LONDON – The Cockney cabbie taking us to the stylish K-West Hotel and Spa tells us the ultra-chic property is the “coolest hotel in London, mate.”
We assume it’s the hotel’s chic ice cube exterior – lots of glass and stainless steel wrapped around a block design – that makes people, like our cabbie, think it’s so cool.

“No, mate,” says the Cockney as he pulls his black cab up in front of the stylish property which stands out amidst the lovely red brick Georgian townhomes that surround it in an area of West London known as Shepherds Bush, which borders on Hammersmith and trendy Kensington.

Okay then, maybe the hotel is considered “cool” because most of its clientele is made up of rock stars and Hollywood types (Matthew McConaughey was a recent guest) who come to this part of London for recording sessions at the studios located near the hotel – the world famous Shepherds Bush Studio sits directly across the street from the K-West.

Or maybe it’s because the hotel is in walking distance of the Westfield Mall, London’s ultra-cool new shopping plaza – the biggest in Europe – whose 230-plus stores make Harrods look like a bargain basement shop.

“Nope,” says the cabbie, who hands us our change and tells us “what makes the K-West so cool is hidden inside,” before driving off.

On the other side of the hotel’s revolving doors we emerge into a contemporary world of glass and chrome surrounded by shades of cool purple spread throughout the lobby area. The staff, dressed Prada chic, is efficient and accommodating and the people hanging around the lobby bar look like they’ve just stepped off the stage after performing an all-night rock concert.

Very cool!

The hotel’s cutting-edge design extends into its 220 air conditioned bedrooms where guests are surrounded by shades of soft taupe, creams and browns alongside dark walnut, more stainless steel and sandblasted glass. The rooms offer oversized beds and original artwork and the bathrooms are the coolest we’ve ever seen in London and come complete with Philippe Stark fittings. How cool is that?

The electronic furnishings certainly cater to the hotel’s “cool” clientele – DVDs, hi-fis and iPod connections are standard, as are LCD flat-screen TVs.
The hotel’s K-Lounge is often called the “hippest” bar in London – it reminded me of the famed bar at another cool London landmark, One Aldwych – and, as you can imagine,  it rocks to the early hours every night.

All very impressive, but we still felt we had not found what the cabbie described was the “coolest thing” about the K-West.

Exhausted, we decide to cool our heels in the K-Spa, the hotel’s ultra-modern facility and the result of a $3 million refurbishment of the property, originally opened in 2001, carried out in 2010.

London is one world capital not noted for its spa facilities – but it is now, thanks to K-Spa.

The K-Spa, with its well-trained massage therapists, hydrotherapy pool, dry flotation tank, sauna, aromatic herbal steam room and sun meadow, is London’s best. Nothing compares to this beauty, and we’ve tried most in Britain’s capital.

We quickly change into our spa gear – slippers and robe – and submerge our bodies in the hydrotherapy pool, followed by shorts stints in the sauna and aromatic herbal steam room while waiting for our Thai massage therapist to arrive – the treatment was divine, by the way.

A wooden door at one end of the spa room draws our attention and curiosity gets the better of us. As we slowly open the door, a blast of cold air hits our bodies and a chill runs down our spines as we realize we’ve finally discovered what the cabbie told us was the “coolest” thing about the K-West – the Snow Paradise.

The specialty room was designed by a German firm to allow K-Spa guests to enjoy the Finnish experience of freezing your way to good health in a room that is kept at a constant -15C. The Snow Paradise is reminiscent of a snow drift and the sudden and extreme change in temperature is supposed to stimulate the body’s circulation and improve the immune system.

One step on the snow shocks us back to cold Canadian winter reality and so we quickly retreat into the K-Spa’s warm and soothing sauna where the temperature averages 59C.

Another cool thing about this hotel: K-West Hotel offers its guests a chance to record their own track at nearby Wendyhouse Productions, where the likes of Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams cut their albums, with a Rock ’n Roll Package that includes a tour of the boutique recording studio, a three-hour recording session, an overnight stay in one of the K-West’s executive guestrooms and breakfast.

A cool offer indeed, but one that requires the cold hard cash of a mega rock star because the K-West Rock ’n Roll Package costs about $800 for two. Regular room rates, however, start around $200 – a bargain by London standards.

Although out of London’s city centre loop, the tourist attractions of the historic British capital are never far away from the K-West thanks to the city’s renowned Underground network – Shepherd’s Bush tube station near the hotel will get you to Westminster in about 10 minutes. The hotel is also close to Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

Of course, there’s really no reason to leave this oasis of luxury – the K-West’s Kanteen restaurant is a stylish contemporary eatery which offers a menu of creative dishes that are Michelin-star worthy. Even the room service meals here are superb.

Attractions close to the hotel include the world famous Portobello Market, Kensington High Street, Hyde Park, Earl’s Court and the Olympia.

But the biggest attraction in this area is the K-West – a pretty cool place.

INFORMATION On the K-West: www.k-west.co.uk On London: www.visitlondon.com On Britain: www.visitbritain.com