London’s Soho Hotel is impossibly glamorous and opulent, a luxury boutique that is at once classic and original—classic in the now-familiar London sense of overstated and outsized comfort, robust and enveloping furnishing and fixtures (as compared to the papier-mache set construction in lesser boutiques) and original in its avoidance of worn-out tropes like featureless white rooms, cheap ‘Zen’ minimalism and off-the-rack hotel-standard furniture.

The only complaint one could possibly lodge is that the hotel’s immediate surroundings are a bit less than scenic; and it’s true that the neighboring buildings are all drab apartment blocks, which does little for the hotel’s views. But the Soho location is obviously highly desirable, and nobody seems to grumble—in fact one could argue that the ‘arty’ districts in any town are likely to be the most artlessly planned.

Once inside, though, there’s plenty to look at—the rooms are decorated in a rich, idiosyncratic style, modern yet decidedly warm, and more spacious than any London hotel room has a right to be. Wide loft-style windows let in plenty of sunlight, and the fifth-floor suites (the penthouses and the Wallpaper*-approved Soho Suite) open onto private terraces with stunning panoramic views of the city.

The hotel’s public spaces include two private cinemas, featuring garish leather armchairs by Poltrona Frau, and two separate drawing rooms with fireplaces and honor bars... more