Ham Yard Hotel

Ham Yard Hotel opened in 2014 on a former wasteland site near Piccadilly Circus and turned three quarters of an acre into something that functions less like a hotel and more like a small London village. Thirteen independent boutiques line the approach through Ham Yard Village. A tree-filled courtyard anchored by a Tony Cragg bronze sculpture forms the heart of the property. Around it: 91 bedrooms and suites, a spa, a gym, a 190-seat theatre, a 1950s bowling alley from Texas and a rooftop garden with views over the Soho skyline.

The experience

Ham Yard is a Firmdale hotel, which means Kit Kemp’s interior design is present in full: bold prints, clashing patterns, contemporary art everywhere and a warmth that prevents the visual noise from tipping into exhaustion. The hotel has held Two Michelin Keys since 2024 — an acknowledgement of overall quality rather than culinary excellence specifically — and staff draw excellent reviews for both attentiveness and the kind of handwritten notes and small in-room touches that suggest genuine hospitality rather than scripted service. The bowling alley — an original 1950s lane shipped from Texas — and the Soholistic Spa are the two amenities most regularly cited by guests as the reasons they returned.

The rooms

All 91 rooms and suites are individually designed in Kit Kemp’s signature modern British style: floor-to-ceiling warehouse windows, bold printed fabrics, minibar, air conditioning, en-suite bathrooms with bathtubs and showers, bathrobes and slippers. The main suites — including the Oak Leaf Suite — have private terraces or balconies with courtyard or city views. Twenty-four apartments adjacent to the hotel are available for longer stays. Some rooms look onto the courtyard garden; others across the wider Soho roofscape. The rooftop terrace suites are the standout category and are worth the premium for a longer stay.

Food and drink

Ham Yard Bar and Restaurant serves seasonal British food from breakfast through dinner, with an alfresco courtyard for warmer months and an Orangery for afternoon tea. The kitchen holds two AA Rosettes and sources produce from British suppliers. The courtyard’s oak trees and twinkling lights make it one of the more pleasant settings for an outdoor dinner in central London. Pre-theatre menus and Sunday lunch are both well-regarded. The rooftop terrace is available for events and to hotel guests.

The neighbourhood

Ham Yard sits just off Great Windmill Street, a short walk from Piccadilly Circus on one side and the southern fringe of Soho on the other. Piccadilly Circus Underground is three minutes away. Carnaby Street is five minutes north, Trafalgar Square ten minutes south. The density of restaurants, bars and theatres in the surrounding streets is among the highest in central London, making Ham Yard both a destination in itself and a very well-placed base for the wider city.