Rough Luxe

All images Rough Luxe

My favourite Aussie abroad Vicki A. over @ French Essence recently posted a fabulous & very comprehensive list of her London Loves (places, not people!). I did have a very big drool & so wanted to catch the next plane over, but MOTH laid down the law, 'A new bathroom Millie dear or a plane ticket with a couple of weeks swanning around Vicki's fave places.' Mmmmm, decisions, decisions. On the very off-chance I might be able to get him to change his mind & let me have both treats, I thought I'd better have a quick look at my options.

Firstly there was the small matter of accommodation befitting my very fussy criteria. Of course there were the usual suspects, The Connaught, Brown's, The Lanesborough, One Aldwych, The Goring, Covent Garden Hotel, The Pelham - all of course, quite suitable for Miss Millie. However, in reacquainting myself with these fine establishments, I stumbled across Rough Luxe in Birkenhead Street. Oh, I thought, this looks promising a Grade II listed home transformed by internationally acclaimed designer Rabih Hage, luxury @ affordable prices. So onto their home page I go & so far so good:

'Rough Luxe. Half rough, half luxury. A little bit of luxury in a rough part of London. A little bit of rough in a luxurious London. Our philosophy is simple; you are staying with us in our home, so just ask.'

Yep, this is definitely a goer, so I get deeper into the description:

'Our look is a mix of old and new, furniture and art; combining colours and beautiful fabrics with cheap materials and existing distressed original walls. Cheap materials are treated as precious items and preserved for their beauty and memory of the site.'

Wonderful, I'm thinking, something a little quirky & different:

'Just nine amazing rooms. '

Oh goody, small & homely, but reading on I'm stopped dead in my tracks by the next paragraph:

'Guests at a Rough Luxe hotel might share a bathroom or have a small room, but the luxury is in the choice of the wine, the bed linen, the art on the walls and the people looking after you.'

SHARE A BATHROOM - you've got to be joking!!!!! I'm sorry guys but no amount of fine art works, interesting furniture, swish sheets, great wine, Rabih Hage design or gorgeous spunk @ Reception is going to get me to share a bloody bathroom with anyone!!! And certainly not for 280 quid a night!!

And by the look on MOTH's face when I was doing a little more pleading (read as whineing at the same pitch as a Boeing 747!) about a possible trip, I'll have to temporarily postpone my little sojurn. I've printed off Vicki's post & have it tucked under my pillow, so each night I can dream about heading off in the future. But let me tell you, it will be The Pelham for this girl - Rough Luxe's off until they get Rabih baby back to upgrade their plumbing !