The mural on The Megaro Hotel is London’s biggest.
There are few neighborhoods in London with more hotels than Kings Cross, yet The Megaro Hotel stands out from the crowd in every way.
From the bold mural on its facade, to its intimate bar, to the luxurious rooms, The Megaro is always distinctive and cool.
Check in to The Megaro and check out the pancakes
You’ll find it easy to spot The Megaro. The formal Georgian facade is adorned by London’s largest mural. The 450 square meter artwork is a collection of bright colours and geometric shapes. Apparently, the artists were inspired both by the regeneration of Kings Cross and the fact it’s a gateway to London for so many different types of people.
Inside, the independent hotel is just as individualistic. The lobby contains a small bar, designed like the laboratory of a 19th century alchemist. This Victorian steampunk-inspired room is a great place for a quiet drink before bed.
Downstairs, the basement holds a larger jazz bar. I have no idea if the prohibition era was really as much fun as everyone makes out. I suspect it wasn’t. But the mixologists at The Megaro Piano Bar will soon make you forget those quibbles and enjoy the fantasy they’ve created.
The Megaro Eatery is dominated by a double-height living wall. The chefs specialise in fish, burgers and British steaks cooked on their Josper Grill.
The kitchen serves breakfast all day, making in the perfect place for a leisurely weekend brunch. If you’ve got something to celebrate, splash out on unlimited Champagne or Prosecco with your meal.
The Megaro is particularly proud of its pancakes; served with Nutella, banana and caramel or bacon and maple syrup.
Rooms fit for a rock star
We checked into one of three, newly refurbished, corner rooms. British artist Henry Chebaane has designed them, inspired by hip hop culture and British counter-culture.
Our hip hop style room had a British bulldog speaker to plug our iPhone into. Diesel – a clothing brand favored by one or two gay men I know – designed the furniture. It boasted a bigger-than-average double bed and a powerful walk-in shower.
Elsewhere, the Megaro offers a range of double rooms and studios. This includes family rooms, which they are perfectly happy for you to share with a couple of friends. They even have eight, individually styled apartments.
Diesel furnishings in The Megaro Hotel.
Kings Cross: Magical restorations and Harry Potter
For many tourists, Kings Cross is their first experience of the UK capital. It’s a major transport hub with trains arriving from the north of Britain and the Eurostar from Paris and Brussels. Moreover, it’s one of the biggest and busiest interchanges for the London Underground.
Many will just pass through. But it’s an area I know well. In fact, 18 years ago my first home in London was on a social housing estate here. Around the same time, my partner and I met at a gay bar in Kings Cross, now sadly closed.
Sine then, Kings Cross has regenerated at an incredible pace, even for this city of constant change.
Developers have restored the gothic majesty of St Pancras Station and relocated the Eurostar train terminal here.
For good measure, they’ve given the next door Kings Cross Station its own facelift. And, of course, if you are a witch or wizard, you’ll now find Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Express departing from the fictional Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters.
New bars and restaurants have sprung up around the twin stations – both chains and independents. Naturally, not everyone has benefited from the area’s gentrification. But for a visitor the streets are cleaner, brighter and generally safer.
If you want to relax and unwind, head to the Regent’s Canal. It was once full of narrowboats transporting timber, coal, building materials into London. Now they are pleasure craft and it’s a peaceful wildlife corridor through the heart of the city.
Of course, Kings Cross is also a great base to explore the rest of the UK capital. The British Museum and British Library are among the great treasures within walking distance. But you will also find hidden gems, like the fascinating Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology or Tavistock Square Gardens with their Ghandi statue.
Be unapologetically you
Independent and fun-loving, The Megaro is determined to be the rebel of London’s hotels. And it strives to breathe life into its motto ‘be unapologetically you’.
The Megaro’s website proudly celebrates 1970s punk culture. (Quick note, ‘punk’ in the UK means loud, fast moving rock music and the fashion and culture which went with it. The US meaning of ‘punk’ as a criminal is not what we are talking about here.) And, one could argue those British punk values of individualism and freedom match well with modern LGBTI people.
If you love pop culture and want a hotel with a sense of humour and personality, you should definitely check out The Megaro.
