Wallpaper* checks in at Mason & Fifth, Westbourne Park

A lot can shift in five years in hospitality: rebirth, renewal, drift, growth. For Mason & Fifth, the London-based brand that marries sensibly priced private studios with comfort and community, the trajectory has been upwards. After its Bermondsey debut in 2020 and a Primrose Hill follow-up, the third (and largest) chapter unfolds in Westbourne Park. The former Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association HQ has been reimagined as a 332-studio residence with a full suite of amenities: wellness club, canal-side restaurant, cinema, listening lounge, recording studio and a 10th-floor panoramic guest lounge.

Wallpaper* checks in at Mason & Fifth, Westbourne Park

What’s on your doorstep?

The location is as west London as it comes: five minutes from Westbourne Park station, brushing against Notting Hill, Portobello Road, Paddington and Maida Vale. Guestrooms come with jogging maps, encouraging an easy, exploratory first pass through the neighbourhood’s layers.

Who is behind the design?

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris were the lead architects, with TiggColl working on the interior architecture, most notably developing a series of curved walls to mimic the fluidity of the nearby water. There’s a distinct energy when entering Mason & Fifth, Westbourne Park: it feels youthful and spirited, yet considered. The interior design, led by Mason & Fifth’s own design studio with furniture and lighting selected by Interior Address, is layered and inviting, with a focus on organic forms, textures and materials.

The property features pieces from over 30 independent local brands and creatives throughout. Case in point: textiles by Caralarga, punch-needle pieces by Alice Liptrot, reclaimed ceramic vases sourced from Urban Primitives in east London and custom Totzke rugs. A curious detail is a series of sculptures by Blast Studio, nestled into the planting along the canal side, serving as habitats for local bees.

The studio to book

The array of reasonably priced private studios is more restrained and pared back than the grand common areas, available across five categories. The Out & About is the only option without a kitchenette, while the Best in House is the largest of the line-up, resembling a private apartment with separate sleeping and living areas (monthly renting is an option). For shorter stays, the Classic Biggie is compact but well-equipped, with a sofa and canal views.

Building on the public spaces focus on craft, all door plaques were handmade by social enterprise Westhouse Pottery, while the wood furniture comes from Jay Achilles and bespoke accessories from British woodcrafting expert Jan Hendzel. Each studio also features artwork from a collection by photographers Thomas Broadhead, Abigail Varney and Indre Sebaliute. There’s no mini-bar, but tea and coffee are provided.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

For a property without a formal breakfast buffet (only drinks, pastries and granola are offered in the lobby’s lounge), there are exciting options for lunch, aperitivo and dinner. Canal restaurant, designed by A-nrd, is the beating heart here – the first west London venture from the team behind Crispin and Bistro Freddi. Concrete columns and exposed surfaces have become a London dining cliché, but here they feel refined, offset with hand-chiselled wooden furniture by Jason Posnot, whose workshop is 10 minutes from the building. A raw-edged limestone bar top was sourced and manufactured by Marble Collective. The food is fresh, Mediterranean-inflected, but playful: order the sharing plates, then be nudged into adding a cheeseburger mid-meal. Cocktails on tap come from A Bar with Shapes for a Name.

Those looking to continue the night can head to the Listening Lounge, featuring bespoke speakers from Friendly Pressure and a curated vinyl library. DJs have included Greg Wilson, Norman Jay, Dennis Bovell, Jazzie B, Tony Touch and Ego Ella May.

Where to switch off

The wellness offer (known here as The Grounding) is ambitious. The site includes a fully-equipped gym, pool (lit by circular light wells), sauna, steam rooms and cold-water therapy bucket showers. Space is a little tight, with seating demand already outpacing supply. Treatment rooms and the movement studio are busy with locals as well as guests, set against terracotta-hued tiles by multi-disciplinary artist Juliano Cordano and artworks by small textile label Sundance Studio. Options include massage, osteopathy and physiotherapy, with the restorative Deep Roots massage being the most popular.

The verdict

Mason & Fifth, Westbourne Park isn’t luxury. It’s something more porous: a social, design-driven hub that’s youthful, flexible, affordable and extroverted. London is in the midst of a redefinition of how people live and connect, and this property makes a persuasive case for staying in the thick of it. What sets the site apart is its cultural programme: sharp, timely and open to locals as much as guests. The summer highlight has been a pop-up in the gallery space featuring Nicholas Daley (next up: Margaret Howell). Other regular events include everything from ballet lessons to a wine club and community quilting.

Mason & Fifth, Westbourne Park is located at 11 Woodfield Rd, London W9 2BA.