WE STAY AT... Art’otel
Batter sea, London Kerry Parnell checks in to a design chain’s first UK location
Art’otel Battersea is in the gleaming new district of Battersea Power Station, south of the Thames and it went from zero to 100 on its official launch in February. I visited during its first weekend and the hotel was buzzing. Under the Radisson umbrella, Art’otel has popular hotels in Europe, including Amsterdam, Berlin and Budapest, and has launched into the competitive London hotel scene with confidence. Each of the hotels in this funky lifestyle chain employs a signature artist to design the interiors and artwork. Spanish artist Jaime Hayon got the commission for the UK, and the 164-room hotel is a symphony of primary colours, curved walls and quirky artwork, from his personal ceramic collection to specially commissioned stylised photos from Dutch duo Klunderbie. From the giant yellow The Dreamer statue in the foyer, to the cool floating glass reception, the interiors are meticulously curated, right down to the placement of the plants in reception, which were mapped out by the artist, I’m informed, much to the cleaners’ daily stress.
The hotel is in the luxury glass apartment block, Battersea Roof Gardens, designed by Foster + Partners, on Electric Boulevard, directly behind the redeveloped Battersea Power Station. Its 15th-floor bar, with floorto-ceiling windows, is spectacular – you can take in the splendid views of the chimneys, while sipping a cocktail. That is, if you can get a table, which I couldn’t, even as a resident, because it was fully booked already.
Likewise, the impressive rooftop bar, infinity pool and jacuzzi, with one of the best views in London, is set to be Instagram-heaven come the British summertime.
But what most guests have come for, on the opening weekend, is the new restaurant from double-michelinstarred Portuguese chef Henrique Sá Pessoa. Joia is a modern tapas restaurant, from the chef behind the famous Alma in Lisbon. Henrique was in the kitchen when I visited, much to the excitement of diners in the full restaurant, who stopped him for selfies.
With a modern, fresh take on traditional tapas, Joia’s food is delicate and elevated – from the melt-inthe-mouth Iberico ham croquettes, to the comforting salted cod and egg bacalhau à brás and the best patatas bravas I’ve ever had. The most experimental part of the menu is the desserts – I tried the tangy goat’s cheese ice-cream and cake, and dark chocolate mousse with, let’s say, surprising chorizo ice-cream.
The hotel is hip, but comfortable, the rooms are like sleeping in a Mondrian painting, with funky artworks, spectacle-shaped mirrors and modern bathrooms with Kevin Murphy amenities. The only slight disappointment was there was no bath.
Battersea Power Station itself is an iconic building on London’s riverside, which for decades lay derelict, but after a £5 billion ($9.2 million) redevelopment, has now risen from its ashes to become a high-end new destination. The power station has been turned into an upmarket shopping centre, with stores such as Chanel, Mulberry and Ralph Lauren. The Control Room B bar, built around all the old dials and switches, is cool, plus there is the unmissable Lift 109 experience. It shoots you up one of the chimneys and out the top, giving you one of the best views of the London skyline you can get.
Wrapped around the power station are curving glass apartment blocks full of luxury flats and restaurants. There’s a new underground station on-site, as well as a riverboat pier, with services to major tourist stops. It’s a cool new district to base yourself in if visiting London.
“The most experimental part of the menu is the desserts – I tried the tangy goat’s cheese ice-cream and cake.”