Inside One Aldwych, the kind of hotel you start planning your return to
- Jake Nicholas
- Dec 30, 2025
- 3 min read
There is a certain moment of arrival at One Aldwych that stays with you. You pull up to the grand Edwardian façade just off the Strand, and before you can even reach for the door, a team is already there: welcoming you by name, collecting your luggage, and ushering you inside. Light spills through tall windows onto polished stone. A sculptural burst of fresh flowers—a signature of the hotel—anchors the lobby, changing almost daily, perfuming the air with seasonal notes. If you know, you know: this is how London should feel.
Situated at the meeting point of Covent Garden and the River Thames, One Aldwych is where culture, calm, and style converge. It is a privately owned, independent hotel with the soul of a residence and the confidence of an icon. Design is thoughtful, but never showy. Service is formal, but never fussy. You’ll hear your name often, and if you’re staying more than once, expect the staff to remember your preferences before you even ask.
There are 102 rooms and suites, all dressed in a refined mix of bespoke British-made furniture, elegant pastel tones, and Art Deco nods. Suites range from the Loft Suite under the eaves to the Aldwych Corner Suites with their cinematic views. The Dome Suite rests under the hotel’s distinctive crown, while the Waterloo Bridge and Bridge View Studio Suites gaze across the Thames. Classic Suites are family-ready, with a separate lounge, and the Terrace Suite offers rooftop seclusion and a fifth-floor sky.
Then there is the Somerset Suite. A grand arc of windows curves around its circular sitting room, giving you a front-row view of the South Bank skyline and the gentle rush of the river below. The mood is residential, soft, and expansive. A separate king bedroom and dressing area create a graceful rhythm of space. It can stand alone as an elegant one-bedroom pied-à-terre or connect with up to three additional rooms to form a private four-bedroom residence. Flowers arrive freshly arranged daily. The minibar is complimentary and replenished daily. Loewe screens, high-speed Wi-Fi, and all the quiet luxury trappings are here, but this suite is less about amenities and more about atmosphere. It’s what a London apartment dreams of being.
The hotel's sense of quiet privilege continues below ground. The chlorine-free, and underwater speaker pool glows with underwater lighting and sound, designed less for laps and more for mood. There’s a sauna and steam room beside it, and a Technogym-equipped 24-hour fitness studio nearby. The spa works with OSKIA and Natura Bissé, and treatments are tailored on arrival. Guests also have access to The Library, a serene guests-only lounge where a host will bring you a glass of wine or a book without asking twice.
Art is everywhere at One Aldwych. The hotel’s carefully curated collection features over 400 pieces, ranging from contemporary sculpture to original paintings, woven seamlessly into the design of each floor, corridor, and suite. It’s a program that feels both intimate and world-class—nothing borrowed, everything chosen.
Dining is led by Indigo, where Executive Chef Dominic Teague crafts modern British menus that just happen to be entirely dairy- and gluten-free. It’s one of Covent Garden’s best-kept culinary secrets, set above the lobby with a view of the bar below. Each cocktail at Indigo is inspired by a specific artwork in the hotel’s extensive private collection, a detail that nods to the hotel’s deeper creative undercurrent. There’s also the signature afternoon tea, inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where every element—from snozzberry jam to candyfloss—is delightfully over the top. Come evening, the Lobby Bar, with its soaring ceilings and glowing cocktails, remains one of the city’s most glamorous places to sit and sip.
One Aldwych is a short walk from the Royal Opera House, Somerset House, and the theatres of Drury Lane. Trafalgar Square and the South Bank are within ten minutes on foot. The location is extraordinary, but the hotel never feels hurried. It suits couples, solo travelers, families (children are offered books, bathrobes, and bedtime milk on request), and even four-legged guests, who are welcomed with Bow Wow London treats and beds of their own.
In a city of grand dames and glossy chains, One Aldwych does something different. It remembers who you are. It makes space for quiet. And when you leave, it somehow makes you feel as though you’d lived in London all along.
