February 2005 Article                      

Two “Wow” Factor London Hotels

Hotel Sanderson
St. Martins Lane

Can a hotel make you feel happier?  Sexier? Like a different person? Can the hotel itself help invest some new life into strategic thinking?  The answers to all of the above are “Yes” according to the reports on the stunningly stylish St. Martins Lane and Sanderson Hotels in London.  The two are designed with a sense of fun that is contagious.  

“England swings” says the old song, and nowhere more than in the truly happening sister hotels St. Martins Lane in the West End and the Sanderson in Soho.
 

Hotel Sanderson
British GQ called the Sanderson, “The hippest hotel in the world.”  As you enter, your first sight is a pair of luscious red lips inviting you to come relax in their depths, a pop-art sofa.  Some chairs have carved swans for arms, and, that large smooth white egg…is a footstool.

The landmark 50s building, transformed by Philippe Starck, presents its guests with a surreal Cocteau-like dreamworld with a lushly landscaped interior courtyard garden, world-class gourmet restaurant by Alain Ducasse, and the extensive facilities of the renowned Agua Bathhouse.

Sanderson’s unique and groundbreaking 150 guestrooms were designed without interior walls.  The bathroom and dressing room are instead encased in a glowing floor-to-ceiling glass box that is wrapped in layers of sheer curtains.

Sanderson features multi-service meeting spaces and hospitality suites, an Executive Boardroom, state-of-the-art audiovisual and telecommunications equipment, production, wardrobe, makeup and casting rooms, as well as a private conference facility. Plasma monitors for audio-visual playback, smart boards, electronic flip charts, portable computers, mobile phones, fax machines, and multilingual secretarial staffing are available upon request.

Special functions can be held in the hotel’s acclaimed Spoon restaurant, Purple Bar, Billiard Room, Long Bar, Courtyard Garden and Penthouses. The Billiard Room features an original stained glass floor to ceiling wall and sweeping staircase. The room is dark and atmospheric offset against the glow of candle light, ideal for welcome receptions or private dining.

At some 80-feet in length, Sanderson's dramatic, glowing onyx Long Bar is the focal point for energy at Sanderson.  And it’s that energy that can enhance meetings as hotel guests carry the electricity of the environment into the meeting room. 

Sanderson Basics:
Meeting sizes 10 to 45
Banquet sizes up to 150 (in restaurant and garden)
Breakout rooms: 3
Ideal for: Board meetings, receptions
Guestrooms: 150
Amenities: Restaurants, bars, spa services, gym
 

St. Martins Lane
Enter the St. Martins Lane lobby and another fantasy world greets you with a ceiling height vase, giant chess pieces, and lots of colorful light displays. In fact, every guest room is equipped with its own personal light show.  From a full spectrum of vibrant colors, you control the color of the room based on your mood and whims.  

Framing sweeping views of central London, St Martins Lane's 204 rooms, private garden rooms and suites have floor-to-ceiling windows, an eclectic mix of Philippe Starck designed furniture and the one-of-a-kind interactive light installation. Special Garden Rooms have private patios lushly planted with camellia trees, clematis and climbing ivy.

St Martins Lane features an Executive Boardroom with 24-hour multilingual secretarial staff available upon request, additional multi-use meeting spaces, and state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment. Plasma monitors for audio-visual playback, smart boards, electronic flip charts, portable computers, mobile phones and fax machines can also be requested.

The Back Room at St Martins Lane is in high demand for product launches because the room boasts a floor to ceiling white marble that offsets any product beautifully. Studios at St Martins Lane has become a favorite for press conferences and board meetings as it adds such a clean finish and visual to presentations. The handheld remote control operates air-conditioning, lighting, curtains, presentations, DVD, Video, CD & the surround sound PA System.

Special functions can also be held in the hotel's acclaimed Asia de Cuba restaurant, Light Bar, Penthouse and Apartment.    

St. Martins Lane Basics:
Meeting from 10 to 130
Banquets up to 200 (in restaurant)
Breakout rooms: 5
Ideal for: Product launches, board meetings, receptions
Guestrooms: 204
Amenities: Restaurants, bars, spa, gym
 

For more information on any of these hotels, contact your Krisam representative or e-mail newsletter@theeventinsider.com.