Sanctum Soho Hotel, one of the newest members of Design Hotels?, is scheduled to open in March 2009. The 30-room property, representing a near £10-million investment, reflects the vision and sensibility of its owner, Mark Fuller, a former music manager turned nightlife impresario. Enviably positioned in West London’s colourful Soho, two Victorian townhouses measuring nearly 2,000 square metres have been transformed in uncompromising style to create a hotel that pays homage to Soho’s history as a centre of artistic activity and bohemia. From an underground cinema to its private rooftop garden, complete with alfresco Hydro Spa, Sanctum Soho encourages over indulgence from the most discerning of guests. Designer Lesley Purcell of Can Do has cleverly captured owner Mark Fuller’s background in the music and entertainment industry - conceiving spaces that seamlessly reflect eccentric fun and frivolity alongside classical lines and intrinsic style. Four distinct colour schemes are present throughout the hotel, ranging from sexy and masculine deep chocolate browns, to streamlined glittery silver, sensual pale and soft pinks, and deep exotic mauves for a more dramatic and provocative edge.

The spacious lobby is decorated with paintings commissioned from London artist Xavier Pick to reflect the overall design ethos and will double as an in-house art gallery with pieces being changed on an ongoing basis. Light oaks, timbers and parquet flooring soften the ambience whilst two fireplaces flanked by oversized wing chairs provide a touch of welcoming warmth. Corridors are lined with dark aubergine walls, oak floors and inset custom runners with door handles made of crystal.

Thirty singularly designed rooms, including seven suites and two rooms with disabled access, range from “crash pads” to a stunning rock star rooftop apartment with its own outdoor garden - and like the guests, no two rooms look the same. In-room facilities have been carefully considered with the modern fast-paced urbanite in mind. iPod docking stations, DVD players, Wii game consoles with fit boards at the ready, and complimentary WiFi, enhance the state-of-the-art entertainment systems, whilst 400-thread count Egyptian cotton Sleep bed linen cossets guests in true luxury. The 24-hour room service extends beyond convention, providing on-request private security, in room beauty treatments and a ‘box of tricks’ to ensure an invigorating stay. ‘Tricks’ include Miller Harris scented candles, sexy Myla underwear and swimwear menus for her, retro sweet shop delights, Jimmy Jane intimacy kits and much, much, more. For those who love to workout but forgot their running shoes, Sanctum Soho will also provide a Nike shoe menu whilst temporary membership to London’s premier health and fitness centre, The Third Space, can be arranged.

The 45-seat “Cinema at Sanctum” will be for residents and their guests, or private party hire. With its own bar and removable furniture, the room can also be converted into a dynamic meeting and function space for up to 100 people. “No20,” the hotel’s restaurant, under the direction of Chef Gavin Austin, will serve modern British cuisine in a casual-upscale setting and provide 24-hour room service. The hotel’s roof garden with its Hydro Spa will undoubtedly become one of London’s most coveted entertainment spaces. Situated within easy reach of the best that London has to offer, guests can make the most of the shops on Regent, Bond and Oxford Streets, the theatres of the West End, and celebrated haunts of Soho and Mayfair
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