It’s self-dubbed a “luxury lifestyle hotel,” but that just means you’ll find this midsized choice attractive and comfortable. A new entrant in late 2021, Middle Eight is quiet and calming despite its situation on a popular road linking Holborn and Covent Garden, designed with care in golds, greys, and smoky yellow glass. Your key card is made of wood and your bathrobe from recycled plastic (although you wouldn’t realize it if you weren’t told). Most rooms don’t have a desk, just a narrow counter, but there’s an inviting settee for lounging. Bathroom floors are heated, and the minibars throw in a few free soft drinks. In a weird touch, our room’s wall, which was otherwise dusky and atmospheric to suit the decorating ambitions, was also painted in gilt lettering with a lyric from My Fair Lady, an American musical. Despite the trappings, the hotel isn’t much of a social scene; on our last visit, the bar struggled to stay open to its posted closing time, although it hardly mattered since there are hundreds of other bars to choose from in every direction around it. Comfortable, stylish without haughtiness, and an excellent place to snooze within steps of the action.