Urban Junkies London - Tuesday May 1, 2007

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/meltdown/

And there we were, thinking there was only going to be one chic new hotel hangout opening this month.

The Haymarket with its deluxe-eclectic rooms, Hollywood A-list-filled lobby and northern Italian restaurant Brumus, was going to be quite enough if its Firmdale siblings the Charlotte Street, Covent Garden and Soho were anything to go by. The fact that there was going to be an indoor pool lounge in which to show off your new Pucci bikini or Vilebrequin trunks whilst sipping a mojito just made it all the more exciting.

But then another bolthole for not-so-dirty stop-outs was brought to our attention: The Church Street Hotel - an enticing blend of Mexicana and Louis XIV, five star boutique-yness in the middle of, wait for it, Camberwell of all places!

The Raido brothers (actor Mel and artist Jose) saw the potential in former South London dive, The Marbella Hotel and have transformed it into a vibrant hosteleria more suited to the creatives and romantics they mean to attract.

Our favourite room has to be the Havana-inspired library lounge bar with its walnut panelling and
ceiling fans.

Hmmm, Camberwell cool or Haymarket hip... how's a person to decide?

Haymarket Hotel - opens today
1 Suffolk Place, SW1 - 020 7470 4000
The Church Street Hotel - opens Monday May 7
29-33 Camberwell Church St, SE5 - 020 7703 5984

by SL

Learn to play the piano while seeing very young and well old talent at the Rational Rec night @Bethnal Green WMC. 8pm. Pollard Row, E2. £5.

Central Saint Martins invites to Clash Culture: A Night Of Treason @Cochrane Theatre 7pm. Southampton Row, WC1. Free. 020 7269 1606.

Culture Calendar picks for today: Jonathan Lasker at Timothy Taylor Gallery, Les Femmes s'en Melent festival.

A night of classic Hollywood scores at the SBC. 7:30pm. Belvedere Road, SE1. £15-20. 0870 401 8181 or here.

Get spiritual and down some gin as Hendrick's Quarterly Seance at 43 South Molton takes another go at chatting up the undead. 7:30pm. 43 South Molton St, W1. £10.

Jump on the folk wagon and start off with Marissa Nadler at Bush Hall, W12. 7:30pm. £10. 08700 600 100 or here.

Two stellar female vocalists in concert: Carrie Rodriguez @Luminaire, NW6. 8pm. £10 here. And Cat Power plays@ Forum, NW5. 7pm. £18.50. 0870 264 3333 or here.

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