Amidst the trend making, fashion forward, design savvy citizens, London is a hard city to make an impression. South Place Hotel, as Thomas Tran discovers, is a new variety of hybrid hospitality straddling the line of gallery, restaurant and meeting place.
January 31st, 2014
Located between Liverpool Street and Moorgate, the 80-bedroom luxury hotel is the ambitious product of owners, Des Gunewardena and David Loewi, and their vision of creating an urban contemporary restaurant and hotel business.
“[David and I] come from very different places,” says Gunewardena, “David’s from the shop floor, if you like, and I’m the financier, but there is this constant, very detailed dialogue between us, to the point now that our roles have really blended and it is hard to know where one of us stops and the other starts.”
The rooms, albeit small, carry a sense of uncluttered airiness and avoid elements that are sharp and defined; the furnishings are low maintenance and comfortable, with graphic pops of colour in citrus hues and fresh flowers.
The bathrooms are the most impressive in-room feature, with black marble finishes floor to ceiling, Roca hardware fixtures and a lush Duravit Stark bathtub – ideal for jetlagged patrons.
Designed by Allies and Morrison architects with interiors by Conran & Partners, the stylish hotel is a haven for all purposes and people alike – from romantic city getaways to business trips for both foreigners and local Londoners.
South Place ensures each stay is the most pleasant, offering a choice of two restaurants, three bars, and their own publication of London city ‘must-dos’ equipped with a charmingly illustrated map locating the hotspots.
South Place Hotel
southplacehotel.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
Create a configuration to suit your needs with this curved collection.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
This year the INDE.Awards winners each received a trophy with a new form that expresses the ideals of the program and also shines the light on TILT Industrial Design.
With ecologically friendly choices being an increasingly important concern in our lives, ditching bottled water is an easy decision to make. 

The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
In our series spotlighting aficionados across the design industry, we spoke with Alexandra Guglielmino, who leads the Art Advisory team at Bluethumb Art Gallery.
A hospitality venue in the heart of Osaka comprising four dining options – a place where nostalgic pastimes meet high-end dining.