London life: Artist Residence Hotel, Pimlico

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If you loved the glimpse of the Artist Residence Hotel I shot in recently (with Vanessa Jackman), here’s everything you need to know about it. Located in London’s genteel Pimlico, it’s the third in a trio of homely residences that feel more like a home away from home than a glam-but-impersonal hotel. The original Artist Residence was born in Brighton in 2008, followed three years later by Penzance. What they share is a mix of heritage-y reclaimed furnishings and fittings with artworks from up and coming talent and a laid back ambience.

At Artists Residence London, the ten rooms are spread throughout the five floor former pub, each one individually decorated to deliver comfort, charm and style in equal measures. We used the Grand Suite as our base, a spacious suite with high ceilings, gigantic windows and open plan bathroom (complete with claw-foot tub). The Loft Suite is smaller but I loved the cute window partition, tea crate tables and squashy velvet armchairs for sinking into. Throughout the hotel you’ll notice unique touches, from the parquet flooring reclaimed from an old schoolhouse, to Belgian work tables repurposed as desks. The young owners scoured antique shops across Europe and the UK, including DRG haunt, The Old Cinema and the excellent Retrouvius (browse their website at your peril).

To contrast with the cosy club chairs and lived-in lounge-y feel, there are modern artworks in the rooms and common areas – I spotted two by Eine, adding graphic colour to the reception area. The hotel can be private and cosy or jolly and convivial depending whether you want to hole up in your suite or hang out in the lounge or bar. The restaurant alone is proving a draw in the neighborhood, with its inviting awning and street view windows. The menu is a frequently changing one of small tasting plates serving meat, seafood and vegetarian fare (and breakfast for hotel guests).

In a vast city like London it can be hard to find smaller, characterful hotels that aren’t permanently booked. This one is slightly off the beaten track yet only five minutes from the throb of Victoria Station. Quite the perfect find then, just keep it to yourself…

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ARTIST RESIDENCE LONDON, 52 CAMBRIDGE STREET, SW1 4QQ. Bedrooms from £160

WORDS: Navaz Batliwalla/Disneyrollergirl
IMAGES: Vanessa Jackman