What’s it like? A small (45 rooms) luxury boutique hotel which opened in 2009 and run and marketed by the Bespoke Hotel Group which is fast expanding and also include Bermondsey Square Hotel in London. I arrived at around 1830 and waited for five minutes as the couple in front of me were having trouble checking in because of a credit card issue. Reception is a small lobby with the hotels Lounge Bar to the right. The reception desk and classic art deco chair is by Christopher Guy, which may be small solace while you wait to check in.
Where is it? Just off Marylebone High Street on Manchester Street which runs north from Manchester Square (and so north of Oxford Street).
Room facilities there is one master suite, eight junior suites (seven interconnecting rooms), two accessible rooms, four rooms with terraces and 30 standard rooms. I was in a standard room (“Superior Double”) overlooking the rear courtyard. It was quite small, with a bay window with space for a glass-topped circular table and two chairs. There is another small, glass-topped table under the flat screen television on the wall opposite the bed, and it is just about possible to use this as a worktable if you sit on either the end of the bed or pull out the small stool from under the table, though neither option is very comfortable and if you intend to work for long in your room, this would be a problem. Also on the table is a Samsung technology hub with a CD player and possibly several other functions. I looked for some instructions but was unable to locate any.
Rooms are well equipped, with tea and coffee making facilities, though the kettle is an antique-style Morphy Richards which makes an electronic whistle when it is boiling (even if you take it off before it boils), something probably not appreciated by neighbouring rooms when I had my first coffee of the day at 0500. There is a safe, Aveda toiletries in the small bathroom - shower only, but a good one - and free local calls along with free wifi and European and US plug sockets. The double beds are small, and too soft for my liking; so soft, in fact, that when I pulled back the duvet the mattress was dipped in the middle on one side of the bed from previous occupants.
Restaurant and bar The Number Ten Lounge is on the ground floor by the lift. I hadn’t reserved a table and so stood by the door for three or four minutes while a busy member of staff ignored me. Eventually the resident manager became free at reception, realised what was happening and found me a table. This was towards the rear of the room where a door opens out onto the Cigar Terrace, and so the tables here smell of cigar smoke. A few minutes later he asked if anyone had asked me if I wanted a drink, and when I said they hadn’t, he went off to look for someone. A few minutes later they came. I asked for a bottle of water and made sure to order my food as I suspected there might be another long delay.
The menu is reasonably short, and I ordered simply, reasoning that if things were over stretched, something unambitious was likely to be the most successful. I ordered roast peppers with Serrano ham, Mesclum salad with aged balsamic dressing £10.00 and the No. Ten homemade burger with hand cut chips £13.50, both of which were fine, though the burger was a little cold. There were three red wines by the glass, but the merlot was "unavailable”, so I had a Pinot Noir. The music – Paul McCartney live – was too loud, and the restaurant a little cold with the door out to the cigar terrace being open. Breakfast was slightly better, with service friendly but still struggling. One example: orders are memorised rather than written down, then immediately put into the till, but since breakfast is a la carte rather than buffet, there are some complicated orders which easily become confused. And as I was dining alone I asked for a newspaper only to be told there weren’t any, but there “might be in ten minutes”. There weren’t.
Business and meeting facilities None
Leisure facilities None, though Hyde Park is fairly close for joggers.
Verdict a nice position, and attractive design to look at, but poorly organised service and lots of features that just don’t add up make this more of a leisure choice than one for business.
Prices Midweek internet rates for a superior double room in February 2010 start from £179.
Contact Ten Manchester Street, London, W1U 4DJ; +44 (0)870 111 1627; bespokehotels.com
Tom Otley
