Review: The Londoner hotel, Leicester Square (Preferred Hotels)

This is our review of The Londoner hotel in London’s Leicester Square.

The last time I was in Leicester Square, I was in a casino at 3am dressed as a Backstreet Boy. Whilst this is a story for another time (possibly the HfP summer party if you can make it), since that night I’ve moved to Zone 4, had two children and bought sensible shoes. It’s safe to say it was quite some time ago.

Why tell you this? Because although tourists flock there in droves, many Londoners tend to give Leicester Square a miss. It’s crowded, the immediate food options are dire, the M&M store is inexplicable and the buskers are annoying.

That said, when offered the opportunity to review the new 5* The Londoner hotel, I still leapt at the chance. Leicester Square is popular because it is the very heart of London and you couldn’t ask for a better placed hotel for a rare night away from the night-time ghouls of South London, ie my children.

HfP received a voucher for a free night when we attended a marketing event at the property last year. This was not linked to any requirement to review the hotel, although as you can see we chose to do so.

The hotel website is here.

The Londoner is currently running a targetted cashback offer for American Express cardholders. You will receive £100 back on a £500 spend by 31st March 2025. There is also a ‘book four nights, pay for three’ offer currently running – scroll to the bottom for details.

Where is The Londoner hotel?

Nestled discretely in a corner of Leicester Square, where an Odeon cinema used to be, The Londoner has theatres, galleries, shops and restaurants in abundance nearby. It is a few minutes’ walk from Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus tube stations.

The hotel is a sleek-looking new build in the south-west corner of the square, with distinctive blue tiles surrounding the windows and doors. It is best known for having more floors below ground than above ground although most of the subterranean space is given over to events.

Pleasant doormen were quick to welcome us into the buzzy lobby, which merges into the hotel’s champagne bar ‘The Stage’. Check-in desks are to the left of the entrance and, whilst busy, were very efficient, with the staff in eye-catching uniforms. A staff member called Priti was very helpful, even when there was a bit of confusion with our booking.

The Stage is a popular spot for afternoon tea as well as a glass of champagne. It was incredibly busy on the day I visited, so I’ve had to rely on the hotel’s own photography to do it justice. Lighting in the lobby and The Stage is low at any time of the day, which took me a little bit of time to get used to, but I then enjoyed the intimate atmosphere it created and it felt very cosy.

The Stage very much felt like a place to be ‘seen’, with glamourous young couples and groups lining the champagne bar, instagramming and influencing hard. Getting up the stairs required avoiding a near-constant photo shoot.

The Residence

Our room wasn’t quite ready so we were shown to The Residence, a guests-only lounge situated above the champagne bar, accessible either up some stairs at the back of the lobby or via a residents’ lift.

The Residence was one of my favourite parts of the hotel. It felt calm and quiet compared to the lobby below, but its unique design meant you still felt in the heart of a stylish hotel. As well as a small food and extensive drinks menu, there are complimentary soft drinks and hot drinks served all day, along with a snack trolley that featured cheeses, olives, nuts and other bits.

The Residence is actually made up of three areas: The Drawing Room, a lounge area housing magazines, board games and the aforementioned snack trolley; the Y Bar, a glamourous cocktail bar area and the Whisky Room – a hidden ‘speakeasy-style’ bar with 50+ whiskies on offer.

The Whisky Room is so well hidden that I didn’t realise it was there until I started writing this, but perhaps other guests will do a better job of finding it.

Following a pleasant complimentary glass of sparkling English wine, we were told our room was ready and we headed up.

Rooms at The Londoner

Our room was a Junior Suite, up on the 7th floor, with views out towards the City.

The door to the suite opens into a wooden-panelled hallway that includes plenty of wardrobe and storage space.

Slippers and soft gowns are provided, along with a Dyson hairdryer and a steamer which I’ve not seen in a hotel before. Ironing boards are provided but you need to request the actual iron (it did arrive very quickly however).

Through a door to the main suite, you are immediately faced with wide windows looking out to the City.

A working area is immediately to the left with a small desk, lamp and chair, although I’m not sure it would be too comfortable to work there for long.

A small corner sofa and chair provide a comfortable seating or reading area. I enjoyed the inclusion of some binoculars to see out in detail.

The bed was large and comfortable with plenty of pillows to pick from. A TV is mounted on the wall facing the sofa, but could be tilted and swivelled to face the bed if you wished. Both bedsides had tables, sockets and on one side was an AC control panel.

The bathroom was a bit of a style-shift, from bright and light to moody with dark blue tiles, reminiscent of those on the hotel’s exterior, and dark enamel fittings. Poky city centre hotel bathroom this is not.

The bathroom centres around an enormous bath with separate shower and toilet rooms, opening along one side.

The toilet was a Japanese-style seat-warming, jet-spraying, music-playing (ok, that one’s made up) affair. Just a single basin means plenty of space for toiletry bags along the sides. I particularly enjoyed the bath side-table, perfect for a glass of wine or book as you soak.

Toiletries were in reusable bottles by Miller Harris, a premium London perfume brand which I really liked.

