The London Edition
10 Berners St, London W1T 3NP, United Kingdom
Phone:+44 20 7781 0000
My Rating: 88%
Price Rating: $$$$$
Summary of Stay:
I was looking forward to my stay at the Edition which is the partnership between Ian Schrager and Marriott International. Schrager is a hotel visionary and changed the entire hotel market in New York. Now with the Edition brand, he is taking his expertise to a global market. I spent six nights in total at the London Edition and was very pleased with my stay. The hotel is a bustling hotspot for younger travellers who want an alternative to more traditional London properties. Over the six days, I never saw a staff member over the age of 35. They are all impeccably groomed and sexy. That is likely the best way to describe the London Edition: sexy. From the lush velvet couches and chrome orbs to the dimly lit bar scene and neon ‘O’, this is not your typical London address.
Front Entrance
Check-in Desk (photo courtesy of Nikolas Koenig)
Nestled between Fitzrovia, Soho and Oxford circus, the hotel is centrally located to walk to amazing shopping, shows, clubs and world class dining. There are a handful of tube stations within a 10 minute walk to get you elsewhere in the city. The street is quiet, residential and very safe.
Upon arrival, the doormen helped me with my luggage and escorted me to the front desk. The check-in desk is tucked away, making the lobby look more like a private club than a hotel. Check in was seamless and my room was ready even though I was hours ahead of the check-in time. The bellman was at my room waiting with my luggage by the time I got upstairs. Nicola, the front desk agent, showed me up to my room (another nice touch) and walked me through everything in my suite.
Both rooms I had were very bright with natural light. A lot of thought has been given to the planning of the rooms. There are headboard lamps for reading in bed. There are multiple power outlets built into the desk so you don’t have to reach underneath to plug in your computer. The room was stocked with a variety of cocktail glasses, not just typical generic wine and highball glasses. The bed had a plush duvet on it but also had a great faux fur throw—a nice touch so you can have your afternoon nap with it instead of having to mess up the bed. And the fact that it was the exact same faux fur throw that I have at home gets them bonus points.
The room itself is larger than most London hotels. It is wood paneled to try and mimic the inside of a yacht stateroom. The wood paneling adds to the richness and coziness of the room without making it feel closed in. My one room had a decent sized closet but you couldn’t easily get to it because of an armchair placed directly in front of it. Rooms also had full black-out curtains which is helpful when you have jet-lag.
The bathrooms were huge. The walk in showers could fit an entire football team. The showers were a real treat and essentially doubled as a steam room. The rest of the washroom was equally spacious with an oversized white porcelain trough sink. The entire washroom was bright white and it had a spa-like feel to it.
The staff, with one exception, are excellent and professional. They greeted me by name on day one and were always very welcoming. I had a few issues with the concierge desk—sometimes they just disappeared and the front desk helped me out. Another time, I emailed the concierge desk regarding a missing item that I think I left at the hotel and have never received a reply. Beyond that, the staff met all expectations.
I didn’t eat at Berner’s Tavern, the formal dining room at the hotel. However, I ordered room service regularly. I think the 2 eggs on toast for 7 British pounds was one of the best deals I saw in all of London. I did also check out the hotel bar. The bartenders were very attentive and have a great knowledge of mixology. They also do a great job of getting drinks to everyone even though the bar can be 5 people deep with people.
Berners Tavern (photo courtesy of Chichaus)
Highlight of the Hotel: Comfort. The hotel is really built with comfort in mind. The beds and linens are heavenly. The chair at the desk looked cool but terribly uncomfortable—but after sitting for a few hours writing, I was shocked to find how ergonomic it actually was. The showers were a delight. The hardwood floors were a pleasure to walk on after a long day of walking. Turndown service was consistent every night (which for some reason is a rarity in 5 star hotels!) and there was always complimentary water left on the nightstands.
Highlight of the Stay: I slept really well here. I know that sounds obvious but sleep quality is sometimes a rarity in a strange bed. I fell asleep quickly, deeply and woke up refreshed daily. The black-out curtains helped. There was no AC vent blowing directly on me. There was zero outside noise. The room was completely dark. Perhaps the wood paneled room mimicked the yacht enough that I felt rocked to sleep as if I were drifting on the ocean. Probably not, but whatever it was, it was a winning equation.
Lobby and bar (photo courtesy of Nikolas Koenig)
Lobby and bar (photo courtesy of Nikolas Koenig)
Drawbacks: The hotel would have been rated in the 90s if I had gotten a reply to the email I had sent post departure. I would definitely return here and would highly recommend my friends and family stay here. After all the stuffy old hotels in London, it was great to stay somewhere that new how to take a stunning old building and convert it into a modern oasis.