This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s Guide to London
When it opened in 1874, the Spiers & Pond Hotel claimed its owner was the first hotel in London to install electric lighting. Still on the cutting edge, it has now been reinvented as the seventh most refined Hyde London City in the global Hyde Collection under the Ennismore Group, and this handsome Grade II registered facility infuses new life into areas immersed in the past, along with city landmarks from St. Paul’s Cathedral to the old Bailey Throw.
Hyde seems to be a clear magnet for the city’s young high flyer who needs a convenient and stylish rest and re-fest during meetings. The original hotel closed in 1900, and the building served as an office block until this recent reincarnation, but you don’t know about it thanks to a stylish overhaul that blends Bohemian furniture and a technologically savvy touch.
Despite its city location, the hotel sways from corporate vibes to warm and energetic atmospheres, permeating the lobbies and corridors, Darwin-inspired botanical wallpaper designs, period details, and emerald and gold colour palettes designed by Studio Moren.
When we checked in on a Sunday afternoon, people arrived at the start of last week, including a team preparing for a fashion shoot, check out at the end of weekend visitors (family and birthday parties) and a team that prepared for a fashion shoot. Behind the reception is Reidi, the hotel’s Turkish restaurant, with pink washed contemporary decorations and already home to Farringdon Hoodies’ popular spots.
room
I walked into my cozy room just like I went into a thoughtfully finished guest bedroom with Victorian sage and white tiled flooring and tropical jungle pattern wallpaper behind a green velvet headboard.
The rooms are equipped for working on the go with a smooth walnut veneer desk, speaker system and multiple light settings accessible from the built-in bedside table.
Blissful thick yellow curtains block the light and there are plenty of homely features, including sliders (yours for £15) and grey and purple ponchos (£99). Instead of the conventional free water bottle, it features a selection of Turkish delights with pomegranates, raspberries and Urushi flavors, an international plug adapter and an adventurous drink from the minibar.
restaurant
The highlight here is Lady. The menu focuses on the traditions of the Meise Meise from Turkish Mayhan. Even on Sunday evenings, the restaurant was still bustling with a trio of young women celebrating group dinners, dates and birthdays, receiving a platter of surprise fruit filled with mejor dates, melons and sides of Kravier (bite-sized tahini, caramel apples, and pistachio biskit).
Head chef Harit Denniz, who grew up near Istanbul, takes great pride in seeing the food of the country celebrated in the heart of London. “It’s a very privilege for me to give this experience to Londoners,” he said.
We settled into a comfortable banquet with traditional artwork decorating the walls and started our meal with an evening cocktail special. A refreshing, slightly sweet mix of Japanese vodka, lemongrass and melon. Our table was quickly loaded with mezzes featuring the famous hummus of Raidy, the smoothest whipped version of the dip I’ve ever tasted. I pushed it into Muhammara (chopped walnuts, red pepper, chive tapnado) and Aegean Gillit Ezme (yogurt with whipped feta and yogurt stuck to zucchini, carrots and pistachios).
“Don’t fall when eating this,” restaurant manager Mustafa warned cheerfully as the main dishes arrived. As a vegetarian, my fellow diner and I never indulged in the large mangal grill menu, but plumped for the melted imam beiridi in the mouth, an 18-hour slow cooked overgin stuffed with mouths, peppers and tomatoes. The dish’s name translates as “Imam fainted,” and according to Ottoman folklore, it’s easy to imagine a clergyman screaming enthusiastically after tasting this powerful vegetable Piace de Recistance.
The dessert had to be ordered to correct the senses. Surrounded by crispy phyllopestry-style cunefe, honey orange flower glaze, filled with pistachios and kaimac (silky, clot cream-like). And this kind of dinner is not complete without strong Turkish tea.
Hyde expanded to include more events. Private reservations are often held at Black Lacquer, a Japanese-style lounge. Originally opened as a Speak Easy, the underground vinyl bar features high velvet stools, intimate stools, and records collected by DJs on their trip.
The next morning, the meeting was already held at Lady and we completed our stay in the best possible way with a decadent breakfast. Every morning you should start with a brioche French toast with pillows topped with light cream, berries and slightly salted crushed nuts, and light vanilla yogurt decorated with toasted walnuts and compote.
Charles Dickens once praised the original Spear & Pond refreshment room (dotted around London) as the perfect location for railway travelers. I think this hotel’s latest restaurant venture will definitely establish itself as a food reputation among modern visitors.
At a glance:
Good: A great dining experience worth visiting in its own right: the city location and its own right
Exercise enthusiasts – The gym is small and you miss some important equipment, even if you have a high-tech sports bike or on-screen workout video
For reference: The hotel has been extended beyond Mezerab to a special event – look for a book read at the Raidy Restaurant
Rooms and Suites: 111 rooms and top-floor headliner suites set at the eaves of the hotel
Price: Starting from £230
Address: 15 Old Bailey, London EC4M 7EF
Website; Directions
Marincent was a guest at the Hyde City Hotel
What is your favorite hotel in the Hyde Chain? Please let me know in the comments below. Follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram to find out about your first latest story
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