Sanderson Hotel: Whimsy, Wit and Relaxation
The Sanderson Hotel sits in the heart of London’s busiest shopping district but once inside it’s almost impossible to remember the madness of Oxford Street as you’re immersed in the cool ambience and playful surrealism of Phillippe Starck.
From the whimsy of its indoor-outdoor lobby, to the slick, post-modern vibe of the Long Bar, to the quiet intimacy of its cocktail lounge the Purple Bar, the public spaces of the Sanderson mix the modern and the baroque with wit, romance and daring.
The Agua spa is the very picture of cloud-like tranquillity. There are no traditional walls in the 10,000 square foot space; instead, fluttering white curtains separate the treatment rooms, chill-out zone and mediation beds adding an additional touch of softness to this pristine sanctuary. Their signature milk and honey skin hydrating treatment left my skin feeling wonderfully soft and conditioned. Hot honey was massaged into my skin and then washed away with warmed flannels and milk. A moisturising massage with rose oil followed, and the treatment finished with a scalp massage.
The Madhatter’s Tea at the Sanderson is perfectly named and delivers an afternoon of wondrously imaginative reinterpretations of traditional standards. In addition to their pot of tea, guests have a choice of either a glass of Laurent-Perrier champagne or three other tea infused cocktails. The cakes are as scrumptious as they look and come accompanied by traditional scones with strawberry preserve and clotted cream. Along with these luxurious little cakes, the Sanderson serves up beautiful, rainbow coloured sandwiches; the smoked salmon and cream cheese on spinach bread offers a lovely twist on a favourite treat. Rounding out the fanciful affair are fun confectionaries like the Hazelnut Praline Ice-Cream Lollipop coated in popping candy and the Blueberry Lollipop that turns your mouth hot and cold.
After popping upstairs to the room, we returned downstairs for dinner and the Sanderson Sessions performance of Saint Lou Lou, a synth-pop duo that splits their time between Australia and Sweden. Their dreamy, yearning sound fit in perfectly with the eclectic, surrealistic ambience of the Sanderson. The Malaysian street food at Suka was fragrant, perfectly spiced and expertly served in a relaxed and elegant atmosphere. As they recommend ordering a few different plates each to share, I tasted almost everything including the yellow coconut curry with prawns, pumpkin, bamboo shoots and bird eye chilies.
A collapse into the king size bed was a heavenly end to my evening at the Sanderson. My room felt incredibly airy and fresh, the perfect place to finish unwinding after the day’s excitement. The guest rooms of the hotel compliment the madcap aesthetics of its public spaces with their open plan layouts, tranquil white linens, and custom designed furnishings.The romantic yet modern aesthetic is emphasised by the ability to customise the space by manipulating the layers of sheer and opaque drapes and the open-plan glass bathrooms further contributes to the feeling of uncluttered spaciousness. An accommodation destination of the highest calibre, the Sanderson Hotel is worth a visit whether you’re coming from 3,000 miles in New York or 300 metres away in Oxford Street.