The Mandrake hotel in Fitzrovia has become an occasional venue for private salons aimed at couples seeking to explore intimacy in a structured setting. Held in the hotel’s penthouse, these sessions are not part of the hotel’s regular offering but are organised periodically for small, invited groups. The focus is presented as educational rather than hedonistic, appealing to those curious about expanding their understanding of relationships and personal boundaries.
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The salons are led by Sophie Cohen, a former performer who now works as a sex coach and educator. With around a decade of experience in this field, she offers both group salons and one-to-one sessions, responding to what she describes as a lack of accessible, comfortable spaces for people to ask questions about sex and relationships. She emphasises that her role is not therapeutic, but advisory, centred on communication and self-awareness.
According to Cohen, many attendees are less driven by dissatisfaction than by curiosity and reassurance. A recurring concern, she notes, is whether individual desires are “normal”, a question she counters by stressing the absence of a single standard for sexual behaviour. She also observes a gradual shift away from narrow definitions of intimacy, with more people questioning long-held assumptions about what sex should involve.
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Despite stereotypes about British reserve, Cohen argues that the UK, and London in particular, has a long and complex history of alternative sexual cultures. She reports growing interest in topics such as non-monogamy and changing attitudes towards gender and intimacy. With events timed around occasions such as Valentine’s Day, these salons reflect broader conversations about openness, communication and evolving social norms, while remaining firmly within a private and consensual framework.
