So I stumbled across Mimi’s Hotel Soho on Frith Street, and honestly? It’s one of those places that just gets Soho right. You know how some hotels try too hard to be trendy and end up feeling like they’re performing “cool” for tourists? This isn’t that. When you walk up to the entrance between 56 and 57 – it’s actually spread across two Georgian townhouses, which you don’t realize until you’re inside – there’s this immediate sense that you’re somewhere that belongs in the neighborhood rather than just dropped into it.
The thing about staying right on Frith Street is you’re literally in the thick of everything, but somehow Mimi’s manages to feel like a refuge from all that Soho chaos. I mean, you’ve got Ronnie Scott’s practically next door, and you can walk to Chinatown in about two minutes, but once you’re inside, the rooms are surprisingly quiet. Well, quiet for Soho anyway – you’ll still hear the occasional late-night reveler, but it’s part of the charm rather than a nuisance. The staff actually seem to know the area, too, which is rarer than you’d think. When I asked about a good spot for coffee that wasn’t completely overrun with tourists, the guy at the front desk sent me to this little place on Bateman Street that I never would have found otherwise.
What really sold me on the place was the attention to details that matter when you’re actually living somewhere for a few days. The rooms aren’t huge – this is central London, after all – but they’re thoughtfully laid out, and there’s enough space to actually unpack without feeling like you’re playing Tetris with your luggage. The bathrooms have those little touches that show someone was thinking about the guest experience rather than just checking boxes on a renovation list. And honestly, for a 4-star place with a 7.8 rating, my expectations were pretty measured, but Mimi’s exceeded them in ways that actually matter. You’re not going to get a massive spa or a rooftop pool, but you will get a genuinely comfortable base for exploring one of London’s most vibrant neighborhoods, run by people who seem to actually care about hospitality rather than just going through the motions. If you want to feel like you’re staying in Soho rather than just visiting it, this is your spot.