Review | One of London’s hidden hotel gems The Assembly Hotel

You’ve probably walked passed the Assembly Hotel countless times and never knew it was there.

The hotel – which is perfectly situated right by Leicester Square and a short walk to Soho – is a hidden gem of London’s hotel life.

In less than a two-minute walk, you can find yourself slap bang right in the middle of London’s vibrant and never closing Leicester Square and just up from there you have the capital’s gay scene.

Embracing a ‘Get Up and Go’ mantra, this new urban hotel is designed to connect guests to the heart of the city.

A perfect space to re-charge, the rooms are stripped back, focusing on everything that really matters; super comfy beds, soft fluffy pillows, a walk-in power shower, incredible sound proofing, air conditioning and super strong WI-FI.

Honestly, the bed was one of the comfiest and the shower was perfect – and easily cured that horrendous hangover caused by the night before.

Plus am I the only one who thinks that a hotel shower and bed – if up to a high standard which this was – is just ten times nicer than your own ones at home?

The rooms are stripped back to the bare minimum and none of them include an overpriced mini bar, intrusive bed-side telephones and oversized TVs, redundant in an age of streaming.

And quite frankly, you find yourself not needing any of the amenities that we all take for granted each day.

Why would you spend your evening inside watching TV when you have countless bars and clubs just below you?

Upon entering the hotel and then your room, you will almost immediately find your eyes being drawn to a rabbit-shaped chair – still don’t know exactly if it is a seat! – in the corner of the room.

This was something that sort of threw me, was it some sex-thing I haven’t heard of before? It was then I asked the friendly staff at reception what it was for.

“Guests will leave and always remember the rabbit”, one of them told me. And he was right. It has been ingrained in my mind forever now – and it is quite a comfy seat!

The weekend I stayed, the weather was ridiculous hot and humid but that was not felt in the room at all.

There was something safe about opening the balcony door (we were on the eighth floor) and letting the air circulate around the room.

Although not open to the public yet, there is a stunning roof-top bar where you can see London from a different point of view.

It’s not as high as the likes of the Shard but you can still see a lot of London’s skyline including Big Ben, London Eye, and even the Tower of London.

Looking at the price to stay a night – roughly starting price is £120 per night – you could find yourself immediately put off by that amount.

However, it is worth the price and for the location you really cannot go wrong. You have everything on your doorstep.

Plus, to spend a night in a Premier Inn in East Croydon costs around £80 per night, so what is really £40 when you’re in the heart of the UK capital?

The Assembly Hotel is definitely somewhere I would recommend anyone visiting and it is definitely worth the price.

It was a lovely stay and the staff were friendly and the rooms were unbelievably comfy and cosy – plus that rabbit is something you’ll never forget.

Find out more about the Assembly Hotel London here.