Sometimes you do not need to leave London to feel as though you have properly escaped for a while. Frenchie and I recently checked into Middle Eight Hotel in Covent Garden, a five-star hotel on Great Queen Street, for a little time away together – and it turned out to be such a lovely spot for a date night and London staycation
The location is pretty hard to beat. You are right between Covent Garden and Holborn, with Seven Dials, the West End, restaurants, bars and theatres all within easy walking distance. Yet once you step inside, the hotel feels surprisingly calm and removed from the bustle outside
Style, Design and a Little History
One of the things that immediately struck me about Middle Eight was the design. It is contemporary and luxurious, but there is also a strong connection to nature throughout the hotel, with beautiful stone, wood, greenery and organic shapes
The double-height reception is particularly impressive. The bespoke reception desk has been handcrafted from sustainably felled olive oak, while a huge tree-root installation provides another striking focal point. There are so many details that you might not necessarily notice at first, but together they give the hotel its very distinctive style
There is also a fascinating history behind the building. Middle Eight stands on the site of the former Kingsway Hall, which became famous for its exceptional acoustics and was used as a recording venue by musicians including Luciano Pavarotti and the London Symphony Orchestra. Music remains an important part of the hotel’s identity today.
The Downtown Suite
Our home for the stay was the Downtown Suite, and it was definitely one of the highlights for me. At around 69 square metres, it is incredibly spacious and feels much more like having your own stylish London apartment than staying in a traditional hotel room
One of its most unusual features is the private indoor garden, bringing greenery and natural light right into the suite. Together with the generous living area, bedroom and dressing space, it creates a wonderful feeling of having your own little sanctuary in the middle of London
And then there is the bathroom. The gorgeous freestanding bathtub was one of my favourite features, complete with bath salts and bath bombs for a proper soak. There is also a walk-in shower, underfloor heating, fluffy robes and Christophe Robin toiletries, giving the bathroom a lovely spa-like feel
It is the kind of suite you actually want to spend time in, which was perfect for Frenchie and me. Rather than simply being somewhere to sleep after dinner, the Downtown Suite became part of our date-night experience itself
Sycamore Restaurant & Bar
You do not actually have to venture very far for dinner and drinks either. Sycamore Restaurant & Bar sits at the heart of the hotel and is another space where the design really stands out.
The bar is stunning. Look up and you will see a dramatic canopy of thousands of burnished sycamore leaves suspended across the double-height ceiling. Combined with the statement bar, mirrored shelving, rich textures and huge windows looking out towards Covent Garden, it feels glamorous without being overly formal
Sycamore serves contemporary Italian food, from hand-rolled pasta and cicchetti to dishes from the grill, alongside cocktails, wines and Italian aperitivi. The atmosphere changes as the evening goes on too, with DJs on selected nights, making it somewhere you can easily stay for a drink after dinner rather than immediately heading back upstairs.
Our Stay at Middle Eight Hotel in Covent Garden
For Frenchie and me, this stay was really about having some time away together without actually having to travel anywhere – and Middle Eight works brilliantly for that
You can wander through Covent Garden, have dinner and cocktails, see a West End show or simply make the most of the hotel and that gorgeous suite.
For me, it is the combination of location, unusual design and attention to detail that makes Middle Eight stand out. From the sycamore leaves floating above the bar and the beautiful natural materials in the lobby to the indoor garden and freestanding bathtub in our Downtown Suite, there is something interesting to discover throughout the hotel
If you are looking for somewhere special for a London date night, anniversary or simply an excuse for some time away together, Middle Eight Hotel is definitely one to have on your radar.
Our stay at Middle Eight Hotel was hosted. As always, all views and opinions are my own.
