Last Updated on May 6, 2022
Get creative at Page8 Hotel in Trafalgar Square
Page8 Hotel has launched an evolving workshop series designed to offer alternative wellness offerings whilst supporting budding British brands. From sound healing and creative writing to the art of Bonsai, there are a plethora of events worth keeping an eye out for. Working with various instructors like Habit Haus candles and Mã-Kè Bonsai, the series utilises pre-existing spaces such as unused suites or the Page Common Café for the creative classes.
We went along to a Bendy Candle Making workshop with Habit Haus on the 29th of April. Harri from Habit Haus spent numerous hours perfecting this not-as-easy-as-it-looks craft since lockdown. During the workshop, Harri shared her secret tips on how to bend and twist a malleable candle into her signature three curves design. Then she let us loose, we had free reign to do whatever we wanted with the candles as long as we bent them. Each attendee was given a total of five candles to bend.
Straight paraffin candles were pre-submerged in hot water making them ready to bend and Harri fished out each candle as an attendee was ready to work on one. Harri was an ever-observant facilitator as she gave tips to those having difficulty achieving a specific curvature for their candle. My own experience was pretty fun – I just bent and twisted the candles experimentally which ended up turning into really fun and adventurous shapes. My companion ended up copying one of my shapes and had a slightly different variation to mine.
After bending the candles, we got to decorate them with paint. I went with a two-tone theme and painted curves across the bendy bits of my candles to achieve a fun and playful look. Each attendee got to take home the candles that they made. My companion was so pleased with the result that he gifted his creation as a housewarming present to a friend! It was a really creative and light-hearted activity and the perfect start to the Bank holiday weekend.
The next workshop is The Art of Bonsai with Ma-ke Bonsai where Mark will introduce Bonsai as a calming and stabilising facet of life that teaches patience and attention to detail. Page8’s own artesian café concept Page Common will also be serving complimentary snacks such as the hotel’s signature Tiramisu, which tastes amazing, to guests of creative workshops.
Classes start from £15 inclusive of all workshop materials and finished products as well as food and beverages provided by Page8. After the workshop, rates for a one night stay at Page8 start from £180 based on two sharing on a B&B basis.
Page8 is a sleek lifestyle boutique hotel which sits opposite the National Portrait Gallery in the heart of Trafalgar Square. It has an extremely convenient transport link in the form of Charing Cross station making it accessible for the urban traveller via tube and rail. Within a five-minute walking distance is also the National Gallery, London Coliseum and the Duke of York’s Theatre making culture an extremely convenient endeavour. Chinatown and Covent Garden are less than a ten-minute walk, placing the hotel in the vicinity of numerous shops, restaurants, casinos and theatres.
The hotel concept was born with three brand pillars in mind; locality, people and communal space. Each guest at the hotel is also given an Undiscovered London Guide, produced by Page8, which hopes to inspire neighbourhood exploration.
The hotel has a sleek yet welcoming aesthetic, very urban explorer-style indeed. On entry, you will find the Page Common Cafe, the hotel’s own artisanal coffeehouse offering really good coffee and an array of light bites. Across the cafe is a communal lounge area which has a casual chic feel to do work, personal admin or meet a friend. There is also a 24-hour front desk and concierge who will make sure that your stay is a comfortable one. I put this to the test when I had trouble connecting my phone to the Marshall speakers at 2 am and the staff didn’t flinch at delivering excellent service. Someone came up to my room and helped me connect them (apparently I didn’t push a button down for long enough).
The hotel has 138 rooms composed of double, twin, superior double, deluxe double, junior suite and family room and I was invited to stay overnight in a lovely deluxe double room after the workshop. My bedroom had a comfortable deep blue upholstered double bed with bronze accents. The bed had two hard and two soft pillows, allowing you to choose your preference.
There is also a working space, a flat-screen TV, Marshall speakers, Blue air purifier, air conditioning and Somfy electric blackout blinds, all amenities which make the room suitable for both work and play.
