Housed in a former apartment block-turned-Sheraton hotel, this 85-room boutique property sits in the heart of uber-posh Belgravia. A $30 million overhaul has transformed the space into a series of hipster hangouts that include a library lounge bar and restaurant headed up by award-winning chef Mark Hix, an outdoor drinking terrace and 71 luxurious rooms and 14 suites.
This hip urban retreat is built for stylish lounging, with oak flooring, funky fireplaces, low level seating stacked with Vivienne Westwood cushions and a touch of industrial chic in the form of exposed brick walls and glass-encased ductwork. The lobby brings the outside in with a green “living wall” that creeps up to the mezzanine-level Mark’s Bar, an intimate candlelit drinking den with a mini library and outdoor cigar bar with retractable roof for summer boozing.
Like its compatriots, this King Premium room brings an urban edge to uberposh Belgravia.Guestrooms are kitted out in eggplant and slate tones with plush fabrics – velvet banquettes, super-soft throws and cow hide rugs. Giant Ralph Lauren mirrors hang from the walls, and glass globe lights dangle from the ceiling. Bathrooms are decked out in marble, and all suites feature deep Japanese bathtubs built into bay windows to soak up the skyline views (St. Paul’s cathedral, the Gherkin, the London Eye) - as well as bubbles from Penhaligon’s.
The 80-seat Hix Belgravia is helmed by top British chef Mark Hix, owner of the award-winning Hix and Mark’s Bar in Soho and former head chef at celeb-packed London restaurant, The Ivy. Best known for his classic Brit dishes, Hix veers “off-piste” with the Belgraves menu, offering dishes inspired by his travels such as Red Sea prawn and pumpkin curry, grilled poussin with pomegranate molasses, Shetland Isles halibut with bearnaise sauce and Vietnamese chicken broth.
Mark’s Bar has a fashionable following - sartorial stars Alice Temperley, Patrick Cox and Ozwald Boateng were spotted sampling some of the quirky cocktails on offer at an exclusive opening party. The cocktail list features more than 35 concoctions that can be paired with comfort food canapés from the Bar Snax menu, such as quail’s egg and chorizo shooters, fish fingers with mushy peas, and pork crackling.
