Velvet Hotel

About Velvet Hotel

Velvet occupies a Victorian warehouse on Canal Street that was once used in velvet production, hence the name, and it has been a fixture of the Gay Village since well before the surrounding streets became a national destination. It is a genuinely independent hotel in a city increasingly given over to chains, and the interiors reflect that: every room is designed separately, and the results range from restrained to theatrical.

Room types run from compact King Bedrooms up to Signature Balcony Rooms on the third floor, which have a rare piece of private outdoor space with heating and a view along the canal, and duplex penthouse suites with living areas. All rooms have free wi-fi, flat-screen televisions, mini-bars and hospitality trays, and the bathrooms have steam-free mirrors and decent toiletries. The building is old, so expect some variation in size and shape between rooms.

Village Brasserie downstairs serves contemporary British and Mediterranean-influenced food across the day, and the Velvet Lounge Bar has DJs at weekends and a terrace over the water. The setting is the point: Canal Street's bars are immediately outside, which is exactly what some guests want and precisely what others should avoid, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights and over Pride weekend. Piccadilly station is a five-minute walk, the Northern Quarter about ten, and Chinatown and the Palace Theatre are close by.