Nothing says ‘darling, I want you’ like a night away in a sultry hotel space. And you needn’t go far — or necessarily spend a fortune — to find a stay with head-turner appeal. Instead of escaping to the countryside for a mini break, check into one of the capital’s sexiest, coolest hotel rooms, guaranteed to make your other half go weak at the knees.
The Twenty Two: Terrace Suite
Red hot romance, with a side of Parisian chic — that’s the look served up by the fifth-floor Terrace Suite at Mayfair’s Twenty Two, which takes its name from a 15m-long terrace overlooking one of London’s swankiest postcodes. Swathes of rouge velvet carpet headboard, drapery, chairs and wall, with soothing wood floors and the crisp pop of white sheets to keep the mood classy. As well a standalone clawfoot tub, the monochrome bathroom has a luxe double vanity so — beyond the bed, of course — there’s no need for sharing.
From £1,100, the22.london
Rosewood London: Noble House
Size matters – or at least it does at the elegant Rosewood Hotel in Holborn, where the exclusive Noble House suite rambles across an almost-indecent 100 square metres. Overlooking the hotel’s opulent, private Edwardian courtyard, the cloistered environs are perfect for fostering a secretive air with your other half (also for long, lazy lie-ins after a late night – there’s not too much blinding sun pouring in). Superb staff will leave pillows monogrammed with your initials, and fresh flowers in the lounge. But the highlight is the marbled bathroom, itself as large as a studio flat, plastered in mirrors and with a shower so big it could happily accommodate a throuple.
From £3,500, rosewoodhotels.com
The Soho Hotel: One Bedroom Terrace Suite
Sexy doesn’t have to mean dim lighting or fur throws. At Kit Kemp’s Soho Hotel, the magnificent Terrace Suite provides a country house breed of romance, with sink-in sofas, cosy eclectic prints and highly attentive room service (no wonder BAFTA attendees love it so). Windows stretch across the entirety of the space, leading to a wraparound terrace overlooking all of Soho. A bottle of fizz comes included with the room, but it’s when you raid the multiple minibars — stacked with the likes of Krug champagne — that you and your other half really feel like rock stars. Fitting, then, that the room’s Clio Peppiatt-designed embroidery is inspired by the neighbourhood's music scene.
From £3,300, firmdalehotels.com
The NoMad Hotel: Magistrate’s Suite
Is it high-flyer status that really sets your partner’s fire alight? NoMad was one of the few London hotels to make the World’s 50 Best Hotels List last year, so it’s the perfect hot date spot when you’re looking to impress. The impeccable interior of the Magistrate’s Suite combines original features — the building was formerly a courthouse — with soft velvety fabrics, tasselled footrests and dual basins in an immaculately tiled loo. Some rooms have a rolltop bath in the bedroom, ideal for a soak à deux, while a bar space comes with everything you’d want for fixing a seductive nightcap. That is, if you’re not drawn by the superb mixed drinks and zingy Mexican cuisine of Side Hustle, on the hotel’s ground floor — don’t miss the shareable croquettes with corn, parmesan and guacachile.
From £1,275, thenomadhotel.com
Henry's Townhouse: Eliza
It doesn’t get much more intimate than this six-bedroom Marylebone stay, the former home of Jane Austen’s brother Henry. With its lace-fringed four-poster, pastel palette and tasselled dressing table stool, the Eliza suite is unashamedly romantic in a full-blown Regency way. You can almost imagine Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet bedding down under the glassy chandelier, sipping fizz by the historic fireplace or sinking into the bath (though they may not have known what to do with the Dyson hairdryer). There’s no restaurant — breakfast is served in the pantry kitchen — but that’s only an excuse to have your other half treat you to dinner at Michelin-starred Locanda Locatelli, just around the corner.
From £795, henrystownhouse.co.uk
Sanderson London: Loft Suite
From the slick minimalist surfaces to the plush lobby sofa shaped like a giant pair of lips, there’s just something naughty about this landmark hotel on Berners St. The spacious white-washed interiors of the Loft Suite put all focus on a massive silver sleigh bed, flanked on one side by mirrors and on the other by windows. There’s nothing left to the imagination in the bathroom, which is separated from the sleeping area only by a wall of glass and an ethereal white curtain.
