Friday, October 29, 2010

Hotel Review: Rafayel on the Left Bank, in London

By BRUCE HEADLAM
Published: October 22, 2010

Rafayel on the Left Bank may sound Parisian, but the hotel actually occupies several floors in a large apartment complex in Battersea, a former industrial area on the south bank of Thames in London. The neighborhood has enjoyed a real estate boom, along with the rest of the city, in the last few years, and the Rafayel, which opened in April, has an enviable location on the river. There’s LED lighting in the rooms, little paper at checkout and no plastic bottles or heated towel racks anywhere. The Rafayel advertises itself as “one of the world’s first environmentally-conscious luxury hotels.” Its mission, according to the developer, Iqbal Latif, is to reduce the carbon footprint of the average night’s stay by 25 percent without inconveniencing guests.

LOCATION


The Rafayel is mere yards from the London Heliport, and while that’s certainly executive-friendly, it also seems eco-hostile. The closest transit station is Clapham Junction, probably best known from the classic “Up the Junction” by Squeeze (“I never thought it would happen with me and the girl from Clapham”). You may have plenty of time to hum all the verses during a 15-minute slog from the train. (The hotel runs a free shuttle, but it ends at 8:30 p.m.)

ROOMS

The hotel rents rooms by square footage. I booked the 270-square-foot Yangtze Room (£330, with tax, about $518 at $1.56 to the pound, but available for £150 on the Rafayel Web site), which seemed palatial by the standards of London hotels. I was promised a view of the Thames — technically true, but only if I peeked between buildings. Inside, the look is modern, with dark wood and warm neutral paint, and there is so much gadgetry — including a digital readout of your carbon consumption — that unless you’re traveling with Bill Gates, you might need to call the front desk for help, as I did. The extremely comfortable beds are made by Hypnos, the British manufacturer said to supply the Queen, and there are enough pillows to build a scale model of Windsor Castle.

BATHROOM

The bathroom is epic, with a long mirrored wall, and a bidet. And the water pressure in the glass-walled shower (no tub) is glorious, like a rain forest waterfall, and probably the surest bet to raise your carbon footprint from that of eco-traveler to that of BP.

AMENITIES

Breakfast, continental (£10) or traditional British (£15), is served in Banyan on the Thames, a purple-lighted bar/restaurant/nightclub across a small courtyard. This being an English hotel, afternoon tea is served in the lobby daily and, this being an executive hotel, there’s a cigar bar and hookah lounge.

ROOM SERVICE

Room service is apparently still a difficult concept at the Rafayel. I arrived late — around 10:30 p.m. — to find that the restaurant had already closed. The front desk told me room service was available until midnight, but the kitchen disagreed. At that point, the minibar’s bag of chips or crisps or whatever they’re called started to look awfully good.

BOTTOM LINE

The Rafayel is designed as a kind of hotel version of an Apple Store, all minimalist, efficient and self-regarding. Right now, it is closer to Windows 95, with lots of bugs and the occasional blue screen. If you need to be in this part of London and are in the kind of business where you come and go by helicopter (say, real estate developer or paid assassin), the Rafayel is a sleek, pleasing choice. If you’ve come to see the sights, you may want to spend your money closer to the city center and plant a tree instead.

Rafayel on the Left Bank, 34 Lombard Road, Battersea; (44-20) 7801-3610 or 3603; hotelrafayel.com.