Pete Doherty and the Libertines have opened a new hotel in England
Sep 14, 2020 • 2 min read
The Libertines inside their new hotel The Albion Rooms © Jason Knott / The Albion Rooms
They aren’t the first rock stars to branch into the hotel game, but English outfit the Libertines are hoping to make some noise with their newest project the Albion Rooms, a unique five-storey hotel on the southeast coast that includes a coffee shop, two bars and a recording studio.
Situated inside a Victorian building in Margate that overlooks the sea, the hotel is due to open on September 25 following three years of restoration and building work. Described by the band as a boutique residence, the concept for the project was overseen by the band themselves, aiming for “comfort, functionality and Great British aesthetic pleasure”.
With views across the Thanet coastline, the seven-room hotel has subtle plays to the band’s lyrics throughout, and includes a bar called the Waste Land (named in homage to the T.S Eliot poem that was written just two doors down from the hotel) serving a signature IPA and a house “Gunga Gin”, while the Arcady Coffee House serves espresso, fresh smoothies and cheese boards. There’s even an on-site recording studio where bands and artists can come to create their own music. It comes with an in-house engineer and a backline of instruments supplied by the band. The hotel also has a restaurant serving breakfast, brunch as well as bar menus and fine dining experiences.
The hotel is partnered with Apple Beats, which sees each room outfitted with a sound system. The Albion Rooms also plans to be utilized as an installation art space and studio, hosting a collection of artworks by local artists. Pete Doherty describes the hotel as “a fine Arcadian bolthole, a perfect place for prophets new-inspired, to recline, write, record, with rejoicing and knees up a-plenty.”
“It might be a while before we challenge the Savoy or the Grand Budapest in the hotel stakes, but we’ve put a lot of love into this. Meanwhile it’s a colourful and inspiring home for the Libertines and I look forward to the Albion Rooms being our very own Warholian Factory,” Carl Barât said.
Rooms start at £114 (US$147) a night. More information on the Albion Rooms is available at the official website.
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