Treating guests like rockstars: The Hip Pop Britannia rooms at The Megaro
Henry Chebaane has recently completed the first phase of The Megaro hotel’s revamp, unveiling the Hip Pop Britannia lifestyle rooms.
Facing St Pancras and Kings Cross stations, the Megaro is an independently-owned boutique hotel that has become somewhat of a London landmark - in part due to the colourful 450 square metre graffiti mural (the largest in London) that has been painted onto the hotel's classic Georgian façade. Eccentric, self-made hotelier Tony Megaro is the owner of the dynamic hotel, and he always strives to create bespoke, authentic and creative experiences for his guests.
One of the ways Tony Megaro creates the bespoke look for his hotel is through working with Paris-born British designer Henry Chebaane, and the studio he founded in 2002, Blue Sky Hospitality. A few months ago, the multi-disciplinary design studio was commissioned to completely renovate the hotel; the aim of the revamp is to elevate the Megaro’s “status among the customers working in the many creative industries” around Kings Cross.
As Blue Sky is progressively shaping the entire hotel, different spaces within the hotel are being completed at different times. The first element of the hotel to be completed was the Megaro’s extravagant lobby mini-bar, Minimix; conceived and designed by Chebaane, what was previously the reception lobby of the hotel has been transformed into a bar – which seats just 14 guests. The intimate, speak-easy style venue was launched in December 2017.
The next stage of the Megaro’s renovation has also now been completed by Chebaane and his team: the makeover of three of the hotel’s prominent corner studios into “rockstar” accommodation. The concept for the suites has been called “Hip Pop Britannia”, and Blue Sky took inspiration for the rooms from the areas surrounding the Megaro, including St Pancras, Kings Cross and Camden.
“The design aim is to treat guests like rock stars,” Chebaane explains, “providing a cocooning space that is both restful and stimulating through a combination of dark colours, high textural contrast and tongue-in-cheek references to British pop culture”. The mix of Victorian proportions, high ceilings and the contemporary Pop Art style in each of the suites creates a dramatic, welcoming feel for guests, and continues the contrasting experience between the outside façade and colourful graffiti.
Each of the three suites has an individual colour scheme, inspired by the vibrant fashion scene in nearby Camden – these have been dubbed ‘Scarlett Punk’, ‘Plum Rock’ and ‘Toffee Techno’. Featuring furnishings from the Diesel Living collection, Chebaane has also created bespoke pieces for the suites, using local cultural icons like the British bulldog and Hedwig, Harry Potter’s owl, and adding a unique, quirky twist to them. Each large studio room receives ample daylight, and has direct views over St Pancras station.
The Megaro’s vibrant new suites are a perfect match for the surrounding area of London, which Chebaane sees as a 'cradle' of British pop culture. “Kings Cross is a hot bed of creativity - with Central St Martins art school and numerous creative industries [nearby],” he mentions. “The design of these suites aims to reflect the new-found edgy energy of the neighbourhood”.
