‘Morning,’ said the businessman next to me as we waited for the lift to take us from the ninth floor to reception at The Webster Hotel in Covent Garden. There was something reassuringly un-London about his greeting. In the spirit of lift small talk, I asked if he was checking out and how he'd enjoyed his stay.
His face lit up. ‘I’ve come down from Harrogate, and I always struggle to find a hotel in London that I actually like,’ he said, as he smoothed down his trench coat. ‘Here I feel like I’ve stepped into a countryside manor. I’ve been here for two weeks and eaten dinner at the restaurant almost every night and loved every minute. It's a hotel that feels inviting. It's been wonderful.’
To that, I agreed. It's a surprisingly hard balance to strike. The appeal of The Webster is its domestic scale. While many London hotels favour grand entrances and expansive public spaces, here the reception is intimate, the interiors inviting and the atmosphere closer to that of a country house than a conventional city hotel. There's a sense of British manor-house character, without the period flourishes.
What's on your doorstep?
The Webster in Covent Garden is a new hotel brand, designed to reconnect guests with analogue pleasures. Though new, it is already thinking ahead with a second outpost set to open in Times Square, New York, in 2028.
The Webster is a two-minute walk from Holborn station, ten minutes from Tottenham Court Road, and, of course, Covent Garden. The hotel sits opposite Lincoln's Inn Fields, which was also the moody backdrop for Charles Dickens’ novel Bleak House.
Who is behind the design?
Behind the design is London-based architecture firm, Red Deer, which they describe as ‘magical realism’. ‘This felt like a natural expression of the playfulness we wanted for The Webster: something familiar and welcoming, with moments that gently interrupt your expectations,’ says Lucas Che Tizard, co-founder, lead architect and designer of the firm. ‘There’s a freedom to hotel design because people arrive ready to step outside their everyday lives. We wanted to encourage that curiosity.’
They captured this through a dialogue of materials and colour: bespoke terrazzo, hand-painted murals and tactile fabrics. Says Che Tizard, ‘For me, the magic is in discovering something slightly unexpected within a space you already feel at home in.’
The hotel’s architecture itself feels cosy. Gone are the intimidating entryways and unused lounge areas. The check-in desk is bijou, evoking nostalgia for small boutique hotels of the 1970s.
The architect explains: 'We approached The Webster through its own story and surroundings. The relationship with Lincoln’s Inn Fields, the energy of Holborn and the idea of a hotel as a creative meeting place all helped shape its character. That comes through at every scale, from the terrace connecting the hotel to the square to the mohair headboards in the guestrooms.'
The room to book
Considering its quaint feel, there are 167 keys. There are three room options: the King Deluxe with a park view really showing off what the hotel has to offer. The room has beautiful bespoke joinery to hang and store clothes for longer stays. There is also a design-led mini bar offering Torres crisps, Form protein bars, ‘healthy’ sweets, and to enjoy with tea, coffee, or something stronger. The bathroom is generous, with contemporary tiling and Malin + Goetz products.
Staying for drinks and dinner?
Carmelina's has all the character of a restaurant with a life of its own. Tucked down a set of hidden steps to the right of The Webster entrance, it feels more New York than London: a moody, intimate space of low ceilings, wood-clad walls and an open kitchen, with velvety green booths, a nostalgic black-and-white tiled floor and petal-shaped chandeliers.
Carmelina's avoids the familiar Italian restaurant shorthand. Its contemporary interiors provide a backdrop for a menu rooted in Italian cooking, overseen by head chef Simone Serafini and restaurant manager Francesco Patti.
Towards the back of the restaurant is a secret cloaked bar, Carla’s. Helmed by bar manager Peppe Corallo, the space has a 90s energy that encourages you to spark up a conversation with a stranger.
The menu is something special. Peppe has expertly crafted each cocktail, each nodding to traditions found when dining with family, from the woody scents of the cabinet that holds special-occasion drinkware to the idea of having a remedy concoction to help ease a cold, or perhaps a bad day. But at the heart of his menu is La Conserva, a stunning take on a martini that feels fragrant and refreshing, with strong basil notes; it is an ode to a late-summer Italian ritual where families jar and preserve fresh tomatoes. It is worth visiting Carla’s just for that.
Where to switch off
The lounge area just off the reception feels comfortable and sociable, as Che Tizard also notes, ‘with enough intimacy to make yourself a little corner of it.’ It is the character shift throughout that day which charms the designer, as he continues, ‘In the morning, there’s something quite studious about it – somewhere to read, work or simply sit with a coffee. By evening, it becomes more animated, with conversation and people gathering. The furniture and materials provide the setting, but the guests continually change the atmosphere. As a designer, seeing people inhabit a space in their own way is enormously satisfying.’
The verdict
The Webster feels quietly creative and comforting. Its location, being so close to literary greats, cannot help but feel inspiring. It has a casual class about its design and atmosphere, as it naturally encourages a slower pace, whether that be finding the time to sit quietly with a book or enjoying a conversation with strangers that lasts all evening.