This Artsy Hotel Pairs Modern Fittings With Classic London Views

I walked into art’otel Battersea’s lipstick-red lobby on a misty November evening and was greeted by quirky photographic twists on British idiosyncrasies. It felt like stepping backstage at a Swingin’ Sixties club, or perhaps the set of a Wes Anderson movie, or even tumbling down the rabbit hole after Alice.

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In the art’beat studio with Emmanuel Unaji

Emmanuel Unaji working in studio. Staying at art’otel Battersea Power Station is an experience as much as it is an accommodation. Photo courtesy art’otel Battersea Power Station

Guests (and passersby) have an open invitation to swing by the art’beat studio and meet the artist. The London-born Nigerian creative Emmanuel Unaji, known for his fusion of painting, collage, and fine art, was wrapping up an eight-week residency during my stay. Unaji’s canvases of Joyce Bryant, the Lijadu Sisters, and other symbolic figures watched over his latest piece.

Talking about his appointment, Unaji told me, “I want my work to break down barriers and to make people ask questions; to bring out their inner child.” This echoes art’otel’s culture of igniting curiosity, fostering new connections, and making time for play at the art’beat studio.

The hotel’s “heartbeat” studio hosts weekly candle making sessions, pottery classes, and abstract painting plus seasonal workshops. Hotel guests are welcomed into the fold by a clutch of regulars. Resident artists devise their own workshops; as a fashion designer working with wearable art, Unaji led a tote bag-painting masterclass.

Art studios by Jaime Hayon at art’otel Battersea Power Station

Jaime Hayon. Photo courtesy art’otel Battersea Power Station

art’otel Battersea Power Station is unique in that the Signature Artist, the Spanish visionary Jaime Hayon, is also an interior designer. While touring art’otel – complimentary tours run daily – my guide explained the nuances of Hayon’s aesthetic and the intentional lack of hard edges. All walls and furnishings are curved, thus – I learned – explaining the sense of ease and joy I’d felt at arrival. Hayon’s paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and furniture fill every room and communal space. He hand-picked all other artworks, including KlunderBie’s whimsical lobby photo series.

All 164 domains are designated Art Rooms and Art Studios with the Masterpiece Street coming with premium views and luxury perks. My Junior Suite’s voluptuous furniture and lively palette offset the industrial monolith and overcast weather. Entertainment came in the form of a Roberts vinyl turntable and a stack of London-centric sounds – Bowie and Winehouse – to spin while leafing through Hayon’s monograph. Further goodies included a yoga mat, a Dyson hairdryer, and Kevin Murphy bath salts.

I was impressed by the Iperespresso which pumped out barista-quality coffee and considered canceling my dinner plans after diving into Hayon’s Vuelta lounge chair.

Skyline rest and relaxation at art’otel Battersea Power Station

Photo: Matthew Shaw, courtesy of art’otel Battersea Power Station

Despite seeing photos of art’otel Battersea’s rooftop pool and hot tub, I wasn’t prepared for the experience of swimming almost within touching distance of the iconic chimneys. Particularly when swimming on an inky winter’s night, it feels like you could drift off the edge of the 16-story building. I’d recommend riding the elevator straight down to the basement spa for a post-swim sauna.

Whereas non-guests can hang out at the seasonal cocktail bar or bag a ticket to the festive rooftop cinema, the art’otel pool is for guests’ sole use. The only other way to get a selfie with the chimneys is through the weekly aqua aerobics class. Yoga classes are held on the rooftop during summer.

Bars and restaurants at art’otel Battersea Power Station

JOIA restaraunt. Photo: Matt Russell

A creative afternoon can be debriefed over tapas, petiscos, and port cocktails at the 15th-floor restaurant and 14th-floor bar, JOIA. Meaning “Jewel” in Portuguese, Henrique Sá Pessoa and Jose Jara’s collaboration brings Iberian cuisine to London’s newest neighborhood. JOIA is a solid pick for pescatarians and vegetarians although carnivores can snap up Basque Txuleton steak. With chimney views and kitsch pastel-hued decor, it’s hard to stay for just the one. I lingered over a Renais gin cocktail infused with olive oil and enjoyed the buzz of guests and local residents.

TOZI Pizzeria and Cicchetti Bar serves table-service breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. This rotunda doubles up as an art gallery of tapestries and further KlunderBie photography orbiting around a tree-like centerpiece. Besides artisanal pastries and healthy (and not-so-healthy) plates, the breakfast menu offered the British staples of crumpets and eggs with soldiers.

The verdict on Battersea

Photo: Matthew Shaw, courtesy of art’otel Battersea Power Station

Having lived in London when the Battersea Power Station revamp was getting underway, I was curious to see how the development panned out. As with other Zone 1 neighborhoods, Circus West Village and Electric Boulevard are community-focused hubs with plenty of value for art’otel guests.

The Power Station Turbine Hall synergizes high street favorites and polished champagne counters alongside ping pong and crazy golf-themed bars. There’s a theater tucked under the railway arches and the riverside forecourt hosts festive markets, ice skating, and summer pop-ups. Lift 109 stuns with 360-degree views from the north-west chimney.

The extended Northern Line stops at Battersea Power Station, a five-minute walk from art’otel, and reaches London Bridge in minutes. The Thames Clippers riverboat is a touch costlier but the views are priceless.

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