The Junior Suite for people with disabilities is in a loft-style room that has arch-shaped windows looking over Leicester Square – the perfect spot to watch a film premier from. The walk-in robe is large enough for a wheelchair-user to enter the space and wheel around 360 degrees. The bathroom is stylish with the use of black marble and white ceramic washbasins and toilet. The double-shower features rain-head jets and one of the two washbasins is low enough for a wheel-chair user to comfortably slide their legs underneath to use. However, the radiator was placed above the toilet – too high for someone who is wheel-chair bound to hang their towel. There was a lower towel rack without a radiator though, and the ramp from the bathroom to the living areas was long enough for easy manoeuvre.
The deluxe bedroom has a walk-in robe area and an adjoining open plan lounge, dining and work space. The velvet-covered lounges, in a rich purple, echo the chairs in the dining areas. The bench worktop is both wide and deep and the round four-seater dining table has a large oil painting hanging over it that matched the rich and deep colours of the room. The washbasin in the en-suite was of trough-style and the singular taps, although fashionable, were a little difficult to fiddle with to get a certain temperature. This room is typical of the treatment of bedroom spaces throughout this luxury hotel.
The penthouse on the top floor of the hotel is used mainly for meeting space and has stunning views over London. The London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Nelson’s Column can all be seen from the window. The room has the ability to ‘hook up any equipment’ according to general manager Atanas Botev and the power boards prove this. The area could also be used for functions such as weddings, which I think would benefit more from the views.
All in all, I found the Hampshire Radisson Edwardian to be worthy of its five-star status. The hotel was extravagant without being pretentious and the bedrooms were well-styled yet comfortable and functional. Michael Attenborough has succeeded in creating another sumptuous luxury hotel in a prime London location.
Carmen Allan
