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An iconic stay in the City of London ... and it won’t cost you a mint

Step inside: HotelView editor David Simpson at The Mint Hotel Tower of London.

Mint Hotel Tower of London was all abuzz on Thursday night (July 21) as it threw open the doors for the relaunch of its new Fenchurch Lounge.

It’s a spaceous straight-off-the-street facility of a hotel that already boasts one of the trendiest sky bars in London and an outside terrace for al fresco dining with panoramic views of the City that encourage you to linger over your food.

The Mint skylounge has an awesome nighttime view of the Tower Bridge

In fact all seven of Mint’s hotels across the UK feature terraces that, weather permitting, allow you to breathe in stunning sights.

At this Tower of London hotel, this includes the tower itself, Tower Bridge, the Thames and London’s latest landmark, the Shard that is nearing completion, just to name a few.

You may not get the view from the Fenchurch Lounge, but you do get the vibes. You don’t even have to leave the street as the new outdoor terrace in Savage Gardens, sponsored by Laurent Perrier, is stuffed with outside seating much in keeping with the lifestyle of famous Leadenhall Market just a stone’s throw away.

The skylounge terrace is the place to eat and breathe in some inconic views of London

The street was pedestrianised two months ago, allowing guests to enjoy a relaxed coffee or bite al fresco. There are also large umbrellas for those who wish to find shade.

Launch night was party time as The Mint hosted a huge gathering of marketing and media types to get a taste of what the Fenchurch can offer. Loads of space, loads of style loads of atmosphere and loads of new draught beers.

Mint Hotels endeavour to stay ahead of the game, which is why they always build their new hotels from scratch. It enables them to stay abreast of everything that is today’s rather than yesterday’s state of the art, and at the same time be incredibly innovative.

The Mint Hotel Tower of London, built on a parking lot and opened in December 2010, is the group’s UK flagship, and has many flags to fly.

For example, it is on the only hotel in London offering iMacs in guest rooms as standard and has free Wi-Fi throughout. Given the appeal of everything Apple, it’s great for guests who can charge up their ipads, ipods, iphones etc etc.

Bedrooms at The Mint Hotel Tower of London come with iMacs all Skyped up and ready to go

The Macs also come loaded with Skype which means you can stay in touch with loved ones and business associates from the comfort of your bedroom - which has very big beds, unpretentious furniture and just about enough space, plus a more than adequate bathroom.

The hotel also has its own free-of-charge film library available at the touch of the remote button - although the aspect from a good many of the bedroom windows makes for much better viewing.

The upper floors above the tree tops offer rooms with the best vistas, and even a glimpse of the Tower of London and the Thames, and the top floor suites have unhindered views.

One might expect the price for this 4 star deluxe offering to be on the high side, but, pleasantly at odds with the name itself, the pleasure won’t cost you a mint.

Co-founded in 1995 by Sandy Orr, executive chairman, Donald McDonald, vice chairman, and David Orr, chief executive, with Bill Crerar, the company became the first joint venture with Bank of Scotland in 1998.

Mint Hotel offers seven UK hotels – in London (Westminster and Tower of London), Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Glasgow - and one international property, Mint Hotel Amsterdam, which opened in June.