Is there really anything better than a cheeky staycation?
I don’t typically book staycations. In London, where we’ve been living for the past three and a half years, I haven’t had the need to book into a hotel for the night. Sometimes I’ve felt like that’s a bit of a shame because the capital city has so much to offer hotel wise. There are beautiful grand hotels, modern getaways and iconic London favourites. So I can’t help but to feel like I’m missing out when I see what others are getting up to when they visit the city.
But now that I’m going to be moving out of London, I’m looking forward to more reasons to book an overnight in my favourite place. Bring on the hotels and incredible views.
So I’m starting to explore the London hotel scene. Seeking out the rooms with a view or who has the best breakfasts in bed. It’s a fun experiment and experience. Which is why I was delighted to kickstart my London hotel series with the Mondrian London.
Located just off of Blackfriars Bridge and 10 minute walk from Waterloo, the Mondrian is located in London’s Sea Containers buildings on the Southbank. The views from the Sea Containers are gorgeous – and I’ll let you in on a not-so secret, the views from the rooms are equally stunning.
My staycation was with my friend Leigh and we wanted to make the most of our visit. That meant: dinner, drinks, exploring the hotel, taking too many photos and of course, finishing the stay with an excellent room service breakfast before heading off to work for the day.
We had a seriously fantastic time, which is why I can wholeheartedly recommend the Mondrian London to anyone staying in London who’s looking for views, a unique experience and brilliant food.
7 reasons you need to book a stay at the Mondrian London
Sea Containers restaurant
Tapas style dining, but surprisingly large portions. We met with Katy and Kim for a proper girls night – an excellent thing to do on a Monday, in case you were wondering. We tucked into stuffed pardon peppers, mushrooms with shaved parmesan, flatbread, crab on sourdough toast, ceviche tacos, and marinated fried chicken. I ate way too much. In the best possible way. I’d also like to mention that they had a number of dishes suitable for vegans. Leigh got to feast on the risotto, peppers, salad, fries and well, let’s just say it wasn’t a problem in the slightest.
Dandelyan
The downstairs bar, called the Dandelyan is brimming full of all my home decor dreams. Pink sofas, dark green decor everywhere. I love the style of it. And their cocktail menu features florals too. We both ordered the Flower of Five cocktail (Belvedere Pink Grapefruit, passion fruit flower, leather, lemon and Braemble Gin Liqueur) and I think that even though I was full from dinner, I could have had several of these. Would 10/10 order it again – and have already said to Joe that we need to go back.
Rooms with a view
And I mean ROOMS WITH A VIEW. Obviously not every single room at the Mondrian overlooks the Thames (in fact, some of their rooms with private balconies actually don’t overlook the river at all – but are stunning for other reasons). Our room was a River View Deluxe that overlooked St. Paul’s Cathedral and Blackfriars Bridge. If you’re looking, I’d definitely recommend to try and book into one of these rooms. Alternatively I’ve seen some killer rooms facing the London Eye so maybe it’s one of those hotels where you just can’t go wrong?
Bathrobes
If you’re like me, the first thing you do when you get to a hotel is investigate the bathrobe situation. I don’t know why this is important, but it just is.
A good cosy bathrobe goes a long way.
Breakfast in bed
There’s something so uniquely satisfying about ordering room service. Whether it’s a late night burger or pizza when you’re away in a foreign country and having been walking forever and everything is shut (life anecdotes over here) or my personal favourite, breakfast in bed.
Almost every time I go away and we’re at a fancier ‘treat’ hotel, I try to make sure we order breakfast in bed. Yes, it’s a total splurge. But I love being able to leisurely get ready for the day in the room, while sipping on coffee and eating eggs on toast. It’s usually on our last day in a city, so we can take our time before check-out.
The Mondrian’s breakfast comes delivered complete with an elegant white table. Located underneath the table is a ‘hot box’ that keeps the food warm. So for a couple of lifestyle bloggers on a hotel visit, this was a dream come true. We were still just getting up, so we took our time before taking all of the food out to eat. I’m not sure if other hotels do this or not, but I thought it was totally genius. As a side note, the food was delicious and the coffee a complete lifesaver to start the day.
What we ordered:
- Crushed Avocado on Toast with cherry tomato, red chilli, coriander, soft boiled egg
- Eggs Royale, smoked salmon, kale, hollandaise sauce, soft poached eggs
The Rumpus Room
Okay, okay, by now you’ll know that the Mondrian London is one of those hotels that has a plethora of different bars and restaurants within. I’m here for it. A few weeks ago, I visited the Rumpus Room and fell head over heels. It’s probably where I fell in love with the hotel from the start. The Rumpus Room is a beautiful bar, overlooking the Thames on the 12th floor of the Mondrian. It’s filled with dazzling lights, velvet decor (much like my love for the green velvet sofa in my flat – I’m obsessed with all things velvet), and ornate lounge chairs. It also has an outdoor terrace, brilliant for the summertime, but also open in the winter for a quick nip outside to snap a photo or two of St. Paul’s.
The attention to detail
Check in was as smooth as can be. And our drinks in the evening came right away. The morning breakfast was delivered promptly and with such friendly service. It was like 8am. I’m barely a human – and they were bright and friendly. The room was pristine with pops of colour, the whitest, softest sheets and comfy bed. And filled with little touches that made all the difference. From the gold fortune cookie decoration, the crystal glasses by the mini-bar, even down to the full length mirror and the lighting surrounding it. It’s the small things that go a long way enhancing the experience. And every little added detail from our check in to check out made the difference.
I know I’m raving, but I can’t help it. It’s been so long since I’ve stayed overnight in London and I loved every minute of it. And it’s especially fantastic when you get to spend it with your girlfriends. Prices at the hotel start from £147 a night and I’d absolutely recommend booking for anyone visiting London. Whether it’s a cheeky overnight like ours or recommending to guests out of town.
Have you ever been to the Mondrian London? What did you think? And seriously, can somebody get me another Flower of Five cocktail please?
Kelly xox
PS. We were guests of the Mondrian London, but all my photographs, words, and endless praises are my own. Photos of me, taken by Leigh.