In short… An inspiring stay in a 19th-century Arts and Crafts mansion, with plenty of personality and cheeky details, envisioned by the team behind Paris’ Hotel Costes.
The vibe… At Sloane somehow toes the line between over-the-top and discreet. From the outside, you might not even notice it’s a hotel. There’s no sign, so the only thing that tips you off is the doorman and trickle of well-heeled Sloane Rangers and out-of-towners coming and going. In many ways it looks and functions like a house, and that’s because when it was designed in 1888 by Edwin Thomas Hall, the architect behind Liberty, it was.
The hotel came together in partnership between the Cadogan Estate, hotelier Costes, and French architect and interior designer François-Joseph Graf. Over the course of a six-year renovation, they completely reimagined everything but the building’s historic facade, which remains intact. They left no stone unturned or expense spared, working with dozens of craftspeople to create 50 custom fabrics, 21 carpet patterns, and 19 unique curtain designs—my favorite of which were a Loro Piana cashmere—used throughout the hotel. The result is interiors that are anything but subtle. They were heavily influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, with stained glass just about everywhere, trompe l’oeil details like a fireplace that you could swear is marble, but is deceivingly hand-painted to look and feel like stone! In a time when so many hotels feel overly stark—drenched in that sad, millennial beige, this is such a refreshing take with plenty of personality.
Just off the entry vestibule is a long room that functions as the lobby and check-in area, with an inviting Etruscan red banquette beneath a stained-glass bay window, candles flickering atop stacks of design books, chairs upholstered in cheetah print or a velour crimson stripe, and a hand-painted ceiling that depicts the moody English sky. You can tell each detail was thoughtfully considered, but with a sense of fun. Flirty touches are found throughout, from lampshades and vases with hidden cheeky scenes to Pillow Talk cards on bedside tables and mood lighting at the touch of a button. The mindful incorporation of relevant design influences is really inspiring. I’m not an art history buff by any means, but I learned so much just by asking about specific elements—every decision had a story behind it. For example, the designer François-Joseph Graf drew inspiration for the 6th-floor restaurant from Jeckyll & Whistler’s Peacock Room, originally the dining room of British shipping magnate Frederick Leyland, located just a mile down the road from At Sloane before it was relocated to the Smithsonian Museum. Leyland commissioned the Peacock Room to showcase his porcelain collection, which was displayed on intricate lattice shelves along the walls. The dining room at At Sloane has similarly latticed shelves, displaying hundreds of vases and plants. As I was touring through the room, I was informed in a reassuring tone that they had just ordered a few hundred more vases, which would arrive any day now (which I thought was a joke at first!).
The rooms… There are 30 rooms, each slightly different. While the layouts within room categories are mostly the same, the art varies throughout. I stayed in the Sloane Suite, which has a spacious living area with a separate bathroom if you’re entertaining guests, a comfy king-size bed, and bathroom with a deep-set porcelain tub, shower closet, and a cupola with a pair of hand sinks. The mini bar had an adorable mini Smeg kettle, a chic stainless steel espresso machine and all the fixings you could want for a proper cup of tea or coffee—including a glass jar of fresh milk!
The food… Even if you’re not staying here, you should come for dinner or breakfast or at the very least a drink in the sexy subterranean speakeasy. The light-filled restaurant on the 6th floor stays open all day, serving some classics from the Hotel Costes-inspired ‘les essentiels’ menu. I had breakfast there on a weekday, and there were a handful of chic business men and women taking meetings, and a well-behaved Dachshund making his rounds. The bar in the basement is very cozy, with a fireplace and dozens of candles, and an outdoor terrace when the weather allows.
Extra tip goes to… whoever is orchestrating the details behind the scenes. In the minute or two between checking in and opening the door to my room, my bags had beaten me there and had been carefully placed on luggage racks in the walk-in closet, and a retro playlist was playing through the speakers.
Be sure to… take the stairs! The staircase spirals around a Parisian-style lift and features a gallery wall with over 1,000 framed black and white photos of celebrities.
Parting words… In a city with plenty of splashy 5-star hotels, this is a refreshing, very worthwhile splurge.
Date of stay… June 2024
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.