The Resident Soho

The Resident Soho sits beside Soho Square and makes a quiet argument for considered British design: handmade furniture from West London, fabrics woven on the Isle of Bute, Paul Smith Anglepoise lamps, bespoke artwork in every room. It is part of a small group with hotels in Liverpool and Edinburgh, and the Soho property is the most obviously well-placed of the three. All 78 rooms have mini-kitchens with Nespresso machines and Brita filter taps, which makes it significantly more practical than most hotels at this price point in this postcode.

The experience

The Resident operates on the principle that the neighbourhood is the amenity, and in Soho that case is easy to make. There is no on-site restaurant or bar, but the hotel’s location beside Soho Square means every type of food and drink is within a few minutes’ walk. Service draws consistently strong reviews for warmth and attentiveness, and the soundproofing — notable given the surrounding area’s energy at night — is one of the more frequently praised practical details across guest reviews. An evening welcome wine for arriving guests is a small but well-received touch. The Carlisle Suite, which overlooks Soho Square directly, is the room to book if budget allows.

The rooms

The 78 rooms run across seven categories from compact singles to the Carlisle Suite, which has a separate living area with a sofa bed, a walk-in wardrobe and a double bathroom overlooking Soho Square. All rooms have in-room mini-kitchens with Brita filter tap, Nespresso machine, fridge and microwave; Molton Brown toiletries; GHD hairdryers; and Paul Smith Anglepoise lamps. Isle of Bute fabrics and locally made furniture run throughout every category. Soundproofed walls and air conditioning are standard across all room types. Some rooms offer private terraces and four-poster beds at the upper end.

Food and drink

There is no restaurant and no bar. A room service menu covers wines, beers, soft drinks and snacks — useful for an evening in, but not a dining offer. The absence is not a hardship given Soho’s density of excellent independent restaurants and bars immediately outside: Barrafina, Bao, Kiln, Quo Vadis and Ronnie Scott’s are all within a short walk.

The neighbourhood

Soho Square is on the northern edge of Soho, a calmer pocket of the neighbourhood despite its central position. Tottenham Court Road is a five-minute walk and serves the Central and Northern lines as well as the Elizabeth line. Oxford Street and the shops of the West End are two minutes north. Chinatown and Leicester Square are ten minutes south. The British Museum is a twelve-minute walk east.