This week we were fortunate to visit the newly opened Hotel Lalit London for a full guided tour. Situated close to London Bridge and Tower Bridge, the hotel occupies the former St. Olave’s Grammer School. The stunning 180 year old neo baroque architecture of the site has been fully renovated over the past 6 years to become a luxury boutique hotel featuring 70 guestrooms, spa and public areas.
The Lalit group already has twelve hotels across different regions of India, and this is their debut offering in London – fulfilling the dream of the late founder Mr. Lalit Suri.
The Indian style of the group combined with quintessential British charm of the capital makes for a fascinating experience.
First, we saw the reception lobby. This is a smaller footprint than usual as the check-ins are carried out in the guestrooms in order to put the guest at ease immediately. There is minimal furniture in the reception, but the large sofa which dominates one wall is designed specifically for this hotel. The floor tiles and ceiling fretwork which form beautiful patterns come from Morocco.
We visited the dining room, which is my favourite place. It offers a large space to have a dinner and the mezzanine level is where afternoon teas are held. If you look upwards, you can see a high blue ceiling with large statement glass chandeliers which were made in India. The atmosphere is grandiose but also welcoming. A must-see in this hotel! The external doors lead onto the garden terrace where a large statue of Ganpati Bappa Moriya resides.
Afterwards, we saw the ‘Teacher’s Room’ where you can take a drink or a cocktail at the bar. Next door is the ‘Headmaster’s Room’ which has an amazing original ornate architectural ceiling – the perfect place to relax in comfortable armchairs and soak in the ambience of the space.
We continued our tour by exploring the ‘Classrooms’. The suite we saw had large windows to natural light flooded the room. The oversized headboards feature tones of orange and a beautiful embroidered pattern. Each ‘Classroom’ is home to Elphie – a cuddly elephant that each guest is welcome to take home with them to bring them happiness and luck. The bathrooms are generous in size and the fittings nod to the historic architecture whilst still offering a great bathing experience.
Finally, we saw the spa and fitness room – the spa offers numerous treatments to ensure a relaxing and luxurious stay.
The Hotel Lalit is a splendid hotel which whisks you away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre and transports you to a peaceful, relaxing environment where the hotel team are accommodating and welcoming. If you are looking for a luxury break in London, then add Hotel Lalit to your list of hotels to check out!
To find out more about Hotel Lalit London visit their website: www.thelalit.com/the-lalit-london/
Blog written by Ludivine Bétemps, Marketing Design Assistant Intern
