So many of London’s hotels tend to be big, showy, and audacious, with an extra helping of elitism added on for good measure, but where do you rest your head when you’re in need of a more mindful experience? Look no further than Paddington’s Inhabit Hotel. James Clark has found the answer.
Inhabit Hotel on Southwick Street opened its doors in 2019 with the aim to relax guests and take care of staff. It has paid off. Through hard work, a talented team, and a mindful outlook on the leisure industry the hotel has been certified as B Corporation™ (B Corp™) and established itself as a leader in sustainable and mindful practices.
The model was so successful that the brand opened its second hotel in Queen’s Gardens in neighbouring Bayswater in the summer of 2022, complimenting Inhabit’s mission to create restorative, environmentally and socially conscious places to stay in London.
My Stay at Inhabit Hotel
It was a bright sunny afternoon, so I decided to walk from Hyde Park to the 88-bedroomed hotel on Southwick Street. I noted that the area was quieter than I expected considering it’s just a stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of Edgware Road and Paddington’s Praed Street. But things were about to get a lot quieter when I opened the door and stepped into the reception area. As if by magic the noise and London was gone.
Greeted warmly by the couple staffing the front desk, I was made to feel right at home as I relaxed in a comfortable chair with a glass of sparkling water in my hand. If only every check-in could be this relaxed.
The Hotel
The plants, artwork and light tones of the hotel interior are perfect for Instagram selfies, and if that doesn’t excite you enough just wait until you see the egg-shaped meditation chair. As tempting as it was to whip out the iPhone, I decided to turn it off. I wanted to capture the moment of this mindful space without the interruption of the outside world until the morning after checkout. That’s not to say that you can’t keep connected, there is good Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and a library on the ground floor for guests that want to continue working. I wandered into the library and a man was working on his laptop. He was typing away, yet I couldn’t even hear him touching the keys. It really was a noise free space.
The Bedroom
The air conditioning temperature was at the perfect setting when I got into the room and the scene was set for a very chilled afternoon and evening.
The aromatherapy sprays, wooden lockbox beside the bed for my iPhone, plants, artworks, and cloudlike eco-friendly VOC free Casper mattress were just some of the contributing factors to the relaxing vibes washing over me.
I had planned to head out for the evening and meet some friends, but instead I found myself curled up in bed with a copy of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Its spiritual messages added to the ambience perfectly. It soon dawned on me that the only place I was going to that evening was to the Belu filtered water tap and back to fill up the glass bottle beside my bed (there’s a water tap on every floor).
Bedtime
I gave the suggested bedtime stretches a miss because I had the feeling, I wouldn’t need much help falling asleep. I took a shower because the REN Neroli body wash is known to relieve stress (although I wasn’t feeling any of that), lower blood pressure, and promote a restful sleep. I was keen to give it a go. I followed the shower with applying the grapefruit body cream from the same company. I didn’t get as far as spraying the pillows with the Bramley sleep spray as I found myself turning off the dimmer lights and happily getting back into bed. There was nothing in the room to cause me any distraction. The scene was set for a restful night’s sleep and that’s exactly what I got.
I woke up the next morning refreshed, and after meditating and getting some more water, there was just one thing on my mind and that was coffee.
Breakfast at Yeotown
The ground floor café is run by Yeotown – which originally started out as a health retreat. Today, as well as the Devon and Madeira based health retreats, two healthy restaurants in London have also been added to its portfolio, one at Inhabit Southwick Street and the other at Inhabit Queen’s Gardens.
There was an extensive breakfast menu, but I opted for the Yeotown protein power breakfast from the inclusive menu. They managed to get the filter coffee exactly how I wanted it – strong and tasty, but not too hot. I wouldn’t mind knowing who their supplier is – I’d happily order it in bulk.
Breakfast consisted of two fried eggs (every other egg choice option is available), homemade baked beans mix, steamed spinach, potatoes and sourdough toast, as well as a colourful bowl of overnight apple oats with chia seeds and hemp protein. It was the best breakfast I’ve had. A bold claim I realise, but I left Yeotown full of energy and ready to take on the day or at least a meeting in Oxford Circus.
Inhabit has successfully created a luxury hotel with a green twist. It works with charities and social enterprises such as Belu that donates 100 percent of its profits to WaterAid. And I can’t forget the downstairs infrared sauna, the gym with Peloton exercise bikes, the yoga studio, and the increasingly popular timetable of complimentary wellness sessions. An integrated approach to creating a sustainable hotel in London has been achieved.
Inhabit Hotel
Inhabit, Southwick Street offer nightly rates from £150 based on two sharing on a room only basis, and from £200 including breakfast www.inhabithotels.com.
Images of Inhabit Southwick Street © Nicholas Worley