The Hayden Hotel

Notting Hill, London

Nine months ago, The Hayden was a very different boozer. Dark, dingy and with a stamp of masculinity, it was the kind of place you’d briskly walk past. After a major redesign – only the ornate gilded ceiling was left untouched – it now sports straight-out-of-Hoxton white tiles draped in foliage, eight luxurious bedrooms and a new well-heeled clientele who pore over the cocktail menu, even on a Monday night. Forego mains in favour of a medley of starters; fiery chicken wings in Scotch bonnet sauce are a nod to the area’s roots, calamari is light and crisp and a portion of addictive padron peppers glisten with salt. Upstairs, plush bathrobes, slippers so soft you’ll want to slip them into your overnight bag and Netflix appeal to those seeking a city staycation. There’s no breakfast, but with the cluster of coffee shops on Westbourne Grove, that’s no bother. Farmacy gets our pick for its superfood smoothies; you’ll leave glowing as brightly as the colourful houses in surrounding Notting Hill Gate.

Words by Fleur Rollet-Manus

Doubles from £185. haydennottinghill.com