Five Reasons to Book a Girls' Night at the Mondrian London

07 March, 2018
London-based bloggers, Kelly Prince-Wright & Leigh Travers, at the golden bar in the Rumpus Room

A few weeks ago, I packed up my overnight bag with more-than-enough outfit options and headed from my North London home about 6 miles south towards the Thames for an overnight stay in the Mondrian London with one of my best blogger gal pals, Kelly. I had been to the Mondrian a couple of times previously but I had never stayed over for the night before. Living in London, it's always seemed a little, well... pointless to book an overnight staycation in the city that I live in so I have never really indulged much in treating myself to a night away from my own bed within the capital.

However, London is full of i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e hotels that I'm consistently stalking on Instagram and wishing I could experience, so there's really no reason not to escape your usual routine and treat yourself to night away from home. After all, breakfast in bed at home isn't quite like a breakfast in bed at a hotel even if it is only a few miles down the road! This year, I've decided to start exploring more of the hotels within my home city and appreciating what I have on my doorstep as well as exploring new cities around the country that are also on my radar.


From my previous visits to the Mondrian hotel, I fell in love with it's charm on my first visit, so when I was invited down for a girl's night and sleepover at the 5-star hotel, I couldn't contain my enthusiasm. If you want to see why I was so enthusiastic to stay over, then just take a quick scroll through their Instagram account here and you'll get the gist.

The boutique hotel is located within the Sea Containers buildings on London's South Bank and is just a 10-minute walk from Waterloo train station. Other notable attractions within walking distance include the London Eye, Tate Modern, Oxo Tower, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament making the hotel a perfect stopover for someone visiting the city for sightseeing too.

Other than the  here are a few more reasons on why you should book a stay at the Mondrian London, stat:

You'll never want to leave the humungous beds

Travel blogger, Leigh Travers, reviews the Mondrian London

Let's not beat around the bush, one of the main things that determines a successful hotel stay is how comfortable the bed is. Well, the Mondrian definitely doesn't disappoint on that account. Kelly and myself shared an absolutely humungous and comfortable bed that was honestly a struggle to leave come morning. In fact, the only thing that prompted us out of bed was the arrival of our room service that we had conveniently placed an order for the night before we drifted off to sleep. For someone who had never ordered room service before my stay at the Mondrian, it was definitely exciting enough to drag my lazy self out of bed for. Avocado on toast, anyone?

It's an excuse to enjoy a feast at Sea Containers Restaurant

Sea Containers Restaurant evening menu dishes
Butternut squash risotto from the Sea Containers restaurant at the Mondrian London

After checking into our room, we got changed into our gladrags (as I mentioned earlier, I brought far too many outfit changes so I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to dress up for dinner!) and headed downstairs to meet up with the lovely Kim and Katy, where we planned to spend the evening indulging in the Sea Containers restaurant evening menu. I had visited Sea Containers restaurant before to taste their Sunday brunch menu and had absolutely loved it, so I knew that their evening menu definitely wouldn't disappoint. Between us, we ordered most of the menu and of course, still had room for desserts afterwards.

Whilst the menu isn't catered to vegans, the kitchen staff were able to adapt plenty of dishes to make them suitable for my dietary requirements. I feasted on the butternut squash risotto, sea salt padron peppers, white sourdough bread with mixed olives, beetroot salad and fries, so I definitely didn't come away hungry! My drink of choice to accompany my banquet (I mean, look at it - it defintiely qualifies as a banquet!) was a Floradora cocktail, which is a mixture of Bombay Sapphire gin, lemon, raspberry and Fever Tree ginger ale. Of course, I wasn't leaving without having their indulgent vegan chocolate cake, which I had already tried on my previous brunch time but it was so darn delicious that I hadn't stopped thinking about it since! Second time round, it didn't let me down either.

Vegan chocolate cake from Sea Containers restaurant at Mondrian London

The views from the Rumpus Room & just the Rumpus Room in general

A view of St. Paul's cathedral from the Rumpus Room bar
The chic & sleek interiors of the Rumpus Room rooftop bar at the Mondrian London

Head on up to the twelfth floor of the Mondrian and you'll discover the hotel's own rooftop, riverside bar aptly named the Rumpus Room, which has quite quickly become one of my favourite bar names ever. The bar itself boasts chic interiors that a pretty enough to slide right in as a backdrop to a Wes Anderson flick; expect lots of greenery, plush velvet seats, pink neon slogan signs and a luxurious golden bar that will  make you feel as if you've just stepped into a 1920's movie set.

