New kid on the block

THE LOWDOWN Standard International has transformed a Brutalist 1970s building in London’s King Cross – the former Camden Town Hall – into a unique 266-room hotel that draws inspiration from the area’s political, intellectual and cultural history. Designed in partnership with Shawn Hausman, the hotel is Standard’s first outside the US and marks the beginning of planned global expansion. The Standard has 42 different styles of room, from ingeniously designed windowless ‘Cosy Core’ rooms to terraced suites with outdoor bathtubs overlooking St Pancras. Public spaces include a library lounge, two restaurants, and – opening in September – a third, tenth-floor restaurant featuring live fire cooking and offering 360 degree views of London.

THAT'S a FACT The hotel includes a wood-panelled, sound proofed studio to host, stream and record DJ sets, interviews, podcasts and intimate live shows.

THEY said it “We could not be more proud of what The Standard team and our many collaborators have created in a beautiful, overlooked building that was almost left for naught. We look forward to welcoming the world in to see, and more importantly, feel what it is that makes The Standard so special.”

rates Cosy Core rooms start at £199 while prices rise to £1,050 per night for the top suite.