From £300, morgansoriginals.com
Bingham Riverhouse: Best River Room
Whisk your other half away to the countryside — well, kind of, to Richmond — and check into the Bingham Riverhouse, where the top rooms come with gleaming copper baths overlooking a greenery-lined Thames. This romantic venue is known for pulling off a sublime boutique wedding, but if that seems like too much commitment, simply feast together on baked scallops or venison tartare in chef Vanessa Marx’s new restaurant. Back in the room, snuggles await on the cushy organic mattress — as does that bubble bath for two.
From £345, binghamriverhouse.com
Mama Shelter Shoreditch: Medium
Whoever said that a budget break couldn’t be sexy? Fun and freewheeling Mama Shelter is perfect for a rendezvous in funky Shoreditch style. A Medium room provides plenty of space to spread out together, with a seating area for nightcaps and an ultra-comfy luxury bed. You’ll get some fun unexpected extras that go above and beyond the price point too – including free movies on the TV.
From £79, mamashelter.com
Bulgari Hotel: Bulgari Suite I
Blow the budget at the Bulgari in Knightsbridge, where one night in the top suite can be had for the same price as a small car. The place is exquisite; not only do the 221 metres of prime real estate overlooking Hyde Park come with a deep marquina marble soaking bath, a private butler, and extensive kitchen, but also a spacious lounge and dining area suitable for up to eight people (ideal for polyamorous next-day brekkies). The ‘mini’ bar is in fact very maxi — tuck into full bottles of top-shelf spirits — and you’ll also have unbridled access to the plush Bulgari Spa, complete with a gold leaf-lined hot tub and a 25m-long pool.
From £9,000, bulgarihotels.com
Hazlitt's: Superior Double
Bookish types will swoon at the chance to stay at this literary stalwart in Soho, the former home of 18th-century essayist William Hazlitt. Plush carpets, antiques, gilded oil paintings and plenty of signed reads from well-known authors set the scene in the cosy communal spaces, before you ascend to the eye catching pink-painted Superior Double — complete with its own literary collection, sink-in leather chairs and a rolltop bath. Other Superior Doubles come splashed in brooding, coddling greys, greens or blues, with old fireplaces and dark wood four-posters as your backdrop for amour.
From £459, hazlittshotel.com
The Mandrake: Mandrake Room
Dark, dramatic and with sultry prints to add a dash of cosiness, entry-level rooms at The Mandrake deliver sensuality in a small, intimate scale. Around half of the lot boast a deep black and purple colour palette — the other half come in a more typical-feeling whitewash — so be sure to request the rich motif to maximise the romance factor. Italian linens and towels add a further dash of plushness, while an in-house ‘spiritual concierge’ can help you and your plus-one deepen that personal connection, via anything from shamanic healing to cosmic gong baths.
From £430, themandrake.com
Kettner’s: Medium
Kettner’s has long been a hot bed of sexy society scandal — it’s hosted celebs from Oscar Wilde to Winston Churchill — and now that it’s part of members’ club Soho House the reputation still feels fitting. You needn’t be a member to book; anyone can check into its cool Georgian-inspired bedrooms, with floral wallpapers and sultry velvet armchairs. The Medium has a freestanding bath steps from the bed, ideal for exhibitionists. Make a booking for the Clarence Tavern downstairs, or take your pick from any one of Soho’s myriad restaurants.
From £400, sohohouse.com
The Standard: Junior Suite Terrace
Not many London hotels come with outdoor space — and even fewer come with al fresco soaking tubs. So if that’s what you’re looking for in your sultry weekend away, head straight for the Junior Suite Terrace at The Standard, set in a bold brutalist building across from Victorian-Gothic St Pancras Station. When the weather is good you’ll find it hard to pull yourself away from that terrace, which comes not only with the bath and top-notch views but a spacious seating area for wining and dining your paramour.
From £639, standardhotels.com
L’Oscar: Superior Room
The word ‘sexy’ doesn’t quite cut it when describing this opulent stay on Southampton Row — the voluptuous aesthetic features everything from peacock motif doors to ornate plastered ceilings. Designed by Jacques Garcia and set within a former headquarters of the Baptist Church, L’Oscar fuses London quirkiness and Parisian glamour in one tidy package. Even entry-level superior rooms come with plenty of personality, including red walls, tiled fireplaces and so many gold accents it’s practically indecent. All of the West End is on your doorstep to explore, but trust us, you’ll not want to go anywhere.
From £600, loscarlondon.com
