Finding a genuinely luxurious hotel in central London without the price becoming completely ridiculous isn’t always easy, but tucked away on Garlick Hill in the City of London, Vintry & Mercer might just be one of the best I’ve found. I stayed at the five-star boutique hotel while I was in London covering the BFI London Film Festival for CultureCues, which meant my days were packed with screenings, travelling across the city and generally spending more time running around London than sitting still. By the time I got back to the hotel at night, I was ready for somewhere comfortable, quiet and luxurious to relax, and Vintry & Mercer delivered on that. I had such a wonderful stay here. In fact, when it came time to check out, I really did not want to leave.

CultureCues was hosted by Vintry & Mercer for this stay. All opinions and editorial views in this review are our own.

A boutique hotel inspired by the City

Vintry & Mercer sits right in the heart of the City of London, tucked away on Garlick Hill among the glass buildings and busy streets of the Square Mile. The name nods to the area’s old trading history, with Vintry linked to wine merchants and Mercer to traders of fine silks and textiles, but the hotel itself feels very modern and beautifully styled.

The entrance is fairly understated, but once you step inside, the reception is gorgeous. It’s filled with plants, soft seating, patterned floors, sculptural lighting and little pops of colour, with so much greenery around the space that it feels warm and inviting. There’s a really lovely mix of classic and contemporary design, with velvet, leather and marble details throughout, and it all feels polished without becoming too formal.

I actually really liked how small and discreet the lobby felt. It gives the hotel a much more personal, boutique feel than some of London’s larger five-star hotels, and it almost feels hidden away from the city outside. The service was excellent from the moment I arrived too. Every member of staff I spoke to was warm, attentive and genuinely lovely, whether I was checking in, ordering room service, having breakfast or just passing through reception. Nothing ever felt like too much trouble, and that continued throughout my stay.

My Deluxe Studio

My Deluxe Studio was beautiful, and this was probably where I properly fell in love with the hotel. The room had everything I want from a boutique London stay, with rich fabrics, gold embellishments, gorgeous lighting and a huge, incredibly comfortable bed. It also had a lot of the little extras that can make the difference between a hotel being nice and actually feeling luxurious. There was a Nespresso coffee machine, plenty of charging points and lots of thoughtful touches around the room that made it somewhere I wanted to spend time rather than simply sleep and leave again the next morning.

The minibar and snack selection were complimentary too, with drinks including Coke, Diet Coke, water and fruit juices alongside popcorn, cookies and biscuits. I love when a hotel does this because, let’s be honest, there’s nothing worse than paying five-star London prices and then discovering a bottle of water in the fridge costs another £8. Here, I could actually help myself without mentally calculating the bill every time I opened a drawer.

There were Vintry & Mercer robes and slippers with lovely gold detailing, as well as a generous selection of bathroom amenities including soaps, lotions, make-up removers and a loofah. None of these things individually make or break a hotel stay, but they’re lovely little touches that make a difference.

The bathroom itself was gorgeous, with beautiful tiling, underfloor heating, a large shower and a proper bath. After spending most of the day on my feet around London, naturally I took full advantage and had a long bubble bath before climbing into my robe and deciding that going back outside was not appealing whatsoever.

The bed deserves its own mention

I have to mention the bed because it was seriously one of the comfiest hotel beds I’ve slept in for quite some time. It was incredibly soft, covered in pillows, and I had one of the best sleeps I’d had in ages. When my alarm went off the next morning, I genuinely did not want to get up, never mind leave the room.

I’d actually made sure I had a slightly quieter day in my London Film Festival schedule while I was staying here because I wanted the chance to properly enjoy the hotel, and I’m so glad I did. I loved spending time in the room, whether I was having a coffee, listening to music, relaxing after a bath or just getting cosy in bed for a while. There are plenty of London hotels with rooms that photograph beautifully but aren’t nearly as comfortable once you’re actually staying in them. Vintry & Mercer managed both.

Breakfast at Vintry Kitchen

Breakfast is served downstairs at Vintry Kitchen, the hotel’s relaxed ground-floor restaurant. The space carries through the same beautiful design as the rest of the hotel, with leather seating, marble details and plants spilling down from above, giving the whole room a really stylish feel. It still feels polished and elegant, but the greenery stops it from ever feeling too formal.

I went for the Vintry Full English, which came with Cumberland sausage, thick-cut streaky bacon, roasted mushroom, grilled tomato, homemade hash brown, baked beans, sourdough toast and eggs. It was delicious and exactly what I needed before heading back out into London, especially with a strong coffee alongside it. After days of fitting meals around film screenings and whatever else was happening that day, having a proper sit-down breakfast was very welcome.

