Spice Up Your World

Were you one of those little girls who used to role-play a Spice Girl at recess — full choreography, hairbrush microphone, and all? Or does this sound like absolute madness to you?

If it’s the former, you’ll understand my excitement when I finally visited the Midland Grand Hotel (formerly the St Pancras Renaissance), where the Spice Girls filmed their legendary “Wannabe” video. Yes! That staircase.

I’ve worked near St Pancras Station for almost a decade, walking past that majestic red-brick building countless times. Yet somehow, it took me ten years to actually step inside.

Built in 1865 as a monument to grandeur and modern luxury, the Midland Grand Hotel was a showpiece for the golden age of rail travel — gold leaf walls, sweeping staircases, fireplaces in every room. But glamour comes at a cost! By 1935, it was too expensive to maintain and officially closed, becoming offices for British Rail until it failed fire regulations and sat abandoned for decades.

And yet, while the rooms went dark, the legend stayed alive. Filmmakers and photographers fell in love with its faded beauty, until one day, five girls in platform boots ran up its staircase and changed pop culture forever.

Fast forward to now: the building has been reborn as the Midland Grand Hotel, and I recently received an invitation to dine at its beautiful Midland Grand Dining Room.

Naturally, I saw it as a sign — the perfect excuse to play dress-up and finally have my own Wannabe moment.

The space is spectacular: a cathedral of arches, darker tones and that famous staircase curling like a secret. I wore a silky number that deserved the drama, of course.

Worth a stop whether you’re catching a train or just craving a taste of old-world decadence. Come for the architecture, stay for the cocktails, and maybe — just maybe — hum “If you wanna be my lover” as you walk up the stairs.

P.S.: I was Emma.

TCB xx