"London’s center of gravity wobbles this way and that, but the South Bank has clocked a prime view of the action since Roman ships scudded up the Thames. Though never has it seen so much urban drama as right now. Despite a profanity of high-rises gobbling up the sight lines, the Bankside Hotel is appealingly succinct at just six stories behind Blackfriars Bridge, angled to catch the light. It’s been curated by Dayna Lee, the film-set designer for Dances With Wolves. What it brings to mind, though, isn’t Hollywood but the set of a ’60s TV show, with bob wigs and mod dresses. It’s all those sheer white walls and honeycomb concrete, jaunty Scandi chairs, pottery shelves with lineups of bone-white vases, and abstract shapes in every direction. One of the standout pieces, however, is the ceramic mural running along one wall of the restaurant and bar, picking out scenes from riverside history: Viking boats, fishing, and the Great Fire. Pick up Tom Ford sunnies and even engagement rings from the elevator-side vending machine. There are water-carafe stations on each floor, single-use plastics are banished, and key cards are made from paper. A mezzanine gallery with arts titles for browsing leads onto a garden terrace—views of the river and St. Paul’s are a little restricted, but you’re still in the box seats up here. There’s a midcentury positivity, a festival of British optimism; this is a thoughtful pied-à-terre hotel for dedicated followers of London." - CNT Editors
