Bath and Home

The beauty of language is that it evolves, changes and grows with us. We can play with words that allows us more fluid expression and it is often from colloquial use that words modernise and have new meaning or nuances. Take the word Louche, whose meaning has been explored this month on .Cent, find a version of its meaning in a new Hotel in central London. One built to be a home from home. Find out more in Bath and Home

The word louche’s original meaning is of a person of loose morals but a person we rather like for it. Now, however we have added more facets to this rather divine sounding word. Think of louche like a soft cloth falling from a shoulder, a loose, draping effect, or a moment lying back, relaxed, chilled without a worry in the world; Just being Loose, lying down relaxed, ones mind may wonder to one of those Botticelli women, softly swaddled in finest silks lying on a chaise lounge.

Let’s start then with imagining a deep, deep oval free standing bath in your bedroom with the option to shut off into a private space. Filled to the top with soothing fragrances bubbles by Noble Isle. Sink in, deep, warm and beyond relaxing. That my friends is ultimate louche feeling, the heat soaked into tired bones like the softest hug.

London’s newest hotel The Guardsman offers these such baths, alongside the most decedent pillowing beds you may ever have slept in. Think of a bed as the perfect place to lie, lounge and just be. A great hotel is of course the best place to rest; after all, the best hotels feel like a home from home in emotion with a good dash of elegance and calm to boot. This room at The Guardsman with its simple but clever design means the bath can sit in a bedroom or but shout off with sliding doors.

Worry not if you aren’t a bath person the bathrooms also have walk in showers as well as of course fluffy towels set within a sleek marbled interior, with the added decadent touch of optional heated floors.

Rooms come with all mod cons quite and discrete you should need from mini bar (which can be stocked according to personal taste) alongside HDTVs with integrated Chromecast ensuring all travellers’ technological needs are met, wifi, safe, hairdryer etc but a little detail worth noting is the lighting , all created by designer Tom Dixon. They are simple to use with touch screen controls. Many a hotel has systems too hard to work out you give up trying to find the heating or reading lights, here it’s as easy as ABC, another thing that allows for calm, as great design always should.

Talking of design the hotel is by Richard Tomlin at Tonik Associates, Find a very British aesthetic contemporary and relaxed, but notice the wonderful variation of artworks that adorn the walls, alongside a few quirky pieces to aid the relaxed calming feeling.

This purpose-built luxury boutique hotel on Buckingham Gate, very central London, is made up of 53 individually styled luxurious bedrooms, elegance that feel spacious and calming.

However unusually the top three floors are made up of six exclusive residences. Think of them as a perfect London pied-a-terre. Encasing suits from one, two and three bedrooms, alongside sumptuous living spaces, dining areas and fully fitted kitchens and some with outdoor spaces The pinnacle suite is Astor penthouse with its wraparound terrace.

The rest of the hotels space includes the living room and restaurant (only for patrons). When you feel like a shared space know that entering the living room is akin to walking in o the calm discretion of a private members club. That means lush deep sofas and chairs a well curated selection of art of the walls and object d’art placed elegantly with the occasion game come artwork on tables.

Its eludes tranquility and just off to the side is a snug library area which is perfect to curl up with a good book and something like a cuppa or may be something a little stronger? well depends how racy your book is…The space is also actually perfect after a hectic day, of work shopping or site seeing.

Down the curling etched smoked glass steps from the living room find the bar and dinning room. Even if it’s not cocktail hour who cares. Find a Cosmo, Martini or even a Margarita mixed for you and drink up and drink in, because the bar area is as created as small luxurious and with the perfect ambience. The waiting staff like all the staff in the whole space are quietly magnificent, nothing is too much trouble, a cocktail at non cocktail hours, no problem, need your nails doing they will find and book you somewhere, what ever you need require or want nothing feels like it is trouble for any of them.

And finally the food. The restaurant, like the bar, is downstairs but with skylights you don’t feel hemmed in, but softly swaddled. The space itself hums with the same quite lush confidence of the rest of the hotel. Here find some British classics but also the menu will champion the freshest, seasonal produce available, and interestingly the eatery has no set times as all residents and their guests can be served as and when they want to sit down. Again little touches add to the gravitas like a selection of 250 whiskies and the best triple cooked chips you could ever taste.

Also a real plus for those wanting their travel to have as less a footprint as possible will be please to know the Hotel was built with some up to date green technology. They utilise100% renewable energy to supplement that provided by the solar panels installed on the roof. A company embracing sustainable tourism whilst continuing to provide a luxurious service.

So do you feel a little ready now for that louche treatment? Tucked away in a tiny side street of the busy metropolis that is london find this private jewel. This home form home almost akin to a private members club with no pretence just perfect service a space that eludes calm peace and tranquility.

Find out more about the Hotel here Theguardsmanhotel.com

And if you enjoyed reading Bath and Home why not read D.A.N.C.E Here