Housed in one of London’s most storied neighbourhoods, King’s Cross has long been a place of arrival, departure and reinvention. Once a shadowy meeting point for late-night encounters and underground queer nightlife, it has evolved into one of the capital’s most design-led destinations, without ever losing its edge.
This is a district with LGBTQ+ history stitched into its bricks: from discreet bars that offered refuge in less tolerant times, to the creative communities that flourished here through the ’80s and ’90s. Today, King’s Cross feels reborn, it’s home to Google’s UK HQ, YouTube Music, the fashion-forward Coal Drops Yard, and the Eurostar, connecting London to the rest of Europe with a certain cinematic glamour.
Presiding over it all, perched proudly like a gothic guardian, is the St. Pancras London, Autograph Collection, one of the city’s most impressive and instantly recognisable buildings.
Originally opened in 1873, the hotel is a masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture, all soaring spires, carved stone and dramatic arches. It’s also pop culture royalty, famously immortalised in the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” video, cementing its place in British queer-adjacent iconography. Step inside and the grandeur continues: cathedral-like ceilings, intricate tilework, and an interior that feels both theatrical and transportive.
It was the perfect setting for our shoot launching The Inheritance with Channel 4, opulent, cinematic and unapologetically grand. But once you’re inside St. Pancras, it’s impossible not to explore further.
So naturally, we headed straight to the spa.
Hidden beneath the hotel like a secret vault, the spa feels worlds away from the bustle of King’s Cross above. Candlelit corridors, exposed brick and softly lit pools create an atmosphere that’s almost monastic, calm, cocooning and indulgent. Treatments range from restorative massages to full-body rituals, and it’s genuinely surreal to surface afterwards and remember you’re in the very centre of London.
Our evening continued at the Booking Office 1869, a space that feels effortlessly New York-esque in its energy. Think dark woods, brass accents, statement lighting, and that low hum of conversation that makes you want to order one more cocktail. It’s buzzy but refined, glamorous without trying too hard.
Time itself becomes part of the theatre. Twice each evening, the bar pauses for a pair of carefully choreographed rituals, subtle nods to the building’s Victorian past and the rhythms of railway life.
At 5:05 PM, guests are invited to partake in the Victorian Punch ritual. The timing is deliberate: in the 19th century, this hour marked the end of the working day for railway engineers and architects who once occupied the space.
Later, at 7:35 PM, the bar shifts again for the G&TEA ritual, a playful marriage of Britain’s two most enduring obsessions: gin and tea.
In a building designed around precision, punctuality and movement, they invite guests to slow down.
Dinner was classic and confident: steak, cooked perfectly, with generous sides designed for sharing. Cocktails arrived polished and punchy, served with the kind of ease that only comes from knowing exactly who you are.
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