St Martins Lane London Celebrates the LGBTQIA+ Community with Pride365

Until the end of July the iconic St Martins Lane London hotel will play host to an eye-catching display across the front of its revered building. Created by two independent, LGBTQIA+ founded creative forces; The Penthouse and Be The Fox deliver the Pride 365 / Every Step campaign. With the hotel located in the heart of the community, the legendary establishment invites guests from all walks of life to join the party both inside and out by visiting the 6m x 1.5m video wall installation as well as enjoying the new Chandon Garden Spritz Terrace.

“St Martins Lane London prides itself on standing with the LGBTQIA+ community 365 days a year, which is where the #Pride365 campaign idea was born from.” commented Caroline Douglas-Hamilton, director and co-founder of The Penthouse.

The hotel is a centre point in the world’s gay capital for queer people to feel welcome, championed, and cherished. For Pride this year, it won’t be any different. High-definition screens have been installed on the lower third of the façade where the biggest Pride party will be transported into St Martins Lane London. The video, which was produced by Be The Fox using a green screen studio shoot, will play on a continuous staggered loop, with eight prominent members of the LGBTQIA+ community 'donating their legs' to feature as dancers in the campaign joined by ‘party animals’ including a flamingo and zebra showcasing true diversity as well as:

• Para-Athlete, Lizzie Williams
• Drag Queen and Singer, Cherry Fakewell
• Poet and Activist, Aflo
• Comedian and Author, Jen Brister
• DJ, Patrick Cawley
• Entertainer and Compare, Paul Diello
• Director and Pro Roller-Skater, Harv
• Singer and Producer, Leee John

Alongside the symbolic installation, as part of the hotel’s ethos and mission throughout the year, the team are also committed to raising money and volunteering for AKT, a charity who supports LGBTQIA+ young people in the UK facing and experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment.

With cross over specialisms in luxury hospitality, conceptual visualisation and film production - the two Brighton-based agencies, Be The Fox and The Penthouse, worked side by side to deliver the month-long installation through creativity, collaboration and a shared passion for their community. 

Natasha Hargan, general manager from St Martins Lane London said; “We feel proud to be part of the pride and LGBTQIA+ community since we launched in 1999, from the original days when Ian Schrager celebrated diversity in all its variations. We’ve since had drag queens walking through reception at 3am with heels in their hands after performances and many weddings, birthdays, and parties to celebrate the fabulous diverse guests we’ve had over the past 20 years. We want everyone passing by to know they are welcome all year round.”

Diana Ellis-Hill, co-founder of Be The Fox commented; “As a LGBTQIA+ founded agency, this project was incredibly important to us. We wanted to ensure authenticity and to feature real people from within the LGBTQIA+ community in the work. We had an amazing response when we reached out to cast the #Pride365 campaign, which was due to the ethos of the campaign and the commitment of St Martins Lane Hotel to reflect and celebrate the community itself. Leee John even donated his music to the installation to ensure everyone was dancing to the same beat! It’s been fantastic to be part of such a collaboration.”