To make up for the lack of time I’ve had to prepare a post this week, I thought you might like to see inside some of the rooms at London’s Corinthia Hotel. Sorry, I’m not inviting you there for a clandestine kiss and cuddle – but I do have some lovely images of the very best suites to show you.
I was recently treated to a private view of two of the penthouses as part of a fashion presentation hosted by Colin McDowell for London Fashion Week. Someone with £10,000 to spend on a posh night in London, or an expensive ice cream cone canapé habit, may perhaps be tempted by one of the designerly kitted out suites.
The duplex Musician’s Penthouse comes with its own Steinway grand piano, along with harmonizing musical features and Liberace-worthy lighting. In addition to the internal gallery, there’s a contemporary style roof terrace featuring an empty alcove and a rather forlorn looking ashtray, which offers spectacular views over London’s skyline – with vistas encompassing the London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral and Big Ben. The wood panelled Writer’s Penthouse even has a secret library door (and views down the Embankment to the Savoy for inspiration).
A design committee load of thought, effort and £££ have obviously gone into the floral arrangements and lighting throughout the hotel. The bathrooms are as swanky as one would expect. It made me wonder who stays in such rooms?
Looks very nice! I always had a sneaking suspicion that these kind of ridiculous übersuites are never actually used, but just created in order to inflate the prices of the normal rooms below
I noticed a Fashion Week event the other day in Washington–a city with very little fashion sense, I think.
The second last photo appears to show three volumes of “Dr. [?]s Ecclesiastical Writers”, which hardly seems as if it was a page-turner in its day, and not likely to be thumbed by the penthouse visitors.
George, are you referring to Washington DC or Washington CD (County Durham)?
The book titles are merely window dressing – as the spines of said ‘volumes’ have been ripped off and stuck to a door!
Susan, this would be Washington, DC. I’m confident that Washington, CD, cannot be stuffier.
I thought that the perspectives looked odd there. I guess that Flann O’Brien’s book handlers would be unemployed if they had to rely on decorators such as the Corinthia’s to find them work.
Susan, thanks for the vade-mecum. You take us to so many interesting places. However, and maybe it’s me – of course it’s me, so immersed in the gutter that my eyes are occluded by its mud – but I can’t see the point, other than for, a la Keith Moon, to indulge in behaviour that places oneself on the blacklist of yet another establishment. I am doubtless immeasurably vulgar, but not being a rock star I need my hotel merely to sleep and perhaps breakfast in, and then to get out of to indulge in the local amusements, cultural, gustatory, whatever. Not to ogle. Can’t imagine much cinq a sept there either.
Forgot to add that while it does look very swish, £10,000 doesn’t seem like very good value for a nights sleep. Admittedly I have no way of imagining the mindset of an obscenely wealthy person, but I’d like to think that even if I was one, I’d be able to weigh up the £10 grand price of this suite and think that I could get a private helicopter to monte Carlo, an amazing dinner and two or more of europe’s most premium courtesans for the same amount
Isn’t the point of being super-rich that you don’t need to weigh things up?
Not sure this would have been Keith Moon’s cup of tea, Jonathan. It’s a little less ‘sexy’ than say:
The Sanderson, where “the bathroom and dressing room are encased in a glowing floor-to-ceiling glass box wrapped in layers of sheer curtains. Filling the entire 8th floor, this spacious and elegantly appointed two-bedroom suite features silver-leaf sleigh beds, large plasma screen televisions, MALIN+GOETZ amenities, wireless Internet access, a kitchenette and a striking view of the London Eye.”
Or the W Hotel’s E Wow suites: “how about Studio 54 in your room? Your circular sofa centrepiece dazzles under a mirror ball sculpture. Move through to your dining room area and off to the separate bedroom fit for a king. Having friends over? We can close off a corridor for you and add more rooms to your WOW. There’s a bathroom with Jacuzzi and four-person shower. Soaking solo? Let our 62″ TV screen in the bathroom entertain you.” (a snip at £5000 a night).
I’m not sure why, but looking at these photos makes me think of Celine Dion – or someone sadly obsessed with the thread count of sheets.
And I wasn’t aware the Euro had depreciated that much, Worm – but give it a few more weeks…