In a first for me, rather than finding a spa or room service menu placed on the coffee table, there was a ‘Drip Hydration’ menu.

For the uninitiated, this is a menu of intravenous drip treatments which can be booked for delivery in your room to help with rehydration, low energy, jet lag and hangovers.

I can’t say I was tempted during this trip, but I think I would have eagerly paid the £250 price tag for the hangover drip the day after my previous visit to Leicester Square.

The Retreat

The Retreat is a The Londoner’s spa area, situated in the basement. There’s a pool, hydropool, sauna and steam room.

Surrounding the pool are ‘cabanas’ for lounging and relaxing by the pool. It was a little surprising to find these cabanas – the sort of thing you’d expect to find at a beach club – at a subterranean level. To my even greater surprise, I found that they were all booked out and highly popular. Influencing is hard work after all.

There’s also a good gym with plenty of equipment and a small studio for classes. It was the busiest hotel gym I’ve ever seen at 8am on a Saturday, but as I said, this is a hotel with plenty of toned, glamourous types. Looking that good clearly takes work.

There’s a rather intriguing detox bar in The Retreat offering all types of virtuous juices, salads and detoxy things.

Food and drink at The Londoner

There are a number of restaurants at The Londoner. Whitcombe’s is a Mediterranean restaurant, 8 is the hotel’s rooftop bar, Joshua’s Tavern – a gin bar that offers bar snacks, The Residence, the aforementioned The Stage and Refuel – a ‘superfood and smoothie bar’. We had evening plans and did not eat dinner in the hotel, unfortunately.

Whitcombe’s is the main restaurant for breakfast.

It was quite a small space considering the size of the hotel, but despite being busy, the service was very quick and efficient.

I enjoyed eggs benedict along with some pastries. The coffee (ordered with a waiter) was very good for a hotel breakfast and came quickly. As well as to-order eggs and cooked breakfasts, there was a buffet with a good selection of pastries and breads, cheeses and meats. There was also a delicious range of fruit available, probably the best I’ve seen at a UK hotel.

I snuck up to the hotel’s rooftop bar – 8 at The Londoner – before it opened to have a quick look around. The views are impressive and it’s a lovely space in keeping with the stylish décor and vibe.

Conclusion

The Londoner is a hotel to see and be seen in. Glamorous types swan around the lobby and the spa, but the hotel staff are warm and welcoming, even if you are a haggard parent more excited by the prospect of eight hours uninterrupted sleep than a night dancing in the (admittedly gorgeous) rooftop bar.

The room was sleek and stylish and a good size for such a central hotel, with all the amenities you could need – and some extras for fun like the IV drip menu.

The stand-out space for me was the residents lounge area. Useful, easy to find and luxurious with, again, excellent service, The Residence made me feel for once like I was part of the in-crowd. And there wasn’t a Backstreet Boy costume in sight.

The Londoner is part of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Legend Collection and you can earn and spend points through the I Prefer Rewards Programme. You can join the programme via this link.

In terms of rates, rooms start at around £450 per night. Large discounts, taking it down to £350 or so, are available to those who register on the hotel website and book direct. You should also check the Preferred Hotels website for member rates.

Huge thanks to Michael, the GM, for making me feel so welcome and Priti from reception who was so helpful when I messed up our booking.

Get a special deal when booking The Londoner

We partner with Emyr Thomas of Bon Vivant, a luxury hotel booking agent, who can offer additional benefits at many luxury properties globally.

At The Londoner, bookings through Emyr will receive:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• Daily full breakfast for two, served in the restaurant or via in-room dining
• $100 equivalent hotel credit to be utilized during stay (not valid on room rate)
• Bookings for Capital, Signature, and Tower Penthouse Suites will receive a gift of a Fortnum & Mason hamper with a bottle of Gusbourne sparkling wine
• Early check-in / late check-out, subject to availability

Bookings via Emyr will also benefit from a special deal. If you book for four nights, you will receive:

• One night free (you only pay for three nights)
• Tickets to the current British Museum paid exhibition
• A guaranteed one category upgrade locked in at the time of booking

The last benefit can result in a good saving because you can book one category below the room you actually want, knowing that it will be immediately upgraded on booking.

This offer is valid for bookings made by 31st May 2025 for stays up to 31st March 2026.

All booking via Emyr are booked at the same Best Flexible Rate as shown on the hotel website. You pay on departure as usual and there are no booking fees.

Because you pay on departure, bookings with Emyr will also qualify for the current American Express ‘£100 cashback on £500 spend’ promotion which runs to 31st March 2025.

You can contact Emyr via the form on this page of Head for Points.

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Hotel offers update – March 2025:

Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

• Hilton Honors is offering an 80%-100% bonus when you buy points – no closing date is given. Click here to buy.

• Marriott Bonvoy is offering a 45% bonus when you buy points by 30th March 2025. Click here to buy.

• World of Hyatt is offering a 25% discount (equivalent to a 33% bonus) when you buy points by 14th April 2025. Click here to buy.