When you want a hotel that’s more than just a pitstop, we have just the thing. This Ruby Lucy Hotel review shows how to place wellbeing, practicality and comfort at the forefront of what you do – while also boasting an enviable location in the heart of the city…
Ruby Lucy Hotel has nestled into what most would agree is the beating heart of London. The gloriously quirky hotel is a stone’s throw from the South Bank, London Eye, and the National Theatre and sits across The Old Vic, along Lower Marsh.Being just a few minutes walk from Waterloo station means it’s connected to the best transport links for travelling around the city and even around the country.
Of course, all of it is by design. The hotel follows the brand’s philosophy of offering ‘Lean Luxury’. It’s about being smart with space, streamlining and digitising systems and doing away with things we don’t need; an idea that’s extended from the inside out and has been captured in every little detail within the experience.
Recently Ruby has also seen a spate of new openings across Europe: Amsterdam (Ruby Emma), Geneva (Ruby Claire) and Zurich (Ruby Mimi). Perched just a stone’s throw from the tranquil shores of Lac Léman, Ruby Claire draws inspiration from the city’s long-standing role as a global centre of peace and cooperation.
Back in London’s Southbank, a neon sign greets you at the entrance. “Enjoy the ride”, it says above a circus tent. Inside, the bar is dimly-lit and remains open 24 hours a day. The restaurant cum communal space is a riot of textures and colours and looks out to Marsh Wall through a glass wall. Both the bar and restaurant are fabulous. The atmosphere is relaxed with very good cocktails. A menu of light bites work a charm. Think 40s speakeasy but with all the modern trimmings.
As I said earlier, the devil is in the detail. Meticulous attention to everything continues all the way upstairs to the rooms. Clean lines, soft, inviting white sheets await. Where sleep-centric hotels emerged as a trend, in post-pandemic travel, Ruby Hotels place themselves at the forefront of it.
The rooms have been designed to prioritise deep slumber as part of the guest experience. Sleep experts have been consulted to design calming, decluttered rooms with lighting, ambience and beds all geared toward promoting a great night’s sleep.
As wellness travel becomes more commercial, Ruby Hotels have, rightfully, acknowledged sleep as essential for wellness. And if this is the shape of travel in the future, I’m here for it.
100-108 Lower Marsh
London
SE1 7AB
