It’s A Standing Ovation For New Covent Garden Hotel Middle Eight

Wander to the top of Long Acre, cross Drury Lane, and you’ll find yourself in a quieter, more sedate side of Covent Garden. Great Queen Street is not exactly off the beaten track, but it seems as though the hubbub, which makes this central London area so appealing to most, suddenly seems far away.

The creamy façade and gold lettering of this enclave’s newest hotel gives an insight to what’s to come. Middle Eight – named after the middle part of the song that gives a touch of variety to a tune – has a fittingly intriguing name well-suited to its alluring design aesthetic. It may look elegant and discreet, but this is a hotel with soul.

Inside, it’s all wavy lines, shimmering coppery surfaces and burnished details. There’s an oversized artwork made of driftwood, burnt orange club chairs, silvered columns and a knock-out shimmering gold wall. It’s a tactile, seductive space and that’s before you’ve even reached your bedroom. 

Yes, it looks good, but it also feels good too. Part of Shiva Hotels, overseen by hotelier and founder Rishi Sachdev, Middle Eight is ticking all the right boxes for what modern-day travelers are after right now. “We want to question the status quo, push boundaries, innovate sustainably, enrich employee wellbeing and have meaningful social impact and a small environmental footprint.”

Tick, tick tick.

The philosophy of any luxury hotel should be to lure you in and Middle Eight does that slowly and confidently, or in musical terms, adagio, adagio. Just off the double-height lobby, the bar has the prettiest ceiling covered with copper, cut-out sycamore leaves – a little nod to the Sycamore Vino Cucina restaurant found beyond. It’s designed so you glimpse it from the entrance, and it seems to have a magnetic pull. Once inside, it’s a crescendo of design, with the statement gold and marble bar, mirrored shelving and velvet chairs all adding to a sumptuous feel and making it the perfect place for aperitifs or late-night cocktails.

Across the 168 rooms, the captivating design continues. It feels thoughtful and authentic, yet doesn’t skimp on luxury. There’s unusual bespoke furniture – green Carrera marble coffee tables, for instance, and stylish Italian armchairs made of gleaming gold metal and linen. Bookshelves hold curiosities, glassware, and a curated musical library. High thread count Egyptian cotton linens mean that the beds are delicious to sink into at the end of the day. The plugs are all in the right place, as are the mirrors, beautifully positioned for hair-drying and make-up duties (these practical details are surprisingly often overlooked in many luxury hotels). The colour palette is natural and calming, and there is a dedication to sustainability throughout. Toiletries by Anatome, a British botanical and sustainable brand, for example, have been selected for their eco-nature while the bathrobes are made using recycled plastic.

For something extra special, book one of the 12 suites (each are named after popular songs) for pure Instagram magic. Two come with their own outside terraces, and most have the ‘wonder-factor’ with their own indoor gardens. These glass ‘rooms within rooms’ feature gorgeous living walls and a dining table drenched in light from a skylight above it. In-room bathrooms have a touch of the rock-star about them, and are good for exhibitionists (although, thankfully, for the prudish among us, these can be made private). Techie fiends will love the lighting effects you can play around with – the indoor garden can be lit with a futuristic multi-coloured feature, from neon pink to electric blue. In fact, the tech in the rooms is high-spec yet easy to use, with intuitive features, such as lights that click on in the bathroom when you enter, so you are not left stumbling around in the dark, remotely controlled curtains and easy-to-use switches. Another big tick.

Dining adds to the overall harmony of the hotel, with head chef Paul Robinson’s authentic Italian menu in Sycamore Vino Cucina serving small sharing Cicchetti to start with, such as Burrata with Heritage Tomatoes and Salsa Verde, and home-made pastas (the Cacio e Pepe is a must). You could stop there, but that would be rude, right? So, leave room for mains, such as Vitello alla Milanese, which comes with pickled vegetables or Whole Sea Bass for two, with clams, mussels and ’nduja. Dessert? Oh, go on then. There’s Tiramisu, Panna Cotta or Dark Chocolate Tart. It’s not revolutionary perhaps, but the menu is built on all those dishes that are like your favourite songs – making your heart sing.

Once the crowds return to London – and the city is holding its breath right now until the tourists and the crowds return – the hotel will be a buzzy, vibrant place to head to. As well as the glam bar and appealing restaurant, it also has little-tucked away spaces, such as The Balcony, a first-floor lounge-library area, perfect for meetings or secret rendezvous. While the subterranean QT – a bar-club-like space – will curate the best of London’s live music scene. In musical terms, it’s definitely going to hit the high note.