Sumptuous stay in artsy Notting Hill

Notting Hill has always been a top destination for visitors to London. For many, its high-end luxury and glamour is alluring, where a stroll to a café leaves you feeling like an extra in Made in Chelsea. For others, like me, it is the pull of the creative arts scene, including the world-famous Notting Hill Arts Club, and the gems of Portobello Road market; full of vintage clothing, antiques and street food from across the world. I hadn’t been to the area for a couple of years and I was really excited to be heading there for a weekend break, staying at 4 star boutique hotel The Laslett.

The Laslett could not be more perfectly placed for travellers coming via the London Underground – it is literally a one-minute walk from Notting Hill Gate. Sometimes being so close to a station can mean lots of people milling about outside, noise or other disruption but The Laslett is tucked away on a quiet side road with barely any traffic or thoroughfare. The facade is understated but elegant, with a small terraced seating area. The gently curved road of sky-high Victorian townhouses, of which The Laslett occupies five, has echoes of the Banks’ residence in Mary Poppins and visitors from abroad can appreciate a true sense of London’s history and culture. The reception area is small but perfectly formed and flows openly between a seating area with a working vinyl record player, lounge with an array of interesting books, the bar and cosy restaurant. The hotel has 51 rooms and the selection of art, sculpture and interior design across the board is exceptional. Despite the number of rooms, it feels hand crafted by someone exceptionally creative.

Our room was a spacious mix of original Victorian features such as shuttered windows, high ceilings and a black and white tiled bathroom, with a mix of modern design. The presence of another record player with a selection of vinyl and a collection of vintage Penguin books were a great touch and added another nod to the arts scene in the area. As a creative, it felt like my ideal London pied a terre.

We unpacked and made our way to Portobello Road, possibly one of the only places where you can find designer labels such as Gucci and Dior in the local charity shops! We sampled some authentic Thai street food and I indulged in a ‘Brezel’ from Bonne Bouche – a sticky sweet pastry full of flavours like apricot and pistachio, drizzled with icing.

We returned to The Laslett for a treatment at their wellness spa. Don’t be deceived by the word ‘spa’ – this is no ordinary hotel spa experience. As with everything at The Laslett, it elevates beyond your expectations. The Recharge Rooms, run by Mikhail and his colleagues, offer truly unique treatments using state of the art technology. I had the pleasure of experiencing my first ‘Ozone Sauna’ designed to boost your immune system and rid your body of toxins. During the treatment you sit in a bright white pod while your body is gently treated with ozone, oxygen, steam, carbonic acid, electrotherapy and photon light. It left me feeling refreshed, not hot and bothered like other saunas, and my skin was silky soft. I had never heard of the technology before but Mikhail’s knowledge of how the body and mind work, and the science behind wellness, was impressive.

After my treatment, we readied ourselves for dinner in the Henderson Bar and Kitchen at the hotel. We were warmly welcomed and opted to start our meal with some cocktails by candlelight on the outside terrace, where we were provided with cosy blankets and heaters. The cocktail menu is bespoke and truly out of this world. They were deadly delicious – be warned, they pack a punch! Our starter was a charcuterie board which was extremely generous for two, and we followed that with a fennel sausage with lentils and seafood linguine. The menu is small but has great choices. The food was delicious and used many British seasonal ingredients.

After a peaceful night’s sleep, we woke at leisure as the checkout time is 11am. We enjoyed freshly squeezed juice, sourdough toast and my partner had what he described as ‘the perfect full English breakfast’. I overheard an American guest at another table chatting with the waitress. It was apparent she was a very regular guest; they stored her own special milk and accommodated her unique needs to a tee. That single moment quite aptly summed up our stay; attentive and friendly staff who were ready to make your stay as comfortable as possible, a bespoke high-end experience without pretentiousness and somewhere you would return to time and time again. I honestly can’t fault our stay at The Laslett, other than it had to come to an end.

Travel facts

Rates begin at £483 per night. The Laslett, 8 Pembridge Gardens, Notting Hill, London, W2 4DU. To book, call 020 7792 6688, visit www.thelaslett.co.uk or email [email protected]

The hotel has recently introduced The West London Sleep Sanctuary package with a variety of sleep-inducing inclusions to ensure a restorative night’s rest. Guests of the package can enjoy in-room sleep-inducing products by Votary, a luxury plant-powered skincare brand to use during the stay and take away, including the Rose Geranium Cleansing Oil, Night Star Serum, Intense Night Oil and Intense Overnight Mask.