It’s fitting that the best 180-degree view of London – to the left, Canary Wharf, Tower Bridge and St Paul’s; to the right, the London Eye and Westminster – can be found on the upper floors of 180 The Thames. It’s the address of the city’s hottest new hotel, St Clement (named for the nearby church made famous in the nursery rhyme), the newest venture from Soho House founder Nick Jones and his first since stepping away from his members’ club empire in 2022.
“The hotel is obviously very different to what I’ve done in the past,” Jones tells Broadsheet. “It’s our take on what a luxury hotel is. It’s a bit more relaxed, a bit more casual; cashmere T-shirt and trainers rather than stiff suits and high heels.”
“If Claridge’s and Chiltern Firehouse got together, St Clement would be the result,” is Jones’s shorthand. In fact, managing director Jim Lyons has been brought in from the former, and relationships director Serena Lightner helmed the latter between 2014 and 2018.
But it feels firmly its own. Across its bedrooms – 65 sizeable ones that Jones calls “bog-standard”, 25 larger studios, 14 River Lofts and one spectacular penthouse with two of the best bath tubs in London – designers Alex Eagle and Sophie Hodges have used pale wood flooring, brushed steel surfaces, curvaceous cabinetry, stained glass screens and some industrial touches to create something invitingly fresh. Smart, too: end-of-bed benches conceal yoga mats and Nohrd hand-weights for those who’d rather work out in privacy. Wardrobe compartments are specifically designed to fit whole suitcases upright. A tray of games slides out from the minibar. A bespoke Perfumer H scent adds character throughout.
In a nice touch at a time when London hotels are charging ever higher prices, Jones promises that returning regulars (listed in an orange book, naturally) will be offered preferable rates. “We don't want to just take anyone,” says Jones. “We want people who are kind, nice, not flashy, not loud, who really sort of respect what we're trying to do and so we really respect them.”
St Clement is the latest part of Jones and business partner Mark Wadhwa’s sprawling regeneration of an overlooked patch of prime north bank real estate that comprises 180 The Strand, 180 Studios, Corner Shop and more. “This is the original part of London,” says Jones, pointing just down river to The Savoy, the capital’s first grand hotel. “But as London grew I think this area got forgotten a bit, and it's really one of the nicest parts.” He talks of developing “a new quarter” (indeed his holding company is called New Quarter) for the city, with a health club in partnership with Cleveland Clinic and Rebase, an Alex Eagle Studio and a 70-cover Florence Knight restaurant called Lunette on the way before the end of the year. The development will also give London a new public square – 180 Garden Square – where summer fairs and Christmas markets will be held.
Also at street level is Cafe Clement, an all-day diner opening on June 16. Jones likens it to a more modern update of his first Soho venture, Cafe Boheme, and heading up the kitchen is Danny Bohan, a 25-year veteran of The River Cafe now stepping out on his own to serve up fresh European-accented fare. Seasonal salads, roast Merrifield duck and grilled lamb cutlets with lemon have all featured on early menus. There are cosy booths, dim lights, white linen tablecloths, vintage Cassina chairs, a widescreen open kitchen separated from diners at the counter by ornate glass screens, a terrace at the front and a secluded garden at the rear. The river-inspired flooring was designed by Jones himself.
Then there’s Bobbi’s, a cosy and genuinely cool bar space open to hotel guests and “selected favourites” until 3am six nights a week where DJs play vinyl through and impromptu piano singalongs break out. It’s named after Jones’s dad’s dog – a ceramic terrier bust sits by the DJ booth. To add to the family atmosphere, Jones’ son, Ollie, can often be found conducting proceedings in the restaurant and a painting by his artist daughter Freya hangs in the lobby.
If all that’s not enough, there are whispers that the adjacent Temple-bank venue currently used for storage will eventually take on a new life, and even rumours of a boat of some kind. “We're going to try and play down everything we do here," says Jones. “And then when people get here they’ll hopefully go ‘wow’.”
St Clement is currently offering limited reservations for soft summer opening at 180 The Thames, WC2R 2NF.
