Middle Eight The Guardsman

LONDON

Shiva Hotels expands in the UK capital with two independent properties – one inspired by nature and the other creating the feel of a members’ club – designed by Tonik Associates.

Words: Matt Turner • Photography: Courtesy of Shiva Hotels

Founded in 2001 by former derivatives trader Rishi Sachdev, Shiva Hotels has hitherto been best known for its portfolio of UK properties operated under various Hilton brands.

But the lockdown of 2020 saw a change in direction, and in May 2021 it softly opened two independent properties in the heart of London: Middle Eight, a luxury lifestyle hotel in Covent Garden, and The Guardsman, a low-key boutique offering on the doorstep of Buckingham Palace, both designed by Tonik Associates.

Shiva Hotels says it has “a desire to drive a more engaged, responsible and purpose-driven era,” in which its team will “question the status quo, push boundaries, innovate sustainably, enrich employee wellbeing and have meaningful social impact with a small environmental footprint.”

This ethos is evident in the design of Middle Eight, which takes its inspiration from nature and is brought to life through the use of organic materials such as stone and wood with a soft, tonal colour palette running throughout. Motifs inspired by the elements are immediately visible on arrival into the atrium lobby, with its undulating feature wall, curved ceiling panels and handcrafted reclaimed oak reception desk. To the left of the entrance, an eyecatching display with hundreds of burnished leaves is suspended over the Sycamore bar. The adjacent restaurant offers an all-day menu of Italian and Californian dishes, with live DJs adding to the informal and sociable ambience. Timber flooring, brass accents and geometric wall panels complete the look.

Overlooking Sycamore, The Balcony lounge area with its herringbone parquet flooring, marble-clad open fireplace and deep curved sofas has a more tranquil library-like feel. Here, guests can enjoy afternoon tea, browse the bookshelves or play board games.

Middle Eight occupies the former site of music venue Kingsway Hall, its name referencing the section often used to break up the chorus and verse of songs. Its 12 suites are each named after a well-known piece of music with a ‘middle-eight’ bridge and have been cleverly carved out of a first-floor space, which was formerly host to the windowless meeting rooms of the eponymous Kingsway Hall Hotel to provide light-filled volumes with internal, naturally-illuminated courtyards and living walls. The 190 rooms stacked above are designed to maximise space and minimise their environmental impact, with black lacquer mini-bars integrated into brass railed casegoods, and sofas and pouffes upholstered in soft-brushed ivory velvet, fringed with gold accent fabrics. Silhouetted metal artworks on the walls meanwhile reference the street entertainers and artists of the surrounding neighbourhood.

The hotel’s connection to the building’s musical past is most explicit in the basement bar and event space QT – a speakeasy with its own street entrance and private cinema for live performances and screenings, which aims to bring the spirit of Covent Garden’s famous piazza into the hotel.

Sachdev states: “At Middle Eight, we will choose to do things not because they are easy, nor because it’s what

everybody does. We will choose to do them because they represent our collective vision of what’s right. We will inspire guests, teams, communities and partners to believe in and share our world view. And we will challenge our industry competitors by disrupting the status quo and offering our residents a genuinely new option – a conscious choice to experience luxury with purpose.”

Though a British theme runs through both of Shiva Hotels’ new properties, with carpets by Brintons, lighting by Chelsom and bathrooms supplied by CP Hart, a very different take on luxury is provided at The Guardsman. This newbuild boutique comprises 53 guestrooms and six residences and has been designed to replicate the atmosphere of a private members’ club, with Tonik Associates elegantly fusing old and new to “look at traditional Britishness through a 21st century looking glass”.

In the ground floor Drawing Room and Library, comfortable armchairs, enveloping sofas and a carefully curated art collection create a club-like feel, while a feature staircase connects these spaces to a brasserie-inspired restaurant and bar in the basement.

In the guestrooms, with square-footage at a premium in such a prestigious location, a fully mirror-clad bathroom enclosure enhances the sense of space within the rooms themselves. The six residences occupying the top three floors on the other hand are designed with longer-stay guests in mind. These sumptuous, self-contained apartments all boast generous living spaces, dining areas and either a kitchen or kitchenette, together with options such as a private chef, a valet and 24-hour room service.

Central to the proposition is a high, yet unobtrusive, level of personal service. Guests may not quite be waited on hand-and-foot to the same degree as the residents of nearby Buckingham Palace, but they can request a specific room or residence along with their preferred brand of drinks, menu items or bathroom products, all of which will be prepared ready for their arrival. Middle Eight (previous page and top left) mixes organic materials such as wood and stone, while The Guardsman (bottom left and above) has a members’ club feel

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner / Operator: Shiva Hotels Architecture: Ray Hole Architects (Middle Eight), Dexter Moren Associates (The Guardsman) Interior Design: Tonik Associates www.shiva.co.uk