new opening: The Lazlett notting hill, london, UK

Opens: Mid-August 2015

Named after activist Rhaune Laslett who was organiser of the original Notting Hill Festival which morphed into the  legendary Notting Hill Carnival, The Laslett occupies five grade II listed  Victorian mansions on Pembridge Gardens. Originally scheduled for July the hotel is now due to open mid-August.

The Laslett is part of the Living Rooms*  group  (created by the innovative Tracy Lowy) which aims to  create townhouse hotels that make you  feel as if you are staying in your best friend’s guest bedroom , all be it a very  luxurious  and stylish one.  The names of the various rooms reflect this:  from the compact ‘spare rooms’ to super spacious ‘master bedroom suites the whole idea is create a  home-from-home vibe.

Design is also paramount here. The 51 bedrooms will feature modern furniture, locally-sourced antiques and original artwork.  A monochrome base is used as a backdrop for pops of strong colour in cushions and furnishings.   interior designers Waldo Works have managed to walk that fine line between walk the line between hip and homely, and still celebrate the eclectic nature of Notting Hill.  The mix of antiques and art make you image the designer simply walked down nearby Portobello Road Market and bought stuff.  Of course the process was actually far more sophisticated with furniture from British designers including Pinch and Race Furniture sitting alongside more quirky objects. TLTB loves the well-chosen books for bedtime reading, proper blankets, curiosities from local antiques dealers, and curated photographs and artworks on the walls. For those who like to be tucked in, in the old fashioned way the hotel says it will have 'proper blankets” not just duvets. How very British.

 We also like the metro-tiled bathrooms with full-sized Neal’s Yard Remedies products and the ‘Big Bar’ (no mere mini bar here) of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ snacks and ‘help me’ remedies for after a big night out.

This hotel is all about the street vibe so the lobby has a coffee shop (The Henderson Bar & Coffee Shop - named after Trinidadian musician Russell ‘Russ’ Henderson, one of the founding fathers of the Carnival) a curated British library, walls of art, and a shop showcasing the hotel’s collaborations with designers and artists. These include Living Rooms own scented candles, butter-soft leather bags and shoes from Newbark, clothes and jewellery from Les Glorieuses and bespoke offerings from fashion designer Tracey Boyd’s ABOYDBAZAAR.

Food-wise Sally Clarke from nearby Clarkes restaurant in Kensington Church Street will provide the food for The Henderson Bar; this is the first time her signature dishes have been available outside her restaurant.  In the evening, the menu focuses on sharing boards featuring cheese from Covent Garden’s Neal’s Yard Dairy and ethically produced British cured meat by Cannon & Cannon served with Sally Clarke’s homemade chutneys and pickles. The drinks list introduces sustainable wines from small independent growers, as well as beers from local microbreweries.