Great Northern Hotel

There’s a timeless elegance about this striking Victorian railway hotel, now part of Starwood’s Tribute Portfolio brand. Behind the Italianate façade, rooms divide into three categories all in elegant shades of Farrow & Ball: Couchette – a playful homage to the railway sleeper carriages of old; the discreet walnut-panelled Wainscot, set in the eaves and Cubitt, the largest, with soaring ceilings and sash windows. At the end of each sweeping corridor small pantries offer complimentary homemade cake, retro treats, (Tunnock’s Tea Cakes, Jelly Babies etc), Nespresso machines and newspapers. Superfast Wi-Fi and a hefty selection of films are also free. Seductive curved banquettes and dramatic pendant lighting make the celebrated destination restaurant Plum + Spilt Milk, which serves inventive modern British cuisine with smaller plates available in the buzzing GNH Bar. Or try the hole-in-the-wall KIOSK, which faces the King’s Cross Western Concourse and serves bountiful hot roast meat stacks that go down well with commuters and local office workers as well. Throughout the hotel, design and quality are key: intricate period details blend with bespoke furniture, vintage-style Lefroy Brooks’ bathrooms and an enviable modern art collection. All aboard.