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Restaurateurs D&D London announced that South Place Hotel, its first hotel, will launch at the beginning of September 2012. Developed by D&D’s property partner, Frogmore, and located between Moorgate and Liverpool Street in the City of London, the hotel enjoys close proximity both to Silicon Roundabout and to Shoreditch.
South Place aims to bring something different to the hotel scene in London. Combining the buzz of D&D London’s restaurants, Conran-designed interiors and specially commissioned work by contemporary London artists, South Place looks set to be ‘more meet than sleep’ than most London hotels. The first winner of the annual South Place Hotel Art Prize will have their work displayed in a dedicated window on the ground floor of the hotel, and guests keen to see more art or to explore the East End will be offered special maps and tours.
Bruce Robertson, General Manager of South Place Hotel, said: “South Place Hotel is a hotel created by restaurateurs. It is as much about meet and eat as sleep. It also derives its inspiration from many of the things that make London buzz: cultural diversity, local neighbourhoods, understated wit and an easy sense of self. Whilst we will formally launch in September, we plan to open our restaurants and bars and to offer some previews and special events in time for the Olympics.”
South Place Hotel will feature 80 bedrooms, two restaurants and three bars. The bars include a stunning rooftop terrace and a ‘secret’ Garden on the first floor within the atrium, with a specially commissioned sculpture by Grace and Webb. Tipping a nod in the direction of number 49 Moorgate (home to a Soviet spy ring in the 1920s) South Place Hotel’s meeting and dining rooms take their names from classic spies and secret agents – Purdey, Steed, Peel, Solo and Kuriyakin – whilst combining functionality and ergonomics with comfort and a distinctive sense of style. They are joined by Le Chiffre, the residents’ games room, which will act for hotel guests as their very own private club. At weekends, these rooms will be the focus of regular events and activities such as Sunday Cinema sessions, games nights and curated music parties.
The bedrooms aspire to offer the best hotel accommodation in the City. Created with comfort in mind, they will include large bathtubs, power showers, fine Josephine Home cotton bedlinen, Bang & Olufsen televisions, large writing desks, amenities by perfumer James Heeley and art by London-based artsists. State-of-the-art technology will include in-room entertainment systems with extensive music playlists, movies on demand and complimentary wi-fi. South Place Hotel will also offer a modern, well-equipped gym, with beauty and wellness treatments.
Crowning South Place Hotel is Angler restaurant on the seventh floor, with views of London’s iconic skyline. A quintessentially British seafood restaurant overseen by Tony Fleming, previously Executive Chef at One Aldwych, the menu will focus on seafood and shellfish from across the British Isles and will be complemented by a wine list of around 250 bins. In the far corner of the restaurant, the private dining room commands spectacular views of City landmarks, including the Gherkin and Tower 42. Outdoors, the rooftop terrace will be a new City hot spot, especially in Spring and Summer. At weekends, Angler restaurant and terrace are likely to be in demand for weddings and private parties with a wow factor.
On the ground floor, 3 South Place will be a relaxed, informal, all-day restaurant for hotel residents, City customers and East End neighbours alike. Next door, 3 South Place Bar will feature distinctive cocktails, a great selection of wines and Champagnes by the glass and an atmosphere that will be buzzing all day and late into the night, thanks in part to its 24-hour licence and after-hours DJs.
The opening of South Place Hotel reflects the zeitgeist as the City of London embraces a more creative, contemporary lifestyle. With increasing numbers of Londoners taking up residence in and alongside the Square Mile, the City and East End are coming together to create a unique energy and personality around the clock. A member of Design Hotels, South Place Hotel will strike a happy balance between business and pleasure, offering modern luxury and memorable service to hotel guests whilst providing a new haunt for the local neighbourhood.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
