13 things to know about London’s Other House hotel and private club

The design and elegance are on level

Anybody whose been to London is aware of South Kensington’s regal environment is as posh because it will get. And The Different Home’s exterior, which resembles conventional Victorian townhouses, is not any completely different.

Nonetheless, upon coming into the jewel-toned, accessory-adorned foyer, you may really feel as if you happen to’ve been transported to a different world. The stylish decor gave me “White Lotus” vibes with its darkish, inviting colours and animal-themed designs on every little thing from chairs to throw pillows.

The property felt trendy and welcoming all on the identical time due to velvet furnishings in wealthy colours and equipment like whimsical gold monkeys, backgammon boards and vintage books.

Flats are swanky and include plenty of facilities

At The Different Home, the setting is fashionable but approachable, which is why you will not discover soulless hallways and boring room numbers. As an alternative, rooms swap conventional numbers for avenue addresses — for instance, mine was 10 O’Brien — including somewhat life to an in any other case crucial idea of labeling rooms.

My lodging was a traditional Membership Originals flat, the property’s model of a studio house, although The Different Home additionally has different room configurations with as much as three bedrooms. The flat was spacious by London requirements (studio flats begin at about 250 sq. ft and go up from there) and included a completely outfitted kitchenette, a small eating desk for 2 and a sitting space with a settee and a TV. A divider separated the sitting space from the bed room house, which additionally featured a big closet.

I liked that the flat’s design mimicked the remainder of the lodge, although it was barely extra refined, combining jewel tones with wealthy material decisions like velvet and plaid. I appreciated simply what number of facilities got here within the kitchenette, too, together with an espresso maker with pods, a tea kettle, a toaster and a microwave. There was even dish cleaning soap for the sink and detergent pods for the small dishwasher.

Some particular lodge particulars are lacking

Whereas the kitchenette had almost every little thing I may wish, different components of the room lacked some frequent lodge facilities. For instance, I missed having a “Do Not Disturb” signal, particularly when a housekeeper randomly burst into my room with out knocking shortly after my arrival. She was mortified, however this might have simply been averted with the suitable signal on my door.

Telephones are one other amenity you will not discover within the rooms. As an alternative, you are inspired to make use of WhatsApp in your cellphone to contact the entrance desk. Finally, company could have entry to an Different Home-developed app to make use of for on-property requests, although it isn’t but out there to obtain.

Service is hit and miss

Whereas Vanessa on the entrance desk was superb and later turned my go-to “Home Jack” (what the property calls workers members who assist with every little thing from check-in to concierge providers to meals and beverage orders), different property workers weren’t almost as useful. I wasn’t informed many helpful particulars concerning the property by one other workers member once I checked in and heard conflicting info from different staffers.

That being stated, these working within the bar have been all the time pleasant and accommodating. If solely the identical might be stated concerning the restaurant workers, who have been disorganized and overwhelmed throughout my keep. I discovered the dearth of consistency with regard to the service to be bewildering, particularly because the lodge had been open for almost six months once I visited.

It wasn’t till Vanessa informed me I might contact the Home Jacks by WhatsApp that I spotted there was a better approach to get assist or service once I wanted it.

It is not preferrred for distant work

Digital nomads will not be proud of the Membership Originals flats, as they don’t have desks or comfy chairs to work in. One of the best house in my room to work at was the rounded eating desk. Nonetheless, it wasn’t a really comfy workspace, although I did like that the desk had a flap you might decrease for a greater angle.

The remainder of the property lacked a stable possibility for working prolonged intervals of time, too. The Hogsmire atrium, a part of the Non-public Membership, did not have any chairs preferrred for working, supplied solely an outlet or two for plugging in gadgets and received noisy at occasions.

Equally, the foyer did not have any desks or tables giant sufficient to comfortably sit at along with your pc. The foyer’s lovely library house was comparatively quiet, although, so I ended up working in there with my pc on my lap. Since one other visitor was in there utilizing the one outlet for her laptop computer, I used to be banished again upstairs when my laptop computer battery started to empty.

The Non-public Membership idea is fashionable and trendy

Once I consider personal member golf equipment, I all the time think about them to be tremendous stylish — and this one is not any completely different. It matches the model of the property, with just a few distinct areas.

The Different House, the wellness-focused a part of The Different Home, encompasses a spa and well-being space with therapy rooms, a health club and a small however inviting indoor pool.

The Non-public Membership additionally homes a screening room, the luminous Hogsmire atrium and a stunning, hidden speak-easy-style lounge and bar referred to as The Protecting Room and The Den, the place a hearth, a piano and small personal rooms can be found.

No space is off-limits to company

One of the crucial coveted issues about personal golf equipment is that it’s important to be a member to enter. Fortunately, that is not the case at The Different Home. Like members, all company can enter the property’s Non-public Membership areas, so you may really feel much more like a VIP throughout your keep.

Some social areas lack patrons

I used to be excited concerning the prospect of coming into the Non-public Membership, as I questioned what the vibe could be like. Whereas the Hogsmire atrium was comparatively full round 2 p.m., because the day progressed, there have been just a few guests sipping a espresso and catching up within the house. Later within the night, it was fully empty.

