Sea Containers London, a Chic Design Hotel on the River Thames' South Bank, Now Has New Suites Inspired by 1920s Transatlantic Cruising

Sea Containers London on the city’s South Bank now has four new suites, each inspired by a distinct golden era of transatlantic cruising.The accommodations, available for booking starting April 16, feature vintage furniture, curated books, and bottled cocktails that each reflect a specific period in 20th-century cruise liner history.Originally opened in 2014, the 354-room hotel was designed to recall a 1920s transatlantic cruise liner.

Sea Containers London, a luxury hotel on the city’s South Bank, just unveiled four new cabin suites, each inspired by a different period of maritime history.

Available to book beginning April 16, the new accommodations—the Edwardian Cabin Suite, Art Deco Cabin Suite, Mid-Century Cabin Suite, and Dynasty Cabin Suite—are the creation of Jacu Strauss, designer and creative director of Lore Group, which manages Sea Containers London.

“I’ve always loved the romance of transatlantic travel—those golden eras when setting sail was as much about style as it was about the journey,” Strauss told Travel + Leisure. “So, we’ve created a suite collection that pays tribute to four iconic moments in 20th-century cruise liner history.”

Originally opened in 2014, the 354-key hotel is designed to recall a 1920s transatlantic cruise liner, with gilt portholes in bathrooms and the lobby, and curved copper walls reminiscent of a 19th-century clipper sailing vessel. Additionally, the hotel features floor-to-ceiling windows offering sweeping views of the iconic river.

Each new suite chronicles a distinct design epoch: the early 20th-century Edwardian era; the glamorous art deco period of the 1920s and ‘30s; the innovative mid-century golden age of the 1950s and ’60s; and the glittering extravagance that defined the 1980s Dynasty-era aesthetics.

Strauss partnered with vintage furniture specialist Vinterior to source authentic pieces for each space. The Edwardian suite features an upholstered walnut armchair and a mahogany leather-top kidney-shaped desk. Art deco includes a 1930s sofa and armchair set and Swedish walnut bedside tables. The mid-century suite has a Danish powder blue sofa and Ludwig Mies Van De Rohe chrome leather chair. For pure ‘80s opulence, the Dynasty suite has a lucite and glass coffee table and a Maralunga sofa by Italian architect Vico Magistretti, freshly recovered in leather.

Collaborating with Vinterior allowed Strauss to sustainably repurpose furniture already in circulation and to design the suites “in a way that captures the mood and personality of each moment in time—through shapes, textures, finishes, and carefully sourced vintage pieces,” he explained. “Everything you see isn’t just beautiful, it’s practical and purposeful, proving that great design doesn’t age, it evolves.”

Each suite features books curated by global publishing company Phaidon and bottled cocktails by the hotel’s award-winning bar, Lyaness, also inspired by the respective era. The new accommodations aren’t intended to feel like a home away from home, according to Strauss, but rather, take travelers on a glamorous transatlantic cruise.

“More than anything, I want guests to feel a sense of delight—as if they’ve stepped into a whimsical world for the length of their stay,” he said.

Nightly rates at Sea Container London’s new cabin suites start from £1,100, and you can book your stay at seacontainerslondon.com.