Contributor/ Imran Hussain
Best Known For
There is not much you would know this hotel for, and perhaps that’s the charm. Rough Luxe standing for rough luxury, provides just 6 guestrooms in King’s Cross, on a quiet off street. Designed in 2008 by Rabih Hague. But this hotel is a lot more than a cool name, it’s a movement. They have more properties throughout Europe, The Americas and Africa.
The Good Stuff
The team are so polite and always on hand. Walking up the stairs and through the corridors captures this hotel’s sense of space and place. All of the bathrooms are beautifully built (brand new) and offer a contemporary angle, perhaps not quite what you would expect from such a distressed hotel, but then, there’s that charm again. You can’t help but get a sense of artisan cool from walking around the hotel, the artwork on the walls will take you on a journey in itself. Rough Luxe feel that the luxury in the stay is found in the guest’s choice of wine, bed linen and art, to be quite honest, who can argue with that. The furniture is a mix of old and new with splashes of colour, what’s lovely about this is that old furniture is treated with the respect it deserves.
The Vibe
It’s rare to find a cool Central London hotel with no restaurant but instead an offer to step out with a member of the hotel team for a drink or bite to eat. But then again, isn’t that what true hospitality can be? Each room is distressed and pulled apart in a very hip fashion. It offers an unfinished but well kept feel. In old King’s Cross, this is a cool spot. There’s a terrace too.
Inside the hotel – 8/10
A very soulful design that although might be unexpected, soon becomes difficult to imagine any other way.
Outside the hotel – 9/10
King’s Cross is a hot spot, a cultural hub with restaurants in St Pancras Renaissance and of course the Western Concourse as well as Granary Square.
Image courtesy of Rough Luxe
