Firmdale Hotels

There are many options to choose from when visiting the UK’s cultural and financial heart—from the terrific, small boutique choices to the larger, full-on luxury spa hotels. We have many favourites, but some of the closest to our hearts are the Firmdale hotels.

Classy, quirky, chic and colourful, the Firmdale properties offer a comfortable and relaxed base from which to explore the somewhat frenetic and often frenzied city. There are currently six in Central London (with a new addition, the Dorset Square, due to open next month), plus the Crosby Street Hotel in New York.

It’s hard to pick a favourite but I love the Covent Garden Hotel, as it has a great restaurant in Brasserie Max and you can sit and watch the world go by on a sunny day near the hive of activity that is the Seven Dials. The Haymarket is the only one of the hotels with a pool, and is perfect for the West End’s world-class theatre. The Charlotte Street Hotel is an upper-class den of loveliness with another great spot to sip champagne street-side, while The Soho Hotel has a fantastic cinema club with a great screening room. The final two in West London are perfectly placed for exploring Knightsbridge and Kensington (the Number Sixteen has a gorgeous, verdant, secret garden).

The style over all the hotels is consistent yet varied. As owners and designers Tim and Kit Kemp say, “hotels should be living things and not stuffy institutions”. As such they are contemporary and bright with lots of detail, yet unfussy. The service is personable and attentive without being overbearing. In sum, a fresh and welcoming stay for your time in the Great British capital.

Anton is scouting the best of London leading up to the opening of the Olympic Games on July 27th.