Middle Eight Hotel Review: A Green Hotel With A Suite Dedicated To The Rolling Stones

Middle Eight hotel in Covent Garden boasts a Green Tourism Award, a genuine musical connection and, most enticingly, affordable room rates. Rebecca Cox checks in to see whether this central London five-star hotel delivers.  

The Neighbourhood

Middle Eight sits on Great Queen Street, a five-minute walk from the Royal Opera House and close enough to theatreland to walk to any show of your choosing. Holborn tube and Tottenham Court Road are both a five-minute walk away, and Covent Garden is there for mooching, promising easy entertainment if you have kids in tow, too. 

What’s The Story?

The hotel occupies the site of the old Kingsway Hall recording studio, and is repositioning itself as more than just a design-led city hotel, shaped by theatre, music, dining and creative programming. 

The Rooms: Rocks Suite

I stayed in Rocks, one of only a couple of suites without a room number, tucked away on the fourth floor and dedicated to the Rolling Stones. This seems a little random until you realise the hotel’s subtle musical theme: in Rocks there’s a drum skin signed by the whole band, framed concert photography, and a small library of rock books instead of the usual coffee-table filler. The bed is comfy and huge, joined to the bathroom by a full-height sliding door, and the bathroom runs to black flooring and a twin walk-in shower with a steam function. There’s a compact living room with a decent sofa area and, best of all, a cute little terrace with outdoor seating, though there’s no view beyond the walls of the surrounding Covent Garden buildings from the terrace or the window, which features some slightly drab 80s-style grey curtains. There’s an in-room bar for mixing up a pre-dinner drink; in keeping with the room it should surely be a Tequila Sunrise. 

Sycamore Restaurant, London

Is Middle Eight Family Friendly?

Families are well catered for at Middle Eight; every child gets an Otto activity pack at check-in with a soft toy, colouring book and crayons for the two-to-six set, plus their own mini bathrobe and slippers, with staff briefed on children’s ages ahead of arrival so the welcome fits. Executive Rooms, Junior Suites and the Suites can all be adapted to be family-sized, and being in Covent Garden means the nearest family attraction is usually a five-minute walk rather than a Tube ride away. There’s no pool on site, but discounted access to a nearby spa makes up for that. 

Food & Drink

Sycamore serves up hearty, all-day Italian comfort food behind floor-to-ceiling windows over Great Queen Street, with delicious pappardelle and tortelloni on the menu plus a decent breakfast buffet served up daily. Upstairs, The Balcony does a music-themed afternoon tea, the “Covent Garden Crescendo”, with chocolate guitars and piano-key eclairs; and it’s worth checking out the live DJs and music programme bringing the bar to life in the evenings, too.

Sycamore Restaurant, London

The Vibe

The hotel leans into the music heritage of the building without being cheesy, and the styling in the public spaces is inviting, with reclaimed oak in the lobby, a wall of open fires, and an inviting first-floor lounge space with an incredible collection of music books that’s great if you have a meeting during your stay. 

C&TH Key Notes

Perfect for: theatre-goers and music obsessives who’d pick a suite for its memorabilia over its floor space.

We love: the sustainability and inclusivity credentials, a Green Tourism Award, Proud Certified LGBTQ+-inclusive status, and a policy built on six pillars covering energy, water, waste, sourcing, biodiversity and awareness.

The secret ingredient: the pizza and pasta that’s a draw beyond being a hotel restaurant.

Good to know: Rocks doesn’t appear as a bookable category online, so you might want to ask for it by name if the Rolling Stones is your bag.

The Key Facts

Address: 66 Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5BX

Rates: rooms start from £390 per night based on two adults sharing a Basic Room

Book: middleeight.com

The Last Word

The “middle eight” is the bit of a song that changes the tone before the chorus comes back, which is the perfect description of the role Middle Eight Hotel plays in setting the scene for a great Covent Garden staycation. An affordable, family-friendly five-star stay in the centre of town? Turns out you can get some satisfaction.