There are plenty of other options on the menu too, including Eggs Benedict and Eggs Royale, smoked salmon with avocado and poached eggs, buttermilk pancakes and vegetarian and vegan breakfasts, so there’s a good amount of choice if a full English isn’t your thing.

Mercer Roof Terrace and Do Not Disturb

One thing I really liked about Vintry & Mercer is that each of its food and drink spaces has its own personality. Upstairs, Mercer Roof Terrace is bright and elegant, with views across the London skyline towards St Paul’s Cathedral and The Shard. I can imagine it being especially lovely in the warmer months when you can really make the most of the rooftop setting, but it was still such a gorgeous spot during my stay. I had a Gin Fizz made with peach and rose gin, lychee liqueur, Passoã and lemonade, which was fruity, refreshing and perfect for sipping with the London skyline in front of me.

Downstairs, the atmosphere changes completely at Do Not Disturb. DND is the hotel’s speakeasy-style cocktail bar, with low lighting, leather seating and a chic 1920s feel. It feels tucked away from the rest of the hotel and is a lovely place to settle in for a couple of cocktails after dinner.

DND also runs a 2-for-1 offer on its classic cocktails from Tuesday to Saturday between 5pm and 9pm, with options including Espresso Martinis, Pineapple Margaritas, Negronis and Cosmopolitans. I stayed on a Sunday, so sadly I missed out on that particular deal, but I did try two cocktails from the wider menu and they were so good. They looked beautiful when they arrived, but thankfully tasted just as good too. The Bee’s Knees was probably my favourite, with its creamy, dessert-like flavours making it feel almost like having a cocktail and pudding in one.

Between breakfast at Vintry Kitchen, drinks overlooking London at Mercer Roof Terrace and cocktails downstairs at DND, there’s plenty within the hotel itself if you fancy staying in for the evening. Given how comfortable my room was, I really wasn’t looking for many reasons to leave anyway.

Is Vintry & Mercer in a good location?

Vintry & Mercer is tucked away on Garlick Hill in the City of London, with Mansion House station just a couple of minutes away and Cannon Street and Bank also close by. St Paul’s Cathedral is only a short walk from the hotel too, and some of the rooms have views towards it, including mine. It’s a really handy base for getting around, and you’ve also got the Thames and places like Borough Market, Tate Modern and the Sky Garden within easy reach.

This worked really well for me during the BFI London Film Festival because I was travelling around central London most days, so being so close to the Tube made everything much easier. The City is noticeably quieter than areas like Soho or Covent Garden, especially at weekends, but I actually liked that. After spending the day running around London, it was nice to come back somewhere a bit calmer at night.

If you want to step straight out of your hotel and into busy West End nightlife, this probably isn’t the area I’d choose. If you want somewhere central, well connected and a little more peaceful to come back to at the end of the day, though, the location works really well.

Is Vintry & Mercer worth the money?

For me, this is one of Vintry & Mercer’s biggest strengths. London hotel prices can be eye-watering, especially if you’re looking for somewhere central, and you can very easily spend a considerable amount on a room that doesn’t feel particularly luxurious once you arrive. Vintry & Mercer actually feels like you’re getting something for your money.

The room was beautiful, the bed was fantastic, the bathroom was lush and all of those smaller extras, from the complimentary drinks and snacks to the robes, toiletries and coffee machine, made the stay feel special. The service was genuinely excellent throughout too, and with three different food and drink spaces within the hotel and a good central location, I think the overall package offers really good value for a five-star London stay.

Rates will obviously change depending on when you’re visiting, and London pricing can vary dramatically from one weekend to the next, but I would absolutely check Vintry & Mercer before assuming that a five-star stay in the capital is going to be completely out of reach. You can easily pay similar prices elsewhere in London for somewhere nowhere near as nice.

The CultureCues verdict

I loved Vintry & Mercer. It’s beautiful and luxurious without feeling stuffy, the rooms are full of thoughtful touches and the staff could not have been nicer throughout my stay. More than anything, though, it was incredibly comfortable. The central location makes it a great option for a London city break, work trip or festival weekend, especially if you want somewhere well connected but a little quieter than some of the busier parts of central London. It’s also a lovely choice if you want somewhere a bit special without automatically looking towards Mayfair or some of the capital’s pricier five-star hotels. Would I stay again? Absolutely. Preferably with no plans before midday, because I am still thinking about that bed.