Background
This newly built boutique hotel opened in April 2022 and is part of the huge redevelopment around Tottenham Court Road Station, now being called ‘Outernet London’, a new entertainment district.
Other buildings include ‘Here’, a live music venue for up to 2,000 guests, and the revamped Lower Third club. The hotel complex has 14 rooms and ten apartments spanning 16 Grade-II listed townhouses, mansion buildings and a maisonette on and around Denmark Street (Tin Pan Alley).
Where is it?
A five-minute walk from Tottenham Court Tube station. From Denmark Street, enter via the Now Arcade, a digital light installation tunnel that leads you to the hotel entrance.
What’s it like?
Accommodation options include apartments in historic Victorian townhouses that are separate from the hotel and located along Denmark Street. Some of the blue plaque buildings house apartments where music giants like The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Lou Reed and the Sex Pistols wrote, lived and partied. The properties are all richly decorated in black, gold and jewel colours, trimmed and tasselled at every opportunity, while leather and rubber floors contrast with luxurious, papered walls, golden ceilings and velvet curtains. The whole effect is opulent and sumptuous, married with a bit of anarchy.
This hotel is all about the area’s music heritage and gives you a chance to experience a rock and roll lifestyle. Staff wear gender fluid outfits in purple brocade jackets embellished with the hotel’s emblem embroidered in gold. You meet your personal butler in the small unassuming lobby, and check-in is done in the room.
Rooms
The 14 rooms – called session rooms – are in three categories: Superior, Luxury and Deluxe, varying in size from 21-51 sqm, with the rooms named rather than numbered. We stayed in a Deluxe room (‘Naughty Starter’) on the second floor. All rooms have high-spec 65-inch TVs, ‘Maxi bars’, and purple and gold bathrobes and slippers.
With no communal areas in the hotel your butler is key to organising your stay, from booking restaurants and theatre tickets to bringing you a G&T or your breakfast. Our butler, Meg, was a treasure, helping us navigate the room’s complex touchscreen lighting, heating and aircon controls. Amenities include a tap that produces boiling, cold and sparkling water, a Nespresso machine, ice-making device and secret snack drawer plus the extensive Maxi bar. No miniatures here, all rooms have full-sized bottles of spirits, a wine fridge, bottles of red at room temperature and a fridge full of beers, juices and mixers plus all the bar kit needed for cocktails. Once a bottle is opened you will be charged for the whole bottle so choose wisely as some cost over £1,000. The room is certainly equipped for a serious party. The Void and Artcoustic speakers, standard in all rooms, give excellent sound quality and there is plenty of space for a few dance moves.
Reflecting the street’s history, each room is themed. Our room had black walls, black rubber floors and a black leather chaise longue with gold padlocks, whips, handcuffs and leather collars adorning the walls. The super king-size bed was crowned with a golden velvet headboard and flanked with adjustable mirrors. There was lots of storage with large wardrobes and shelving, a decent hairdryer and clothes steamer, plus the amusingly labelled ‘Filthy’ laundry bag.
The bathroom had marble floors with underfloor heating and a dark green tiled walk-in rain shower featuring full-sized Soapsmith shower gels and shampoos.
Thankfully, considering almost everything was black, there was lots of natural light and every room has a small balcony and outside space. There is a good-sized desk, free wifi, plenty of power points and a recharging hub with cables for Android and Apple devices.
Food and drink
There is no restaurant, but food can be ordered through your butler. Chinese restaurant Tattu on the sixth floor can be accessed directly from the hotel.
Meetings
There are no meetings facilities.
Leisure
Currently, there is no gym.
Verdict
Super stylish, ultra-modern and a very distinctive hotel experience. Celebrating its musical and theatrical roots with flair, humour and excellent service.
FACT BOX
- Best for Immersing yourself in music history and sampling a bit of the rock and roll lifestyle
- Don’t miss Exploring the new Outernet district and the amazing wraparound digital installations
- Price Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from £510 for a Superior Session room
- Contact The Now building, Denmark Place, Outernet, London WC2H 0LA; +44(0)20 3656 1000; chateaudenmark.com
