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Fine art: The Saatchi Suite, Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill review
Art lovers can sleep in their own miniature gallery at the Marylebone hotel
Hotel art doesn’t usually conjure up images of top-drawer painters and artisans, but the Saatchi Suite at the Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill hotel brings a taste of a world-class art gallery into your bedroom.
Tucked behind the throngs of Oxford Street on pretty Portman Square, the Hyatt Regency London opened its Saatchi Suite in 2015 in collaboration with London’s Saatchi art gallery. Aside from offering top-class luxury accommodation, the suite showcases work by artists who have been exhibited in the gallery.
As you might expect given that pedigree, art is everywhere you turn inside the one-of-a-kind suite.
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The artwork on the wall during our stay were never-before-seen pieces by Saatchi gallery artist James Alec Hardy. And if you itch to get one on your own wall, all the artwork is for sale.
The furniture, curated by Swiss design firm Vitra, is as much a work of art as the paintings on the wall. Sleek mid-century lines and bold colours immediately lend the suit a Mad Men-cum-Ocean’s 11 vibe that makes you immediately want to throw a debonair cocktail party.
The en-suite bathroom has a particularly eye-catching example of the creativity on display in every aspect of the suite’s decor - the walls are made entirely of soap. Past guests have left their etchings on some of the 2,000 bars that make up the installation, by Saatchi artist Celine Fitoussi.
(Image credit: Red PhotographicLtd)
The art doesn’t end at the door of the suite, either. On the ground floor of the hotel, an exhibition entitled Beneath the Colour showcases the work of Hardy and fellow Saatchi Gallery artists Dan Davis, Dominic Kennedy, Selma Parlour and Florian Schmidt. Once again, all the art in the exhibition - which runs until May 2018 - is available to buy.
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On the night we stayed at the hotel last month, The Week Portfolio began the evening with a glass of wine in the Business Lounge, where guests with Regency Club access can help themselves to drinks and snacks. Regency Club access is included in all the hotel’s Club rooms and suites, but can also be purchased if you are staying in other rooms for an additional fee.
A dedicated Family Lounge on the other side of the lobby offers a similar service with a more relaxed vibe for those with children.
Heading downstairs, we were ushered into the gleaming art deco Churchill Bar to sample the barman’s speciality cocktail, the Chromatic, a lurid blue concoction of curacao and the bar’s own craft gin served with a nest of spun sugar for the artistic final touch.
Then on to the hotel’s restaurant, The Montagu. During our visit, we sampled a temporary menu inspired by the Beneath the Colour exhibition. The regular a la carte menu, developed by executive chef Mark Sainsbury, features a variety of offerings such as seared sea bream, herb crusted rack of lamb and 28 day dry aged steaks, with puddings including Green & Black’s nougat parfait and raspberry lychee delice.
Our starter of cured smoked salmon and delicately poached lobster is accompanied by a moreish drizzle of edamame and horseradish puree.
Tender lamb loin and shoulder with baby vegetables make for a simple but eminently satisfying main course, while the final act was the artistic triumph of the night. A trio of desserts - blueberry almond slice, raspberry, lemon and thyme mousse and a delightfully tart dollop of damson sorbet - came perched atop a plate decorated with a Jackson Pollock-esque spatter of colours.
(Image credit: Red PhotographicLtd)
After a refreshing night's sleep, we found time for breakfast, which must be one of the most extensive hotel offerings any traveller is likely to encounter.
Hot and cold buffets bookend the dining room, stocked with dishes that reflect the hotel’s diverse clientele, boasting everything from smoked salmon to sausages to pita bread and hummus.
With world-class art in your bedroom and exceptional cooking a few floors away, a stay in the Saatchi Suite offers the ultimate experience for those who enjoy the finer things in life, in every sense of the phrase.
Stays in the Saatchi Suite start from £899 per night and include breakfast and Regency Club access, londonchurchill.regency.hyatt.com, 020 7486 5800.
