St Martin’s Lane

St Martin’s Lane opened in 1999 as Philippe Starck’s first London hotel: the concept was genuinely startling at the time: all-white rooms with colour-changing LED coves that guests could dial to any mood, floor-to-ceiling windows, a surreal aesthetic that treated hotel design as art direction. Now operated by Morgans Originals under Accor, it remains a landmark address in the theatre district with 203 rooms, two restaurants, The Den bar and the Blind Spot speakeasy, though the concept has aged unevenly across nearly three decades.

The experience

The experience at St Martin’s Lane is most coherent for guests who arrive knowing its history and approach it on those terms. The all-white rooms with their colour-changing LED light systems still feel different from any other hotel interior in London, and the building’s position on the lane between Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden remains as strong as it ever was. The Blind Spot bar — a speakeasy with bespoke cocktails — and The Den are the public spaces that most reflect the original Morgans sensibility. Service can be spotty: with an unevenness that suggests a hotel managing a large room count without the staffing levels the concept requires.

The rooms

All 203 rooms have the signature Starck elements: all-white interiors, colour-changing LED light coves controllable by guests from cold clinical white to warm amber to deep red, floor-to-ceiling windows, Argentum toiletries, premium bedding, minibars, rainfall showers, and 24-hour room service throughout. The LED mood-lighting concept remains the hotel’s most distinctive feature and works particularly well in the evening. Entry-level studio rooms are compact; penthouse categories include London Eye views and considerably more space. Some rooms feel dated in their fixtures and fittings relative to the price point: an honest note rather than a dealbreaker for guests who are here for the design history.

Food and drink

Two restaurants — The Restaurant and the EllaMia café — serve British food and lighter all-day options respectively. The Restaurant is open for breakfast through dinner with a menu that prioritises comfort and occasion over culinary ambition. The Blind Spot speakeasy bar operates below ground with a cocktail menu that takes British Empire influences as its reference point. The Den functions as a members-and-guests lounge. Pre-theatre menus are available given the hotel’s position at the centre of the theatre district.

The neighbourhood

St Martin’s Lane runs between Trafalgar Square and the southern edge of Covent Garden, at the operational centre of London’s theatre district. Leicester Square Underground is three minutes on the Northern and Piccadilly lines. The National Portrait Gallery is five minutes south. The Royal Opera House and the piazza are five minutes north. The Strand, Somerset House and the Embankment are all within a ten-minute walk. The Coliseum English National Opera is directly adjacent.