A recent addition to the London boutique hotel scene is the cute and quirky The Zetter Townhouse in Marylebone.
Over the last couple of years, Marylebone has become a bit of a hotspot for boutique hotels. First there was Chiltern Firehouse, and, as of last month, we also have The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone.
The first hotel from the Zetter group opened in 2004 in a converted Clerkenwell warehouse, built around a beautiful square that now also houses its sister property, The Zetter Townhouse Clerkenwell.
While the original property was built around a fictional great aunt Wilhelmina and her trinkets gathered over the years; the Marylebone hotel bursts at the seams with the artifacts of another fictional character, wicked uncle Seymour, who appears even more eccentric than his relative.
Designed by Russell Sage, the inspiration behind the look was the fabulous Sir John Soane’s museum on Lincoln’s Inn Field (definitely worth a visit to what might just be London’s best and most under the radar museum).
The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone is very much a boutique hotel: there’s no gym, spa or even a proper restaurant. But that’s the whole point.
The hotel is based around its cocktail bar / parlour / lobby area; you enter into the living space of a private residence to be greeted by a cocktail from maestro Tony Conigliaro and you can order snacks made by chef Bruno Loubet.
The hotel has 24 bedrooms in total, including 2 studio suites and one fabulous apartment, which was my home for the night.
With a large canopied bed, seating area with 2 sofas, a writing table, fire place and an area to make your own cocktails, it really did feel like Uncle Seymour’s own apartment.
My favourite part was the corridor designed like a library that led to your own private terrace with outdoor bath, although I’m not sure Seymour would approve of being naked outside in central London. Or maybe after a few cocktails, he would.
The only thing I wasn’t too keen on was the bathroom – while a huge space with separate bath and shower and two sinks, the overall feel and look was a little too cold and sparse for my tastes.
Although too many cocktails made me miss breakfast, it is served in the parlour, which adds to the theatricality and story telling nature of the whole experience.
The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone is cute, quirky and stylish, but, more importantly, it’s warm, comfortable and hospitable to its core. Just like Uncle Seymour.
If you enjoyed this review of The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone, you might like to read our guide to the best boutique hotels in London, including the recently reviewed Batty Langley’s.
Read our guide to the best restaurants in Marylebone.
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