In Focus

‘Kink tourism’ is on the rise – but does it live up to the hype?

Curious to see how the hospitality industry is embracing eroticism, Jordan Gray and her wife checked into London’s The Mandrake Hotel with its new high-end ‘kink concierge’ service – and found a world of mischief, sensuality and exploration

Sunday 19 May 2024 01:00 EDT

There’s more to The Mandrake than meets the eye... (Jonathan Bond )

There is something new and mysterious going down at this five-star Fitzrovian Hotel.

As if its shadowy provocative exterior, nestled halfway down Newman Street, doesn’t evoke a sense of darkly playful mischief, I will tell you, as a newly minted Tribe Member, that there’s more going on within the walls of The Mandrake than meets the (literal) eye.

“Kink tourism” is on the rise. There is a heightened discourse around the benefits of sexual exploration. Couples (and singles alike) are taking ever-more extravagant ownership over their erotic adventures – and the hospitality industry has responded. Hôtel Amour (Paris) comes replete with a feast of phallic paraphernalia. Hedonism II (Jamaica) is a couples-only resort that offers either a ‘rude’ or ‘prude’ package, depending on your penchant for nudity. The Erotic Suite at The Palms Casino Resort (Las Vegas) boasts mirrored ceilings, an 8ft rotating bed and a dancing pole in the shower. It’s all good fun… but where’s the nuance?

The Mandrake hotel is known for its cosmo-gothic luxury and immensive experiences (Philip Volkers)

Now, London shows its winning hand with The Mandrake – and a revolutionary new ‘kink concierge’ service and salon, one year in the making. Where other sexy retreats thrust it in your face, The Mandrake takes your hand and guides you down the rabbit hole.

Everything about The Mandrake is beautifully curated to evoke a sense of ‘ceremony’. In anticipation of tonight’s adventures, my wife and I tread lightly down its imposing dystopian entrance corridor that puts one in the mind of Neo on the trail of a white rabbit tattoo. The Mandrake has long set tongues wagging with its cosmo-gothic luxury, a world-class live events programme, its South American inspired YOPO restaurant and destination bars Waeska and the Jurema Winter Garden (a personal favourite).

Walk the mesmerising spaces of the five-star Fitzrovian Hotel (Jonathan Bond)

But we are here tonight for something new. A high-end ‘kink concierge’ service, created exclusively for The Mandrake by the enchanting Sophie Cohen, founder and artistic director of House Of Vixens. Intrigued by kink? Curious about the sub/dom dynamic? Sophie’s tailored kink masterclasses offer hotel guests a personal in-room service to “further their sexual education in an opulent setting”.

My wife and I are new to the ‘kink scene’, having recently dipped our toe at the famous Torture Garden fetish club. But tonight is the first time we’ve tried anything like this. Sophie’s service promises something more thoughtful and intimate. The best bit? This life-changing experience comes straight to your hotel room door. Tonight, in our case, that door leads to the eponymous Mandrake Suite – 61m² of dreamy decadence: a Bedouin-style tented bed, terrace access with outdoor seating, a minibar for the gods, twin vanity station, rainforest shower and freestanding claw-foot bath.

My wife (of the two of us, the more natural explorer) discovers a selection of masquerade masks on a high shelf, strewn ‘casually’ as though to encourage mischief. And if the masks don’t, the high-grade sex toys on offer from a secret drawer of the minibar certainly do. In fact, there’s not an inch of The Mandrake that doesn’t invite you to look closer and discover its magic for yourself. You just need to know where to look…

The Mandrake Suite’s sultry claw-foot tub (Jonathan Bond)

A knock on the door. Butterflies in the stomach. Our concierge Sophie enters, a commanding 6’4 in heels… and immediately puts us at ease. The sole provider of The Mandrake’s kink-and-sexuality services, the American-born sensuality-and-kink practitioner could not be friendlier, fostering an atmosphere of respect and fun – and way more laughter than one might anticipate of a kink class.

When my wife enquires about the ‘magician’s rope’ used for bondage, Sophie jokingly assures me not to worry: “I’m not gonna pull a rabbit out of your ass”. We dive into a bespoke one-hour class, centring around the kinks discussed in our pre-trip video consultation. Rope? Spanking? Psychological play? This was our time to explore, free of judgment. I’ll leave the finer details of our session for the tell-all.

Sophie Cohen runs the kink concierge service (Ross Sterling)

For those whose personalities skew a little more extrovert, Sophie’s Mandrake Salon offers larger groups the same expertly-curated kink classes with an added social element – and a glass of champagne. Joined by a live model, for the purposes of demonstration, these 90-minute classes focus on consent, communication, respect, and power dynamics within the world of sensuality and kink.

For those curious about Sophie’s 1-to-1 concierge service, but perhaps too shy to dive right in, the Mandrake Salon offers a cost-effective ‘taster’, and a chance to sample the award-winning £4,000 a night Penthouse Suite for the price of a single class. Both the salon and the concierge service are open to all genders and sexual orientations, and while couples will reap the most benefits, solo adventurers are more than welcome.

These are classes, not play parties. Of course, whatever delicious teachings you and your partner(s) take back to the comfort of your own hotel room is up to you – where those sex toys for sale in the mini bar suddenly don’t seem like such a crazy idea.

It’s the morning. Last night’s butterflies are forced to make way for ricotta pancakes with cherry compote and cocoa nibs. To cap off the trip, my wife and I treat ourselves to a final massage in The Penthouse Suite, before returning to civilian life – our minds blown, our marriage stronger than ever, and with a few kinky stories to tell.