Hidden within a striking late Georgian townhouse on a leafy square in Pimlico, central London, lies Eccleston Square Hotel – a high-tech 39-bedroom urban retreat, set to open on June 19, 2011. With state-of-the-art technology, including 46 inch 3D LED televisions and iPad2s in every room, this member of Design Hotels™ aims to enhance guests' well-being and offer a relaxing and recharging respite from urban life.
Following a GBP 6.5 million renovation, the Georgian townhouse has been transformed by architects Woods Bagot, led by Hotel Director Olivia Byrne who is from a successful hotelier family. 'The ethos of the Eccleston Square Hotel is quite simple," she explains. 'We want our clients to leave the hotel feeling better than they did when they arrived." The result is a modern high tech cocoon where guests are comforted and soothed by luxurious products and swathes of futuristic gadgets, including handmade GBP 12,000 Hästens beds in every room and high-spec marble bathrooms.
www.designhotels.com/eccleston_square_hotel
The Rooms
The 39 bedrooms are split across five categories and have either garden or city views, some with private courtyards or balconies. All rooms feature advanced state-of-the-art bedroom interiors, including 3D LED TVs with HD Movie and 3D channels, 3D Blu Ray DVD players with 3D glasses, and finger-tip control panels. The pads control every possible function in the room, from the lighting and curtains to wake-up and bedtime settings. Each room will also have an iPad2 – the newest Apple creation – which guests can use for anything from shopping guides to spa bookings. Adjustable massage beds from Swedish firm Hästens act as the focus of each room, complete with massage programs that synchronize with the Hästens Mind Spa TV.
Marble bathrooms feature -smart glass' walls which turn opaque at the touch of a button, as well as a TV incorporated into a heated, steam-proof mirror. The wet rooms also feature rainfall showers, high-pressure massage heads and aromatherapy products from L'Occitane.
The Experience
Guests entering this historic city residence will be greeted by a timeless modern lobby dazzling with a black crystal chandelier and herring-bone-pattern floor tiles. In the evening a 50-cover bar and restaurant serves modern French cuisine, headed by Executive Chef Kieran Moore.
Traditional English touches characterize the hotel, including an afternoon tea served in the elegantly simplistic lounge, which features custom-made studded tub chairs, an open fireplace and silk finished walls. The most groundbreaking use of technology is found in the meeting rooms, where it's possible to video conference and conduct presentations on an epic, 120-inch 3D media wall.
Location and Rates
The hotel is situated on the edge of Eccleston Square, a stone's throw from Victoria station. It is ideally placed for tube, bus and rail connections including the Gatwick Express.
Rates from GBP 250 per room per night, excluding VAT.
www.designhotels.com/eccleston_square_hotel
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