The Rumpus Room's main draw for me though is the view of the city's skyline along the Thames with St. Paul's cathedral sitting majestically amongst the rest of London's blend of historic and modern architecture. Even if you don't fancy an overnight stay at the Mondrian, definitely keep a night out with your pals at the Rumpus Room on your radar because it's definitely one of the city's best hidden hotspots. I can only imagine how idyllic that outdoor space overlooking the city must be in the summer when the sun is shining!

The Rumpus Room at the Mondrian London boasts incredible riverside views

You can treat yourself to some of Dandelyan's famous cocktails

Two cocktails from the Dandelyan bar on the ground floor of the Mondrian London

Because one bar is never enough, the Mondrian is also home to the Dandelyan on the ground floor, which oozes a sumptuous, Art Deco-inspired decor complimented by pastel lavender seating and rich green walls. The bar itself is renowned for its endless awards, including the winner of the World's Best Cocktail (2017) and Bets International Hotel Bar (2017), so you'd be silly to skip it!

We sifted through their floral-covered 'Vices of Botany' cocktails menu, which is broken down into four sections: Faith, Lust, Currency and Rock ‘n’ Roll.  With a plethora of imaginative cocktail combinations to choose from, we both opted for the Flower Of Five gin-based cocktail, which is easily one of the most beautiful drinks I've ever laid my eyes upon.

The Dandelyan was the perfect place to wind down after our hefty meal and before we knew it, we lost count of the hours as we chatted away into the early hours of the morning!

Every single corner of the hotel is just so darn Instagram-worthy

The ever-changing board in the hotel lobby reading "Hey Good-Lookin'"

I understand that I sound like a walking, talking blogger cliché here but we all love an aesthetically pleasing setting that will look amazing on our feeds. Luckily, the Mondrian isn't short of Instagram opportunities as every detail in the hotel from the main reception lobby to the rooms themselves are made for photographing. I don't think I've ever taken so many photos in such a short space of time before but when you leave two bloggers in an absolute Instagram haven for a few hours, we will make the most of our time there!

After all, what's better than spending a night with your gal pals who know your best side and are on hand to snap your outfit in one of the most picturesque venues in London? If that's not a reason to visit, then I don't know what is!

The toilets of Sea Containers restaurant are inspired by a nautical theme

Find the Mondrian London

Address: 20 Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1
Nearest stations: Waterloo, Southwark or Blackfriars



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Disclaimer: We were offered a complimentary stay at the Mondrian but all views and opinions expressed are my own.

15 comments

  1. I went to Dandelyan a few months ago and completely fell in love with it and the whole vibe and look of the Mondrian (those toilets!). I'd love to have staycation there one day - now I just need to think of a good enough excuse for a special occasion... xx

    Laura // Middle of Adventure

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  2. You're right, that view looks incredible. I'm pleased you had a fab stay. Jo x

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  3. WOW this looks like a beautiful hotel and that view is incredible! My little girl still can't be left at night so the idea of a girls night away seems like a distant dream right now lol! But it definitely looks like somewhere I would love to stay in the future!

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    1. Definitely keep it on your radar - it's such a gorgeous hotel and makes a nice break away from home!

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  4. I found it hard to scroll past the breakfast in bed - birthday/mothers day goals for this weekend now to work out how I can subtly show this picture to my partner with a big post it note saying I want this please.....

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    1. Hahaha, do it! I hope that you manage to get your breakfast in bed this weekend!

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  5. I love staying in hotels in my home town, it feels so luxurious!

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    1. It really does! Like I said, I never really consider it but then when I do, I feel totally fancy!

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  6. Wow! What a beautiful hotel, and it sounds like you had such a wonderful time! I love the views from up there too - I'd love to stay here one day! <3 xx

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  7. Oh what an absolute treat, this looks a stunning hotel. That food looks delicious too. Kaz

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    1. It's honestly such a beautiful, beautiful hotel! x

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  8. Gosh, I love your photos. What a beautiful hotel and you have had some amazing food and drinks. I'm glad they managed to cater for your requirements, I always feel a bit shy asking and I'm vegetarian.

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    1. Thank you! Oh, I always feel super awkward but then I'd rather be awkward than not eat because I'm not nice person when I don't eat, haha!

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  9. I couldn’t agree more with your reasons, it looks like you had a blast and the food looks amazing.

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  10. I couldn't have found this post at a better time, I am looking at booking a mini break in London so these tips have come in handy! x

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