When we came across shots of London's Great Northern Hotel on Drizzle and Dip (one of our favorite food blogs), we were immediately taken by the hotel's eclectic, modern, comfortable design. As a luxury boutique hotel in the heart of England's most beloved city, the Great Northern has the benefit of being in a most incredible location: it sits within the western concourse of Kings Cross Station, just a hop, skip and a jump away from six Underground lines. To say the hotel is convenient would be the understatement of the century – which means that when it came to design, the hotelier's could have just kept things simple. They could have sat on their locational laurels, and outfitted an average hotel with average furnishings.
Broad corridors and wrought iron staircases sweep through the hotel's six floors. Ninety rooms lovingly restored and exquisitely re-designed – all the original grandeur of this central London hotel honoured with painstaking attention to detail. High ceilings, ceiling-to-floor windows, expansive curved corridors – all central to Cubitt’s classic design – create an overwhelming sense of light and space. With the calm and serenity of a great ocean liner, you will never believe this hotel is central to the largest transport intersection in London.
But this they did not do. Not in the least. Instead, they completed a magnificent refurbishment of an incredible landmark building, and did so with the highest level of style possible. First opened in 1854, and designed by Victorian master builder Lewis Cubitt, the Great Northern Hotel was recently redesigned to evoke all the glitz and glamour of its past – and elegant it is, indeed. The hotel's ninety one rooms offer floor to ceiling windows, abundant natural light, beautiful handcrafted furniture, stunning Lefroy-Brooks bathrooms, and free high-speed wifi – all offset by cut glass finishes and Farrow & Ball paint colors.
The hotel's rooms, as you can see, are exquisitely done. They're classic and tasteful, refined and elegant – and yet, they possess a slight bit of quirk, whether it's in the form of oversized mirrors, or odd light fixtures. With plenty of space and tons of sunlight, these are the sorts of rooms you'd be happy to call home at the end of a long day of sightseeing.
In each room there is a Nespresso coffee machine, safe, hair dryer and a mini-fridge with complimentary water in every room. Bathrooms are all fitted with a walk-in shower or roll-top bath and specified to the highest standard with the very best fittings from the very best manufacturers, such as Lefroy Brooke, Hansgrohe and Bette. Dark slate tiled floors contrast with hand made white tiles on the walls. Guests also enjoy complimentary products by Malin & Goetz. Every floor has a beautifully equipped Pantry, from which you can help yourself, at no charge to your bill, to home-cooked cakes, teas, Nespresso coffees, books, newspapers and magazines.
Looking for a night in? The hotel also offers two restaurants and a bar – so you can wine and dine to your heart's content without stepping out to the street. As wonderful a city as London is, sometimes it's tiring to be a tourist, and having a hotel that offers incredible drinking and dining just an elevator ride away is quite tempting.
Really – what's not to love? We'll be booking a room, stat.
