Tried & Tested

Hotel check: South Place

30 Jan 2013 by ScottCarey7

BACKGROUND South Place is the first hotel project from restaurant operator D&D London, which runs eateries including Quaglinos and Le Pont de la Tour. It opened in September and has 80 rooms.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? The property is as much a showcase for the D&D restaurant brand as the hotel, featuring bistro Three South Place and seafood restaurant Angler. The design-led interiors are by Conran and Partners and feature plenty of commissioned work from local artists, including “pop-art food portraits” by John Vincent Aranda, an interactive wall of mechanical pixels by AMD Studio and a “chandelier” in reception made of metallic Spitfire model aircraft.

The South Place Hotel Art Prize is open to recent MA graduates of London schools. The inaugural award was won by Zemer Peled, who smashed a large ceramic sheet to create a sculpture that sits in one of the ground-floor window displays.

WHERE IS IT? On South Place, a few minutes’ walk from Moorgate underground station, and slightly further to Liverpool Street station.

ROOM FACILITIES Entry-level Dominion rooms measure 26 sqm, and guests should note that these have sloping Mansard ceilings, which can make the rooms feel smaller. South Place King rooms are 26-32 sqm and Studios 33-39 sqm. Décor is simple and masculine, with a black, grey and white colour scheme and limited-edition prints by London-based artists. Facilities in all rooms are excellent, with king-size beds, large 40-inch Bang and Olufsen TVs with Sky Sports, free wifi, a large workdesk, huge bathtubs with rainshowers above (except Dominion rooms, which have showers only), and James Heeley amenities.

Many of the room features are controlled by a panel by the bed, which, for the most part, worked fine. My only gripe was with the electronic blinds – these were closed at turndown and in the morning I pressed the “up” button expecting them to open. After several attempts, I called reception, to be told that blinds in some rooms open from the top down – there was no note about this in the room.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS As you would expect, this is a big focus for the property, with two restaurants, a ground-floor bar and the first-floor Garden bar. Angler restaurant on the seventh floor features a rooftop terrace and specialises in British seafood, although other dishes are available. (I didn’t eat here but a friend has and was full of praise for it.)

Three South Place is the all-day British diner on the ground floor, and has an adjacent champagne and cocktail bar. I enjoyed a light and refreshing starter of goat’s curd, Cheltenham and Chioggia beets, chard and lemon (£7.50) and a rich, moreish lobster mac (£18.50). Service was excellent and the restaurant was busy but not overcrowded on the Saturday evening I visited. The outdoor Garden bar is located at the bottom of a seven-storey atrium, and can be hired for up to 60 guests.

BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The meeting and private dining rooms all take the names of classic spies and secret agents (Purdey, Steed, Peel, Solo and Kuryakin), a nod to the nearby 49 Moorgate, which housed a Soviet spy ring in the 1920s. They hold between 12 and 200 people. Angler has a chef’s table for ten diners, and its terrace can be used for gatherings of up to 50 guests.

LEISURE FACILITIES The airy 24-hour gym has Technogym equipment, and there is a spa treatment room, “experience” showers, a sauna and steam room. Le Chiffre games room has books, board games, a vinyl collection and turntable, and a pool table that flips over to become a boardtable when required.

VERDICT A great hotel with excellent in-room and dining facilities. I had been concerned that the focus on artwork might lead to the property having more style than substance, but it delivers on both fronts.

Fact file

  • HOW MANY ROOMS? 80 – seven Dominion rooms, 58 South Place King rooms, 14 studios and one suite.
  • HIGHLIGHTS The huge bathtubs, free wifi, well-equipped games room and high-quality restaurants.
  • PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from £280 for a Dominion room.
  • CONTACT 3 South Place; tel +44 (0)20 3503 0000; southplacehotel.com

Mark Caswell

Loading comments...

Search Flight

See a whole year of Reward Seat Availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Be up-to-date
Magazine Subscription
To see our latest subscription offers for Business Traveller editions worldwide, click on the Subscribe & Save link below
Polls