains, high-quality linens and custom mattresses are amongst the brand signatures that aim to guarantee guests a good night’s sleep. Rooms range in size from cosy 14-15m2 ‘Nests’ to more expansive 21-23m2 ‘Lofts’.
That soundproofing will certainly be put to the test by another quirkier signature of the brand; all rooms feature full-size Marshall guitar amps, in addition to the more conventional wireless speakers, with guitars available to borrow from reception and a Ruby Radio station streamable online. Other notable features include Kartell’s Bourgie lamps and ironwork wheels above the bed – a reference to the “comings and goings of the carnival” according to Balon.
Such fripperies aside, the ‘lean luxury’ ethos focuses on stripping out the superfluous and concentrating on the essential. Breakfast is a simple yet high quality and healthy offer, produced without the need for a full kitchen or chef. Larders on the guestroom floors replace minibars, while shared ironing stations reduce the need for in-room amenities still further, and cleverly planned glass-cube bathrooms – equipped with Kaldewei’s Superplan shower trays – maximise the available space.
“We accommodate luxury in a relatively condensed space, similar to luxury yachts, and we forego unnecessary services,” explains Michael Struck, Ruby Hotels founder and CEO. “Thanks to proprietary technical innovations, we plan, build and organise ourselves differently from conventional hotels. To be precise, we plan and build in a very modular way, and centralise and automate processes behind the scenes wherever possible. This helps us create a luxurious and unique hotel experience at an affordable price.”
In line with Struck’s strategy, Ruby Lucy is modular in build, occupying a former office building close to Waterloo station, rather than one of the city’s more traditionally prestigious addresses typically favoured by big brands. Inside, personalised tablets are pre-loaded with a guide to London and various social media apps, while a self check-in system reduces waiting times to under one minute, leaving travellers free to explore.
Ruby’s vision is clear and its ambition follows suit; the Munich-based brand has announced plans to unveil a total of eleven new hotels – including a second London property – by 2022. With its sights set on further openings in Zurich, Helsinki, Cologne, Frankfurt and Shanghai before the end of the year, and Ruby Stella expected to arrive in London’s Clerkenwell district in early 2021, the group is showing no signs of slowing down. Watch this space.
