Siobhan Grogan arrives at St Pancras with no train to catch, and after a night of Victorian grandeur, champagne bars and rum punch rituals, absolutely no intention of leaving…
Spending the night in a train station sounds like the stuff of nightmares. It brings back memories of too-tight connections when interrailing as a student, or that panicked dash to make the last train home more times than I like to remember. Luckily overnighting in St. Pancras London, Autograph Collection is a far more relaxing experience; you don’t even need to be catching (or missing) a train to want to stay here.
The five-star hotel couldn’t be closer to St. Pancras International station. It’s inside the main building itself, steps from the Eurostar platform for trains to France and beyond and just moments’ walk from both national mainline and London underground services. This is nothing like the bland identikit hotel you’ll find in an airport either.
Both the station and hotel are in one of London’s most handsome Victorian neo-gothic buildings, saved in the 1960s after a campaign waged successfully by poet John Betjeman when rail bosses planned to tear the whole thing down. Outside looks straight from a fairytale with its red-brick exterior, turrets, spires and iconic clock tower. Little wonder it featured in the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets film when Harry flew his car overhead after missing his train to Hogwarts from Platform 9¾ at neighbouring (but distinctively less attractive) King’s Cross.
Inside is just as impressive. The lobby runs down one side of the main bar The Hansom, built on the site of the former cobbled driveway to the station and named after the taxis that would collect passengers from there. A vaulted glass and iron roof now covers the space, which serves food all day and is particularly popular for its daily Laurent Perrier afternoon tea accompanied by a live violinist on Fridays and Saturdays. The famous staircase, used in the Spice Girls Wannabe video, is just off the lobby and for residents only. If you’re staying it’s worth skipping the lift and walking up to marvel at the elaborate hallway, stone arches and soaring painted ceiling above.
Suites are in the main hotel building, the Chambers Wing, and are chockful of period details, marble fireplaces and lavish Victorian grandeur. The newer and recently renovated Barlow House wing is in the station’s former train shed and named after William Barlow, the engineer of St. Pancras International’s single-span arch. Rooms are bold in bright colours – mine had deep red walls and a velvet sofa, walnut woodwork and a bottle-green tiled bathroom stocked with L’Occitane products.
All residents get some nice-to-have extras too. A series of eight QR codes around the hotel allow guests to take a self-guided tour of historical spots; there’s a basement spa with a small pool and gym, plus a free Victorian rum punch ritual every day at 5.05pm to commemorate the hotel’s grand opening on May 5, 1873. Guests staying in the Chambers Suites and using the Eurostar between certain hours can also be personally escorted from their suite to the train if they don’t fancy carrying their own suitcase.
The main restaurant, Booking Office 1869, is excellent. Located in the station’s original 19th-century ticket hall, it’s a chic and surprisingly buzzy space with eight-metre palm trees, upholstered banquettes and a vast brass and walnut bar. When I stayed on a Friday night, there was a DJ playing a live set and groups of friends dropping in for martinis, rather than just hotel guests grabbing quick dinners. The best sharing dishes include buttermilk fried chicken with siracha, lemon chickpea hummus and a boneless free-range chicken, but there are also steaks, burgers and fish dishes on the menu. Breakfast is served in the same restaurant and is a real highlight with shakshuka, buttermilk pancakes and Lincolnshire rarebit on the menu.
If you’re not rushing for a train, there’s plenty to do within the station itself including high-end shops (from Fortnum & Mason to Hamleys), a great pub, Tracy Emin artwork and free-to-use pianos, often played so well by passing members of the public, a crowd gathers to watch. The likes of Elton John, Alicia Keys and John Legend have also dropped by for surprise performances in the past. Be sure not to miss the St. Pancras Bar & Brasserie by Searcys on the first floor, which has Europe’s longest champagne bar and a gorgeous art deco brasserie decorated with vintage station clocks and retro lighting.
If you can, grab an individual booth-for-two on the platform itself, which has its own sliding door and a mini-heater if required, and sits alongside the Eurostar trains. I could happily have spent all afternoon people watching and working my way through the restaurant’s artisan cheeseboards, popcorn Korean chicken and tempura prawns over a bottle of Searcy’s own house champagne. There are more substantial dishes if you fancy too, including beer-battered haddock and chips, chicken Caesar salad and streak frites, plus all the big-name champagnes including non-alcoholic options.
Beyond the station, stroll along Regent’s Canal, wander to Coal Drops Yard for bars and boutiques or visit the British Library just across the road where there are regular exhibitions and one-day workshops. Covent Garden, Soho and the British Museum are within walking distance.
But these days, you might not want to leave the train station at all.
Rooms at St Pancras London, Autograph Collection start from £390. For more information, please visit www.marriott.com. To book tables at St Pancras Bar & Brasserie by Searcys, visit www.stpancrasbysearcys.co.uk.