There are two deep blue armchairs for lounging with a small wooden side table.
The bathroom has a marble sink and marble design tiling which makes it feel elegant. It also contains Bigelow toiletries in a lovely smelling lavender peppermint formula. The 100% cotton Richard Haworth towels, room slippers and waffle bathrobes made for a comfortable post-shower experience.
The bar area contained a complimentary mini-bar which had water, soft drinks, milk and alcohol as well as a kettle to make Page Common coffee and tea.
We went up to the rooftop for dinner at Bisushima, a lovely Michelin starred Japanese restaurant which is designed with the concept of Shinrin-yoku, the natural tones and use of plants in mind. The manager took care of us and offered the four-course menu as a recommendation for us to be able to experience the variety of food that the restaurant has to offer.
Bisushima has an extensive sake menu where the glass starts at £8 and fine sake sold by the bottle starts at £117. Red wine and white wine by the glass starts at £10. There is also a variety of rose wine, sparkling wine and champagne, vodka, gin, rum, tequila and mezcal, whisky, beers and soft drinks.
We tasted the two virgin cocktails on offer. The first was composed of seedlip garden, LEC rosemary and grapefruit tonic and the second had aecorn aromatic, vanilla, lemon and orange.
The four-course menu started with a baby squid karaage, deep-fried baby squid served with a coriander dressing. With a crisp, light batter, this was a delicious start to the meal.
It was followed by the yuan chicken risotto served on a beautiful white sparkling plate. The grilled corn-fed yuan marinated chicken, Japanese risotto and shiitake tasted very fine and practically melted in your mouth. I’d never tasted yuan before and to me, it seemed like a more luxurious and lighter version of teriyaki.
The sushi course was a chef’s selection of nigiri and maki. There was a nigiri topped with salmon, yellowtail and langoustine as well as a six-piece sea bream maki. The sushi was ultra fresh and really good quality.
For dessert, we were served the green tea tiramisu made of green tea zabaione, ladyfinger and coffee which tasted delightfully familiar but novel at the same time. I’ve had matcha and tiramisu separately, but the combination of the two was delicious.
We finished with Chinese Imperial Puerh and Sobacha loose leaf teas, a luxuriously comforting way to end the night.
Breakfast is served from 7-12 pm at Page Common or you can choose to have it brought into the room, we opted for the latter. To start, we got a freshly baked ham and cheese croissant filled with cured ham and cheese as well as a pain au chocolat. Both tasted really fresh, light and fluffy as if they were just out of the oven. I have to say that it’s a massive upgrade from my dalliances at Pret.
The menu also has more filling brunch type items such as Page Common’s avocado on toast composed of a slice of Paul Rhodes sourdough with homemade guacamole, topped with sliced avocado, lemon & lime zest. I had an extra poached egg and smoked salmon on top to make it a hearty and healthy meal complete with my omega 3’s and protein. The toast was very crisp and the flavours were very balanced.
However, if you are to try one special item on the menu, we would recommend the figs and soft goat cheese on toast which comprises a slice of Paul Rhodes sourdough, figs, soft goat cheese, walnut and orange blossom honey. I’ve never tasted anything like it before and it tastes divine. The composition is very luxurious and slightly sweet, so for me, this counts as a “treat” rather than just a savoury item.
To accompany the food, we also had freshly squeezed orange juice and lemongrass tea. In true urban explorer-style, we each got a cup of their seasonal roasted coffee to go before we checked out and explored the neighbouring Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden area.
Page8 is definitely an urban oasis for the explorer. The location is very central and perfect for visitors who wish to be a stone’s throw away from the West End and various restaurants, art galleries and London sights. Perfect for work or for play, the hotel has all the amenities you would need and the staff deliver excellent service.
Page8
8 St. Martin’s Pl
London WC2N 4JH
020 3879 9400
For more about the workshop providers, check their sites.
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