London Calling

Like all great cities, London goes through its “Everything old is new again” periods. As do the most successful hotel brands. In the case of the estimable Morgans Hotel Group, its three London properties – the Mondrian, the Sanderson and St. Martins Lane – have embraced and modernized retro chic, including classic cocktail culture, continuing to raise the bar for guests and locals alike.

Much like their New York predecessors (Morgan’s, Paramount and Royalton), the now-iconic St. Martins Lane then Sanderson arguably pioneered the contemporary boutique hotel concept in London, the antithesis of and antidote to the fussy, staid if undeniably lovely grande dames that wore a certain dowdiness as a mark of elegance. Both have undergone major recent refurbishments to remain industry innovators. In the case of SML, as well as the Mondrian (which opened fall 2014), that included adding a groundbreaking signature bar experience.