Funky Venues

Venue Review

Character: Sleek, chic and arty modern boutique hotel.

Funky Features: rotating art exhibition programme in bars; panoramic rooftop bar for 70.

Location and History

If you like your venues to be central than you can’t get much more so than The Trafalgar. Tucked away on the south, or ‘the Mall side’ of Trafalgar Square, the Trafalgar is an art and design-focused, destination hotel with a distinctly cultural bent which draws its primary clientele from the arts and entertainment industries.

Interior

From the street, you enter straight into the Upper Rockwell bar. Its aesthetic is well-lit minimal chic, but with some clever twists: a monochrome colour scheme highlighted by muted tones: dark wood offset by steel; daintily fringed lamps. Bespoke furniture by Stilt completes the picture. A set of DJ decks sits at one end of the reassuringly well-stocked cocktail bar.

Upper Rockwell’s slightly smaller sister bar, Lower Rockwell, offers a similar set-up to its street level counterpart, but with a lighter, more intimate ambience. The floors are carpeted rather than bare wood, and the lighting has been turned up a few notches. Both bars have a sleek and sexy feel – informal but carefully considered.

The Trafalgar has a continually evolving art exhibition schedule in both bars and the hotel actively collaborates with its neighbour, the ICA, as well as with London’s commercial galleries. The hotel also regularly forms alliances with London’s cultural event organisers - design festivals such as 100% Design, for instance, and the Trafalgar has an active live music agenda. 

Spaces for Hire

Right at the top of the hotel sits the jewel in The Trafalgar’s crown – the Roof Garden. This special space is equipped with a bar capable of holding up to 70 people and offers a terrific vantage point with panoramic views over Trafalgar Square and the surrounding area.

For a more sedate - perhaps daytime – event, the Boardroom and Strategy Room are carefully maintained historic spaces that offer an alternative to the cool, structured look of the rest of the hotel. These rooms are ideal for conferences, lunches and small receptions, with their refined décor and floor-to-ceiling windows.

The Upper Rockwell Bar and Lower Rockwell Bar are also available for hire. The Trafalgar is a key player in the capital’s inner circle of hip hotels, and offers the prospective event planner an ideal platform to stage a special and stylish night (or day) out.