Conde Nast Traveller | May 2001

THE HOT LIST 2001-25 Of The Coolest New Hotels In The World

can never be accused of resting on his laurels. In April 2000, a mere seven months after the opening of the much hyped St Martins Lane, the hotel mogul unveiled his second London property, Sanderson. Located just north of Soho, the 1958 building originally housed the headquarters of the eponymous fabric and wallpaper company. Now home to 150 Philippe Starck designed rooms, the hotel is unapologetically sexy, sensual and surreal. The theatrical foyer sets the tone with an irreverent mÈlange of the baroque and modern: Venetian chandeliers and Louis XV style bureaus meet Salvador DalÌ 'Bocca' lip sofas and Pierre Paulin 'Tongue' chairs. Next door, in the see and be seen Long Bar, a rock'n'pop crowd perches on silver leaf high chairs around an 80ft onyx bar. Beyond, the buzz (and the noise) continues in the Spoon restaurant at Sanderson, where ¸ber chef Alain Ducasse has designed a novel menu that is good fun, if slightly schizophrenic. Quieter public areas include the Purple Bar, a hushed symphony in violet and lavender that serves 150 types of vodka, the Japanese style Courtyard Garden, and Agua, the vast bi-level spa. In the genuinely peaceful bedrooms, silver leaf 'sleigh' beds take centre stage and the bathrooms are screened behind opaque silk drapes. Agreeable touches include pashminas on the beds and single red roses in silver pots. More bizarre - and oh-so-Starck - are the paintings on the ceilings and huge egg sculptures, both of which reiterate (as if you could forget) the Sanderson's central premise: you are here to have fun.

When to go : Anytime, but in summer the Courtyard Garden comes into its own.

Which room to book: A loft suite with a large private terrace, featuring wooden deck and ample foliage.

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