Ham Yard Hotel London

When it comes to luxury boutique hotels, small properties are in fashion. But the Ham Yard Hotel is a whole concept, what the hoteliers Kit and Tim Kemp call an ‘urban village.’

Facilities

Alongside a fairly substantial hotel, there’s also retail space, a restaurant and lounge, spa, a rooftop terrace garden, a 176-seat cinema, and a little four-lane bowling alley in the basement.

A charming pedestrian thoroughfare runs through it all, complete with a bronze sculpture and greenery. There’s plenty of activity, naturally, but the atmosphere feels a world apart from Piccadilly Circus, just a stone throw away. Every corner of Ham Yard Hotel brims with character, art, vibrant colors and patterns.

Rooms

The ninety-one rooms and suites are individually designed in a style that blends vibrant prints and colors with fabric wallpapers, eclectic antiques and stylish contemporary furniture. Vast warehouse-style Crittall windows bring plenty of sunshine and offer a view over Smith’s Court or the streets of Soho.

The rooms offer luxury and space, with good size, for London at least. The bathrooms are designed in granite or marble, and oak.

Main text via Tablet Hotels

in our opinion

The somewhat uneventful exterior of this hotel doesn't prepare for the flamboyant elegance of its interiors—and so much the better. We love surprises and absolutely adore the quirky, tasteful, and quintessentially English sense of style at Ham Yard.

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What we love

• Full of beautiful fabrics and big art pieces, light-filled and spacious—the interiors are fantastic;
• Not only that; the spaces are huge too—from high-ceiling events area (with a large, state-of-the-art theatre), through the library (with more than 2500 books) to entry-level rooms;
• The pièce de résistance is a 1950s-style bowling alley, imported from Texas—with every detail taken care of: there is even a collection of vintage bowling shoes;
• Fantastic location at the end of Regent Street—perfect for accessing Mayfair, Soho, Piccadilly Circus and the shops of Oxford Street;
• A beautiful rooftop garden, with lavender, olive trees, vegetable and herb garden… and a grand piano that is an open icebox (!);
• The courtyard is adorned by the commissioned bronze piece by the Turner Prize-winning artist Tony Cragg.

What you should know

• The rooftop bar is only open to hotel guests or for private functions;
• Check-out is at 11 am, but this is flexible, depending on availability. Earliest check-in, 2 pm.
• Children are welcome—families can book special interconnecting rooms;
• This is a non-smoking hotel and no pets are allowed.