Hotel Hunting: Saint Martins Lane in London

I love going to London because it is a lot like New York with cleaner streets and gentle people. Among all, two of my favorite neighborhood are Soho and Shoreditch. I love Shoreditch because it is a very hip and creative neighborhood. You can read about the neighborhood and where you can stay here. And I love Soho because of the nightlife and boutique shops (especially all the gaybulous bars and clubs). If you are mostly going to party and socialize, Soho is the place to be. Daily Xtra Travel did an extensive review of the gay bars and clubs you can go in London, and it is very helpful (Click here). 

If you decided to stay in Soho area and looking for a nice boutique hotel, you have to check out Saint Martins Lane hotel. It is part of Morgans group hotel (now SBE Group), and with Morgans you trust. I wrote some goods and bads about other Morgans Group hotels and you can check it out below (BTW, I am not sponsered. Just love the hotels).

• Mondrian hotel, Sea Containers in South Bank, London
• Mondrian hotel in Miami
• Delano hotel in Miami
• Hudson hotel in New York 

You can skip the sections by clicking the links to where you want to read:

• LOCATION
• PRICE
• LOBBY
• ROOMS
• BAR & RESTAURANT
• OVERALL

LOCATION

Saint Martins Lane is in Covent Garden where many shopping retails, cafes, restaurants to theater are located. With theatrical furniture and decor, it represents the youthfulness of West End. It truly is a boutique hotel to the bone. 

It is close to Soho (where most of gay bars are at: it is like Hells Kitchen in New York), Picadelly Circus (Like Time Square) and Covent Garden (shopping district) and my favorite, Fritzrovia (where it makes you feel like a local). 

PRICE

I would say the price is in between the high end and low end. Aribnb and low end hotels would cost around $150 a day to stay in the area, and high end hotels like Soho hotel or Dean Street Townhouse would cost around $400 a day. Saint Martins lane lies in between those ranges which is around $200. 

So if you are on a budget that you can spend good money on hotels, but don’t want to spend too much, Saint Martins Lane is a perfect choice. Also, they give you a free pass at Gym Box which is right next to the hotel. It is not like other hotel gym, but a proper and probably the biggest gym in the neighborhood.  You will see a lot of hot guys and girls working out. 

LOBBY

The lobby just screams Morgans Group hotels. It is very open and airy. The furniture is theatrically bigger than life and its neon color and gold chairs make the hotel youthful and fun. It is not a Lobby that you can comfortably lounge like Ace hotels (btw, you can read about Ace hotel in London here) or Delano hotel. But it is the best for good instagrammable pictures. 

ROOMS

According to the website, Saint Martins Lane has around 200 rooms. It is a big hotel, and the hallways often confuse you with the dim light. But the rooms are actually bigger than you think. We were on the look for a sale and we were lucky to get a 70% off for Deluxe Garden room. 

Deluxe garden room has a tiny terrace like the name. The oversized pots with plants make it a garden-like terrace but not a real garden. With pink chairs and silver coffee table, you can enjoy your morning coffee. You can also smoke in the garden if you are a smoker. 

The room is decorated with leopard print carpet and the floor to ceiling windows make the room open and spacious. There is a mood light feature, so depending on your mood you can make the room sexy or clam. It has a big desk where you can do some work, and two single sofas where you can chill if outside is raining. The coffee table in the room has a mirror which makes it look like the 70s cocaine party coffee table lol. 

The bathroom is covered with marble from floor to walls. You are complimented with Malin + Goetz bath products and has enough closet space.

BARS & RESTAURANT

There are two bars and one restaurant. 

The Blind Spot

If you walk straight you will see the facade of tea counter and a golden hand . If you shake you hand with the gold hand, it leads you to heaven. Just kidding, it is just a golden hand shaped handle where you can go to the Blind Spot. It is dark (like reeaaallly dark) and feels like a New York speakeasy. They offer excellent cocktails with blasting music. It is quite expensive but I guess it is what you pay at a hotel. 

The Den

The Den is on the right side of the lobby. With oak-panelled snug, it feels like a homey country house living-room. They only serve different types of Gin & Tonic. But don’t be sad, because you can bring your drinks from the Blind Spot if you are not feeling Gin and Tonic. It is a relaxing environment and occasionally I just went in and stayed and chilled there.

Asia De Cuba

Asia De Cuba is an Asian & Cuban fusion restaurant. If you get free breakfast in your deal, it is worth a try. I haven’t tried dinner or lunch. If you have please let us know under the comment section!

OVERALL

Pros

• Comfortable, Spacious Room
• Excellent Bars
• Free Gym Pass (A Real Gym)
• Perfect Location

Cons

• Garden Deluxe room might slightly smell of smoke (as you can smoke in the garden)