Oh Steph. The native South Londoner.

So much so, that she even takes a staycation in South – still gotta have my creature comforts right? I decided that I needed to take a little break in the hustle and bustle that is my current book/press run, and was very kindly offered a room at the Ruby Lucy hotel for a couple of days, located in Waterloo.

Ruby Lucy: Their philosophy

The Ruby Lucy chain of hotel originates in Germany, with locations in Munich, Hamberg, Dusseldorf and Vienna also. The 76 bedroom location in London is their newest opening, with plans to open another London property by 2022.

Their philosophy is ‘Lean Luxury‘. They don’t believe that luxury hotels need be over-complicated and formal. They pride character and authenticity over appearances, that luxury can be delivered in small spaces, and believe that lean luxury means not paying for things you don’t need. Because of this, it means that they do not have room service or restaurant at the hotel.

Ruby Lucy also take pride in their engineering and architectural work: making sure that they plan and create spaces that can be utilised efficiently. They try and make the most out of all the space in each room, in a bid to save the customer money.

Facts, figures, and everything in between.

• Ruby Lucy London consists of 76 rooms, and is based a stone’s throw away from Waterloo station.
• Notable places to visit such as Southbank and The Southbank Centre are all minutes’ walk away. There is unparralled access to several modes of transport, taking just under 10 minutes to get into the City of London. Great for tourists!
• The hotel has five types of room, with the smallest room starting at £68 a night and the largest rooms starting at £123 a night. I stayed in the Loft room, which is among the largest rooms.
• The hotel has a 24 hour bar and cafe area, and is situated on a quiet back street which contains a plethora of resturants, street food vendors and food delivery options if you get a bit peckish.
• You have the option of picking up a free guitar from reception if you’re a bit of a musician: the rooms are equipped with top of the range Marshall amplifiers which can be plugged into the guitar (or your laptop and phone) if you wish to have a bit of a music session!
• There is a continental breakfast served in the bar/cafe every day consisting of organic juices, cereals, boild eggs, fresh fruit, toast, and a *very* generous pastry selection.
• THERE IS A FREE TEA STATION (called a galley) ON EVERY FLOOR. Complete with sugar, milk, cups and all the trimmings. There are also vending machines where you can purchase snacks and toiletaries using your card.

My thoughts

As I arrive at the boutique hotel, I am greeted by extremely friendly staff (masked up at all times) who point me in the direction of the self-check-in, which I find extremely convenient. For those who prefer a manual check-in, you can do that also. I take the elevator up to my Loft room which is located on the third floor, and as soon as I open the door, I am greeted with a wall of light. The room is essentially an influencers’ DREAM: Crisp, white minimalist decor with white laminated floor and mahogany elements neat the bed. The room has wall to floor windows and translucent white blackout curtains that lets in beautiful streams of light.

The first thing I noticed was the placement of the bathroom. The shower, sink and toilet at essentially ‘inside’ the main space of your room a-la an open plan situation, however, you still get that degree of privacy too as they have curtains attached. It’s also worth noting that the room is soundproof, which I suppose they would have to be, judging from the amplifier speakers in each room!

The dressing area has a really handy vanity mirror attached serving you continuous flattering lighting, and the hotel’s own branded toiletry line. There’s also a MAHOOSIVE mirror on the back of the door, which was a personal highlight of mine. The bed is also kingsize, with hypoallergenic sheets (great for those with asthma and allergies like me!) and INCREDIBLY soft. I would actually like to take the mattress home with me because I didn’t know beds could be this inviting! *wipes tear*.

The general theme of the hotel is really cool and fun: it has a kinda Burlesque, circus, steampunk vibe to it, especially when you walk through the entrance to the bar which is quite dark in colour. It almost reminds of an entrance to a rollercoaster ride of a funhouse. At the bar, you are able to order a variety of Italian inspired snacks, coffee and great drinks, and the staff are also able to offer you recommendations for the best places to eat in the local area.

 

 

Overall, due to the proximity of the hotel to a major train station, it would absolutely wonderful for tourists coming over wishing to explore the City.

Due to the lack of room service, in-house dining, mini-bar and phone service, I would assume the hotel to be targeted predominantly at those who prefer to spend the majority of their time outside exploring and eating out, as opposed to staying in. For me, the idea of ‘luxury’ would include having those curated amenities such as the room service/mini fridge/in-house dining etc, and to take it away kind of defeats the purpose of being framed as luxury, as it seems to run similarly to the way a hostel does (albeit a very fancy, top-notch hostel!) than anything else. This isn’t to say that it isn’t luxury, the room is absolutely gorgeous and you can definitely tell that a lot of thought and effort has gone into how they present each room, especially considering the price points of the room which is another thing to consider.

I think that this is the kind of hotel that encourages its patrons to go out and explore the City, which is wonderful! For me as someone who is looking to stay in and relax on this occasion, the extra amenities would have been amazing. I would absolutely stay here again. Pleasant, positive staff, incredible room, bed and decor that is pleasing to the eye, close to public transport and various options of things to do/places to eat. A real South London hidden gem! 4/5.

Click here to book with Ruby Lucy London. if you join as a member, you’ll save up to £25 each night per booking!

 

*Disclaimer, I was kindly offered a three-night stay at the hotel in exchange for social media content and a blog review. All thoughts/opinions are my own, of course!)*