Set on a traditional white stucco-fronted terrace, The Laslett Hotel is a stylish, city base truly at home in the buzzing west London neighbourhood of Notting Hill.
A monochrome chequerboard-tiled entranceway leads to a painted black door framed by Italianate pillars. The hotel name discreetly etched into a pane of glass above the doorway is the only indicator you aren’t about to wander into a particularly grand private home.
Inside, a glossy, glassy bar provides a chic welcome; a treasure-trove library is packed with British art and design books; and a compact green and pastel pink restaurant provides a suitably trendy place to enjoy the hotel’s themed Taco & Turntable Tuesdays or Thursday Oyster Nights, a leisurely breakfast or a quick coffee.
There are more than a few nods to the vibrant history of the west London postcode, the hotel itself is named after activist and Notting Hill Carnival organiser Rhaune Laslett while the Henderson bar is named after jazz pianist and steelband musician Russ Henderson MBE who was one of the founders of the carnival as we know it today.
Arranged across five of the white Regency-style townhouses beloved of this part of the capital, the 51-room hotel has been painstakingly renovated and curated by Living Rooms residences director Tracy Lowy with design and creative direction by Tom Barlett of Waldo Works and Ben Kelway of Atlas.
The design
It’s all in the details here. While the sensitive conversion of five Grade II-listed Victorian townhouses is surely an architectural triumph, it’s the curation of work by local artists and designers pared with luxe furnishings that stands out.
Gallery walls you’ll want to emulate at home have colourful illustrations by creatives such as Biba founder Barbara Hulanicki and Toby Pimlico designer Toby Mott pared with photography of Notting Hill Carnival sound systems by Brian David Stevens and striking finds sourced from Jerome Dodd of antiques store and cave of wonders Les Couilles du Chien in Golbourne Road.
Outside, an achingly cool outdoor terrace has opened this summer providing the area with a highly sought-after outdoor drinks option.
Surrounded by the soothing greens of established olive trees and cool marble-white walls, dark rattan chairs and upholstered benches sit under a striped monochrome awning.
Open year-round, it’s designed to be a local hangout for the creatives of Notting Hill according to the hotel’s general manager Ian Telford who is launching a new brunch menu with small plates championing seasonal British ingredients in the Mediterranean-feel alfresco space.
Which room?
A master bedroom suite is the stand-out choice, for the light that pours in through three double-width sash windows as much as the contemporary design gallery-style decor.
All 51 rooms have been curated with the same feel however, so if your budget won’t stretch to a master suite the other stylish options range from the compact ‘spare room single’ to the ‘master bedroom double’.
Sculptural light fittings, textural home accessories and stacks of Penguin classics combine to create the feel of a glamorous city pied-à-terre – with the service of a hotel, but the style and feel of a home.
Pets are welcome too, with dog bowls, treats and beds all provided. Check with the hotel for details of any additional charges or restrictions by room type (or number of dogs).
Prices and offers
Prices start from £272 for a ‘spare room double’ and are around £436 a night for a ‘master bedroom suite’.
Current offers include: saving 15 per cent by booking directly; a four-night stay for the price of three; and 50 per cent off a second room, which comes with complimentary cocktails or mocktails.
For guests and locals, the hotel will be hosting a Carnival Brunch on 28 and 29 August to celebrate the Notting Hill Carnival. On between 12pm and 3pm both days, enjoy a signature Rum Punch welcome drink with any food order. Reservations advised.
Book a room or make a reservation for brunch here.
During your stay
Underneath The Laslett Hotel sits a luxurious wellness offering: Recharge Rooms. With everything from an Ozone sauna (£75) and radio frequency-technology facials (from £100) to vitamin injections (£70) or IV drips (£250), the spa treatments can be combined to create the ultimate treat package.
The Royal Treatment for two is a popular choice. One guest enjoys a session in the Ozone sauna – one of only two currently in London – while the other has a ‘power anti-age facial’ with lymphatic drainage and radio frequency massage before swapping places. The package costs £550 (£300 for one) and lasts two and a half hours. Again, extras can be added.
Recharge Room therapist Reema says local clients often add a vitamin IV drip (£250) during the facial or face reflexology to combat headaches and sleep disorders (£130 for 30 minutes) which would take the total treatment time to three hours.
Where to eat
An absolute must visit is The Pelican, around 15 minutes’ walk away on All Saints Road.
A rebooted Victorian pub serving chef Owen Kenworth’s creative twists on hearty British classics – the crowd-pleaser bar food is the mince on toast (£11), while the star of the evening service is the lobster and monkfish pie for two (£60).
With its laid-back, welcoming atmosphere and modern, pared-back interiors look – think dim warm wall lights, scalloped caramel leather banquettes, cream walls and very few frills – it’s a real hidden gem as much for the design crowd as the foodies.
Where to shop
Golbourne Road’s Les Couilles du Chien should be the first port of call for any vintage and antiques treasure seeker.
The world-famous street market Portobello Road Market takes place on Fridays and Saturdays, but the indie shops around it are worth browsing any day of the week.
Couverture & The Garbstore in Kensington Park Road is an independent clothes store in a three-storey converted townhouse. Reformation and Sézane are also nearby.
A short walk away, in Westbourne Grove, is the new Soho Home space with interior designers on hand to help with your most pressing design dilemmas.
South of Notting Hill Gate are the antiques shops, renowned pubs – The Churchill Arms – and restaurants – Clarke’s – of Kensington Church Street.