For a change of surroundings, I made a decision to go to The Den, hoping to discover a full of life joyful hour scene with quite a few company having fun with cocktails and probably somebody enjoying just a few full of life tunes on the piano. Once I made my grand entrance, although, there have been simply three gents sipping whiskey and deep in dialog on the couch by the hearth. The percentages {that a} riveting stranger would indulge me in a sport of backgammon have been slim to none.

I shortly discovered myself bored, so I ventured again upstairs to the foyer to attend for associates. Given the lackluster environment downstairs, we as an alternative determined to hang around on the upstairs Owl & Monkey bar, which had a darkish, horny vibe full with many extra clients and pleasant workers. Once I tried returning to The Den once more at 9 p.m., it was fully empty.

A lot for my thrilling personal membership expertise. Each occasions I visited, the workers was nowhere to be discovered.

I chalked up the dearth of tourists within the Non-public Membership to the truth that I visited on a Tuesday and it is a comparatively new property. Because it had solely opened six months previous to my go to, maybe there weren’t sufficient members to maintain issues hopping on a weekday.

Sustainability and accessibility are prime priorities

As somebody who goals to journey sustainably as a lot as doable, I used to be happy to search out plenty of eco-friendly touches all through my keep.

To begin, The Different Home presents refillable glass water bottles in rooms and on each desk in its restaurant. Moreover, tub facilities are saved in bigger shared bottles, and lightweight housekeeping is barely out there upon request, a coverage enforced for sustainability functions, in line with the workers. The Owl & Monkey bar and The Different Kitchen have a minimal waste coverage in place, too, which incorporates utilizing fruit peels as cocktail garnishes and domestically sourced produce like British buckthorn as an alternative of limes. The property additionally sourced as a lot of its furnishings and decor from native British distributors and eco-friendly manufacturers as doable.

I used to be additionally happy to see that every one the visitor areas, together with the eating and membership areas, are accessible, so these with disabilities can go to the entire on-site venues. Accessible rooms can be found for reserving as effectively.

A 2nd location is opening quickly

Whereas the South Kensington location is presently The Different Home’s solely outpost, the model is about to develop, as one other property is about to open in London’s shopping- and entertainment-centric Covent Backyard district in 2024.

The meals and drinks are tasty however restricted at occasions

Breakfast and lunch can be found at The Different Kitchen, the property’s restaurant.

The breakfast choices embrace numerous yogurts and baked items, a few breakfast sandwiches, cereal bowls, juices, smoothies, tea and occasional. There’s additionally a full breakfast platter for 25 British kilos (about $31), which comes with a choice of the remainder of the menu’s choices, must you wish to pattern a little bit of every little thing.

The meals was recent and scrumptious — I ordered piping scorching poached eggs on toast that I washed down with a cup of espresso. Nonetheless, the service was gradual and missing, with the waitstaff seeming disorganized at occasions.

Equally, the lunch menu was small however complete, that includes just a few salads, the identical breakfast sandwiches, scones in a few flavors, some small plates and a soup of the day. I discovered the lentil soup for 4.25 kilos (about $5) warming and flavorful on a usually grey, wet British day.

A lot to my disappointment, although, The Different Kitchen doesn’t serve dinner. The upstairs Owl & Monkey bar and the downstairs Non-public Membership areas supply gentle bites and drinks later within the day and into the night, however they don’t seem to be sufficient to interchange a full meal.

Nonetheless, I made a decision to strive the Owl & Monkey’s quick rib sliders, which I totally loved. The meat was tender and scrumptious, and the accompanying cocktails I ordered hit the spot, too. Had the parts been bigger, I would not have felt the necessity to enterprise off-site for dinner.

Costs are cheap

For my two-night keep at The Different Home, I spent 350 kilos (about $429) per evening. Costs have been according to conventional inns within the central London space throughout my November dates.

If you happen to’d moderately go for a membership membership, which grants entry to all of the membership areas and a full calendar of membership occasions, know that getting it can probably be simpler to do right here than at different personal membership venues. There aren’t any limits to who can be part of primarily based on career or standing, although the model does search for members who care about social affect. Membership begins at 1,500 kilos (about $1,841) per 12 months, with a one-off membership payment of 350 kilos (about $429).

It is received a methods to go to compete with Soho Home

Whereas The Different Home definitely has the potential to excel within the personal membership world due to its lovely decor and pleasant (although not all the time environment friendly) workers, there are just a few kinks to iron out earlier than it could absolutely match as much as a non-public members membership and lodge as expansive as one like Soho Home.

I have been to London’s Soho Home on a Tuesday evening, and it was crowded, hip and enjoyable. Proper now, The Different Home does not seem to have sufficient members to supply an analogous vibe in its Non-public Membership on weekdays. Moreover, little particulars like a lack of expertise about opening hours and how you can order drinks in The Den are doing the Non-public Membership a disservice, as they’re preserving extra individuals from venturing into the house as an alternative of lingering within the Owl & Monkey bar upstairs.

Nonetheless, if the property can repair these small points and probably broaden its culinary choices to incorporate extra substantial fare at dinner, it’d probably be extra of a competitor to Soho Home. Simply you’ll want to go away your work from home, as The Different Home is a greater match for leisure stays than it’s for a enterprise journey.