London Hotels

• Two hotel superstars-Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck-teamed up to create this ultra-stylish hotel on chic Berners Street.
  
  
• Dreamscapes are painted on the ceilings above silver-leaf sleigh beds draped with pashminas. Bathrooms are behind glass walls.
  
  
• The hotel's Spoon + restaurant was created by world-renowned chef Alain Ducasse, while the baroque Purple Bar offers 150 vodkas.
  
  

GENERAL INFORMATION:
What to expect: Entrepreneur Ian Schrager and internationally famed designer Philippe Starck transformed the interior of the 1950s Sanderson building in 2002. Salvador Dali's crimson “lip” sofa, illuminated white-silk drapery, and ambient video images set the tone in the bright, white lobby. The lobby leads past the baroque Purple Bar to the Long Bar, where chic guests, most dressed in black, mingle with media types.

Amenity highlights: Overseen by acclaimed New York chef Zak Pelaccio, the menu of fresh British and Malaysian produce marries French cooking techniques with intense south-east Asian flavours. The Purple Bar offers distinctive cocktails and 150 vodkas in a deliciously decadent baroque setting. The Agua Spa, designed by former dancers, is a two-level space with marble-mosaic floors, a maze of illuminated white curtains, 14 treatment rooms, and a relaxation suite with down-filled meditation beds.

Insider tip: Not all the hotel's attractions are contemporary. Original 1950s features include a freeform mosaic by Jupp Dernbach-Mayen, abstract stained-glass window by English modernist painter John Piper, and the Japanese Courtyard Garden, designed by Philip Hicks.

PROPERTY AMENITIES:
Conceived by Rita Schrager and Leila Fazel, former dancers with the New York City Ballet and Dance Theater of Harlem respectively, Sanderson, A Morgans Hotel's bi-level Agua Spa features 14 treatment rooms, steam rooms with vibrant colors that shine out from behind etched glass, and built-in video screens displaying a stream of soothing images. Treatments include hydrotherapy, yoga, guided meditations, massage, Thai bodywork, and Reiki. A 24-hour fitness center offers private trainers for indoor and outdoor sessions.

The SUKA restaurant offers some of the most sought-after tables in town, including semi-private dinning at 'The Table'. The Purple Bar and the Long Bar are prime spots for sipping, snacking, and people-watching. The Billiards Room, dressed in voluptuous shades of violet, features a rich purple billiards table.

In the tempting boutique just beyond the lobby, Starck-designed pink lacquer shelving displays designer clothes, jewelry, and accessories.

ROOMS:
Sanderson, A Morgans Hotel, London, has 150 guestrooms, all with custom-designed silver-leaf sleigh beds set at an angle in the middle of the room. Beds are fitted with 450-thread-count, silver-and-white Egyptian cotton sheets and draped with soft pashminas. Dreamscapes are painted on the ceilings above the beds. Bon mots by French philosopher Voltaire are woven into wool rugs. All rooms have DVD players and wide-screen TVs within green-glass boxes. Guests have access to a DVD library of 1,500 titles (surcharge). Some rooms offer panoramic London views; others overlook the courtyard garden. Glass-walled bathrooms can be revealed or concealed by swaths of drapes with the touch of a button.

DINING:
Suka - Serves authentic modern Malaysian cuisine prepared with European touches. Overseen by acclaimed New York chef Zak Pelaccio, the menu of fresh British and Malaysian produce marries French cooking techniques with intense south-east Asian flavours. Set on the hotel's ground floor, the restaurant's setting has been redesigned by the Paris-based architect and designer India Mahdavi and encompasses the 'hidden' space following the Long Bar as well as the entire Garden Terrace. This restaurant has a relaxed and informal atmosphere.

Purple Bar - Cocktails and 150 types of vodka are served in a decadent setting of purple and lavender. Furnishings include purple Queen Anne chairs, African barstools, illuminated Venetian etched-glass tables, and a bar fashioned of black stone. Violet-silk opera drapes cover the walls and ceiling.

Lobby Long Bar - An 80-foot-long onyx bar is the focal point of this wittily stylish room. Starck-designed barstools have silver-leaf frames; the backs feature an inset image of a woman's eye by photographer Ramak Fazel. The bar menu includes tapas, caviar, oysters, and Asian seafood. The specially designed cocktails and martinis incorporate fresh, tangy fruit flavors.