Peace of the action
With its brand of quirky luxury, London’s Zetter Townhouse charms Emma Newlands
I’ve been in my accommodation in The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone for a good while before it dawns on me that while it has all mod cons and luxurious features, something has become glaringly conspicuous by its absence.
There is no noise, despite the fact that it’s just a few minutes from the mania of Oxford Street.
I had arrived after taking the Tube to Marble Arch, navigating my way through the crowds travelling to and from the nearby shopping thoroughfare and Hyde Park on a glorious summer’s day.
But the pavements thankfully get quieter as soon as I approach the boutique 24-bed hotel located in a Georgian townhouse.
As is often the case with highend hotels, the sign indicating its presence is barely noticeable, as is its discreet reception area.
I miss out on the free cocktail on arrival as the bar is shut when I get there, but I’m happy to go without, and am taken up to my room – the Lear’s Loft on the top floor.
I actually gasp when the door opens and I see I have my own sizeable staircase leading up to a large suite fit for royalty. There’s a living area with a fireplace, two luxuriouslyupholstered sofa sin blues and greys and a table with silver cocktailmaking equipment. Above, the cupola is decorated in a painted cloud landscape. I’m not in Kansas any more.
The bed, a super king, is located under a canopy in rich yellow matching the walls, and there’s a desk with a range of tea and coffee making equipment, plus a minibar with snacks and premium brand premixed cocktails.
Indeed, every single inch of the room has been styled meticulously. Perhaps the most memorable feature is the outdoor rolltop bath on the roof terrace that is apparently regularly used by guests, although given that it’s overlooked by buildings as far as they eye can see it seems impossible to use and keep any modesty intact. However, plans are apparently afoot to add some more greenery and therefore privacy.
Thankfully, the large bathroom inside also has a bath, which is surrounded around the top by a layer of underlit marble.
I initially assume this is a design quirk, but its effect becomes crystal clear when I later have a soak, dim the main lights and the room transforms into a flotation-tank-style oasis illuminated only with the subdued ochre tones running through the rock.
My mind switches off properly for the first time in way too long and it’s only the thought of the luxurious bed
that stops me dozing off there and then. The bathroom is also home to a separate shower and stocked with REN toiletries while the wardrobe – decorated with a painting of a displaying peacock, no less – houses a hot water bottle, an excellent touch if not needed during my stay, given the warm weather.
My only concern for the rest of the evening is that I can’t see any sign of a TV, but I then realise it’s tucked away discreetly in a cabinet at the bottom of the bed.
After a good night’s sleep I head down for breakfast, making a beeline for the buffet and enjoy the classic combination of toast, coffee and a read of the papers.
I also get a closer look at my surroundings in what’s known as Seymour’s Parlour, which doubles as a cocktail lounge, and it really does feel like being in the living room of a wealthy eccentric.
The walls are a decadent shade of red, and the room is packed with antique furniture in dark woods, overlooked by a painting of fictitious ‘notorious ancestor’ Wicked Uncle Seymour. The hotel, formerly home to The
Owl and The Pussycat author Edward Lear, may also seem like it’s been there for generations in its current incarnation, but it only opened in August 2015 and is part of The Zetter Group, whose portfolio includes a smaller townhouse hotel in Clerkenwell.
My stay certainly lets me experience the London I’d previously only ever seen in Richard Curtis films, and it’s also understandably popular with Americans given its very British charm.
What’s more, while the decor may be too rich for some tastes – one room is decked out with Union Jacks – I found its sense of character enough to be enjoyable without being overbearing, underpinned by its high-end luxury.
I head back up to my room until I have to grudgingly check out, and set off through the moneyed streets of Marylebone. But I make a note to come back for a drink in Seymour’s Parlour – as well as to find a slice of marble or something more suited to my budget to spruce up my own decidedly less impressive bathtub at home. ■
The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone, 28-30 Seymour Street, London W1H 7JB, tel: 0207 324 4544, thezettertownhouse.com/marylebone; rooms start at £258 per night including breakfast.
I experience the London I’d previously only ever seen in Richard Curtis films