Ahead of its highly anticipated opening in September, The Londoner has revealed new design details and real-life images. Marking the beginning of a rebirth for Leicester Square, the 350-key property – dubbed the world’s first ‘super boutique’ – will be spread across 16 storeys and comprise six F&B outlets, a members’ club-style private area, meeting and event spaces, a cinema and an entire floor dedicated to wellness.
Designed in collaboration with Toronto- and New York-based studio Yabu Pushelberg, The Londoner is set to capture the character of the capital, with winks and nods at every turn to British humour. Stylistically focused on traditional British sensibility and a minimal neutral palette, guestrooms will feature floor-to-ceiling windows, rich detailing and modern technology. And whilst super in scale, the hotel’s boutique approach aims to make guests feel at home, whether they’re staying in the opulent 200m² Tower Penthouse duplex suite or the expansive Trafalgar Suites – covering 119m² and offering living areas, a kitchenette and a foyer.
Both the guestrooms and public areas of the hotel are also home to an expertly curated art collection, which mixes price points, mediums and genres and includes classic and contemporary pieces from both established and emerging designers from across the globe. A collaboration between Yabu Pushelberg, James Robertson Art Consultants and Edwardian Hotel London’s Product Design Manager Krishma Singh Dear has resulted in an inclusive and varied selection of works that reflect the multifaceted and diverse character of the city.
Elsewhere, guests have 24-hour access to the hotel’s private members’ club-style space, The Residence, which is hidden from the happenings of the wider property and features discrete spaces for relaxing, working and indulging. For intimate dining, The Residence’s Y Bar and The Drawing Room serves an à la carte menu, reserve wine list and signature house cocktails. Residents will also be able to visit The Whisky Room, where a secret passage reveals an intimate 14-cover parlour. Guests can enjoy complimentary items from the moving Residence Cart too, including fresh breakfast delicacies in the morning followed by Mediterranean antipasti.
As well as offerings exclusively for hotel guests, The Londoner features several F&B concepts open to the public that honour and re-shape the legacy of the West End, all created by Amir Jati, Creative Director of Food & Beverage Service Excellence at Edwardian Hotels London and formerly of Nobu. Located on the ground floor, signature restaurant Whitcomb’s is a morning-to-night destination where diners can experience a petit déjeuner, prix fixe lunch, a pre-theatre and an all-day dining menu featuring small plates and mains evoking the essence of contemporary French cooking, with influences from surrounding Mediterranean cuisines.
Radiating from the lobby is The Stage, serving an all-day programme of food and beverage menus centred around the luxury, glamour, elegance and sophistication of its headliner, Champagne. The Stage’s offering brings about a fusion of classicism through coveted vintages, prestige cuvées and ingredients with a cosmopolitan and modern attitude, fitting of The Londoner’s city centre location and locally inspired design.
Located on the corner of St Martin’s Street and Orange Street meanwhile is neighbourhood drinking spot Joshua’s Tavern, specialising in terroir-led gintonicas. The venue is set to be a new a watering hole for like-minded professionals and the creative communities around Leicester Square. The drinks menu will feature over 50 regionally sourced gins, with each going through a five-stage matching process. Led by The Londoner’s Head Mixologist, Pierpaolo Schirru, each includes a combination of garnish, house-infused bitters and tonic to harmonise, elevate and compliment the botanicals, led by the nuance of the spirits’ terroir.
Located atop the hotel with awe-inspiring views of the city beyond is Izakaya Lounge, 8 at The Londoner. Fusing a palette of modern Japanese cuisine, innovative mixology and dramatic design, the rooftop space is timeless yet contemporary and will showcase a blend of the finest ingredients and expert traditional techniques, creating a sophisticated experience above one of the capital’s most iconic neighbourhoods.
As a newbuild, The Londoner will employ pioneering methods of sustainable luxury. A first for the hospitality sector, the new hotel has secured a £175 million Green Loan from HSBC UK, which will be used to ensure the project exceeds the BREEAM Excellent category in building environmental and sustainable performance.
