What is a wellness hotel?

That’s the question I asked myself on the way over to Inhabit Queens Gardens hotel.

When most people think of wellness hotels, they probably picture luxury retreats in the countryside with yoga pavilions, juice bars and eye-watering room rates. Inhabit Queen’s Gardens takes a different approach. This is a central London hotel that focuses on wellbeing, sustainability and thoughtful design, while still being attainable for people looking for an affordable London hotel.

Located in a quiet residential street near Paddington, the hotel blends wellness-inspired features with practical touches for a city break. After spending the night here, I could definitely see what they were trying to achieve.

First impressions

The wellness theme starts almost immediately.

My first impressions as I walked up to the building were that it’s a very grand, historic old London building. It looked really symmetrical and attractive.

The lobby area was very nicely decorated and well laid out. There were lots of really nice décor touches as well and it definitely had a Nordic hygge style theme. That was the first nod we got to the wellness vibes.

The staff at reception were very friendly and helpful. You give them your ID and fill out a form and that was it.

There are activities organised by the hotel including yoga and guided walks. Throughout the building there is a focus on natural materials, with wooden signage and a softer, calmer design aesthetic than many city hotels.

One thing I noticed straight away was the effort to reduce waste. There are water stations on every floor, completely removing the need for bottled water and unnecessary plastic. A note in the room explains that although a minibar is available, items aren’t automatically stocked and instead need to be requested. It feels like a small change, but it reduces waste and unnecessary consumption.

There are also little details that nod towards wellbeing. The room included a Lumie light and alarm clock designed to simulate natural daylight, helping you wake up more naturally in the morning.

None of these things are over the top, but together they create a noticeably different atmosphere from a standard London hotel.

The first room

The problem came when they gave me my room key and I went all the way up to the fourth floor and the room wasn’t great.

It was tiny. It was dark. There was a sloping very low ceiling which made you feel extremely claustrophobic, and the tiniest windows you’ve ever seen which let in very little natural light.

It also smelled funny. I knew I’d booked the smallest size (the Cosy room) but it was still disappointing.

So I did something I’ve never done before and decided that I wasn’t going to stay there.

I phoned down to reception and asked if I could pay to upgrade or swap my room and they were very helpful. They immediately swapped my room over to a room on the first floor, which was literally like night and day.

I’m really glad that I made that change. So just keep an eye out for the rooms on the fourth floor, the small rooms.

Mr D could not have stood up in one half of the room. It was however, nicely presented and well designed under the circumstances.

Room design and décor – take 2!

The décor in the rooms is really nicely designed.

The layout’s good.

They’re very small, but the space is very well used.

There is lots of natural wood and textures, linen-style curtains, textured wallpaper, wall panelling and black accents.

It’s very Scandinavian in design and I really like it.

This room is the same class, a small room at the same price point, but the ceilings were twice as high and there was an enormous window which lets in so much natural light.

It just feels light and bright and spacious and airy and not claustrophobic.

The tall ceilings made the space feel bigger and lighter, and the overall design was simple and calming. It felt like somewhere you could genuinely relax after a busy day exploring London rather than simply somewhere to sleep.

There was a kettle and a small selection of teas and coffees. I also appreciated the choice of milk options. They’re not fresh milk like we’ve seen recently at the Kimpton Fitzroy London or the Grand Hotel Brighton, but there was a choice of UHT semi-skimmed, whole and oat milk, which was a nice touch.

The carafe of water was particularly welcome. It was nice being served water in a glass bottle rather than plastic, which again ties into the hotel’s sustainability focus.

The television was also positioned properly. Unlike the TV in the Locke de Santa Joana, you could comfortably watch it from bed. It included Chromecast, allowing you to stream services such as Amazon Prime directly onto the television, which is always useful when you’re staying away from home.

How did I sleep?

I slept really well.

The bed was comfortable and, considering you’re staying in central London, the room was surprisingly quiet. That’s often one of my biggest concerns when staying in the capital, but noise wasn’t an issue here.

The lighting worked well, the room felt calm and the tall ceilings helped create a sense of space.

After a good night’s sleep, I woke up feeling refreshed rather than desperate for another coffee, which is always a good sign.

Security

If you’ve read my hotel reviews before, you’ll know I always pay close attention to room security after an unnerving experience at a previous hotel.

There isn’t an additional security catch on the inside of the bedroom door, which I would always prefer to see, but as usual I placed items in front of the door overnight. That’s something I tend to do in any hotel room regardless.

One security feature I did appreciate was the way the hotel controls access to the guest accommodation areas. The main door leading from reception to the lifts and bedroom corridors is operated by a key card, meaning people can’t simply wander in from the street and access the room floors.

In a central London hotel, that’s a reassuring extra layer of security and something I was pleased to see.

Is Inhabit Queen’s Gardens really a wellness hotel?

The more time I spent here, the more I understood the concept.

This isn’t a wellness hotel in the sense of spending your day in a robe drinking green juice. Instead, wellness is woven into lots of small details.

There are the organised yoga and walking activities, the Lumie lighting. the water refill stations, the focus on reducing plastic waste, the calmer design aesthetic the spa facilities, the plant-based kitchen, the library, the salt room, the quieter atmosphere compared with many London hotels.

Individually, none of these features are revolutionary. Together, they create a hotel experience that feels a little more considered and a little less frantic than many city centre alternatives.

Value for money

London hotel prices can be eye-watering, especially once you start looking at well-designed hotels in desirable locations. Yet Inhabit manages to combine good design, comfortable rooms, sustainability initiatives and wellness-focused touches at a price point that remains accessible.

The room was comfortable, the bed was good, I slept well, the location worked well, and there were plenty of thoughtful touches that elevated the experience beyond a standard budget hotel.

If you’re looking for an affordable London hotel, a Paddington hotel with character, or somewhere that offers a slightly calmer approach to a city break, Inhabit Queen’s Gardens is well worth considering.

For me, it delivered exactly what I wanted from a London stay: a comfortable room, a good night’s sleep, a convenient location and a few thoughtful extras that made it stand out from the crowd.

Where next?

More wellness? Read my posts about Rebase recovery spa and wellness design in home offices

More hotels? In London Ive reviewed The Dilly, The Standard, The Kimpton Fitzroy and Melia at the white house

In Brighton there’s The Grand and The Hilton Metropole

In Rome there’s The Tribune

In Lisbon there’s Locke de Santa Joana

In Malta there’s Hilton Doubletree