Part of The Starhotels Collezione group, The Franklin London is an architectural jewel boasting history and heritage. Influenced by world-renowned designer Anouska Hempel, The Franklin London has a sophisticated personality with brilliant attention to detail.
Location
The Franklin London is at the core of Knightsbridge and it’s here where you will discover sophisticated elegance, surrounded by the beautiful Egerton Gardens. This signature boutique hotel works in parallel to match the opulent theme of its neighbours, Harrods. World famous art, fine dining and the abundance of green spaces, can all be discovered inside. The quintessential English ambience captures the harmony that you would expect to find inside a classic London Victorian townhouse.
The Hotel
The Franklin London is an architectural example of Anouska Hempel at her finest. The four town-houses combine together to make one elegant destination, where both harmony and tranquillity are seasoned through the layers of colours in each room. Grey velvet dining chairs and bar stools, black and white marble tables, settees, tin lamps and more, reflect the sereneness of the gardens outside.
Each piece of furniture in the rooms throughout have been adapted to the space, achieving a sense of romance in every corner. Yard stick lamps designed in grey to suit the main colours of the hotel glow on the bedside tables. High-backed tin chairs strategically add dimension to the room, whilst the 18th century replica Venetian marble mirrors reflect the trees outside. Anouska Hempel’s ideas and themes are smartly executed, through the styles and features she combines from different countries, continents and periods around the globe.
This exquisitely furnished hotel has 35 rooms and suites flooded with light and comfort, a gourmet Italian restaurant overseen by Alfredo Russo, a chic cocktail and champagne bar, a Hammam spa, as well as a library to host small private events.
Our Junior Suite
Each one of the 35 rooms at this luxury hotel are influenced by the originality of the work of Anouska Hempel.
For us, our stay was to be in a 30 Sqm Junior Suite. The interiors are brushed with shades of Prussian blue and earl grey, with a white ceiling featuring heavily enriched coving you would expect to see inside a period townhouse.
The furniture and décor were so interesting – a specially created Simmons double black iron bed frame with perfectly balanced mirrors above and at each side created a sense of elegance and homeliness. Pale grey linen ottoman storage chests sit neatly at the foot of the bed, complementing the white linen settee with black lacquered legs in the seating area. A mirrored chest of drawers with a marbled surface and a table with two iron chairs either side are ready to host breakfast the following morning.
The high ceilings and full-height windows offer views of the verdant parkland of Egerton Gardens. You get a real sense as though Hempel has designed the interior of the room influenced by a vision to bring the concept of the garden backdrop inside. The comfortable bathroom has a marbled floor and surfaces, with a large, charming oval bath stealing the show. Anouska’s exquisite eye for composition comes to the forefront in the junior suites, capturing a classical design with a bright contemporary touch.
Dinner
The restaurant at The Franklin London overlooks the garden and has a strong Gatsby-esque ambience, which carries into the stylish Franklin Bar. Anouska yet again at her best, with every inch of thought placed into each area and corner of these dining rooms. Grey velvet restaurant chairs with black lacquered legs with decorative ceramic knobs, frilly bendy opal shades with burnished bronze floor lamps, carrara white marble tables with steel bases, wall sconces with parchment shades, as well as free standing storm lanterns. Opulence continues to ooze with a feeling of exclusivity and refined warmth, which bounces off the reflections in the immense Venetian floor to ceiling mirrors.
Presided by Alfredo Russo, prepare to be dazzled with a modern Italian dining experience that involves a combination of simplicity, sophistication and quality seasonal ingredients.
Our evening started with a glass of red bodega bhilar to wash down a selection of artisan cheeses and charcuterie, all hand-picked by the chef: cellar-aged Fort Saint Antoine Comté cheese, finely sliced cured salami and matured prosciutto, toasted pullman bread topped with premium honey to titillate our taste buds. This was followed by a beef fillet, served with roasted potatoes and fine mixed salad for the main. The third and final course was a classic and well executed tiramisu.
The Franklin Bar was the final stop for the evening, where we enjoyed a few cocktails. The ‘winter bellini’ is a must try. Prosecco, pomegranate and thyme create a cocktail that not only looks exotic, but tastes divine!
Wellness centre
Featuring a spectacular hammam spa, this warm age-old Moroccan ritual is deeply nourishing and highly cleansing. The hot steam helps to rejuvenate, stimulate circulation, restore tired and aching muscles and eliminate toxins. There is a small boutique gym, home to a choice of free-weights and the latest cardio equipment (a personal trainer can also be booked on request during your stay). Finally, you have the option to relax, de-stress and energise in the comfort of your own room, with in-room luxury spa and salon services provided by Viva Therapies.
Before getting too comfortable in the cosy hotel’s room and surroundings, we appointed ourselves to the gym to do some strength training, finishing with a set of fast and sweaty treadmill sprints. Workout complete! Next, we prepared ourselves for some rest and recovery in the beautiful hammam spa.
Breakfast
Breakfast is also served in The Franklin Restaurant. However after a highly satisfying sleep, we were not quite ready to part with the five star bed and so opted for room service. Breakfast arrived on trays precisely lined with pristine white cotton cloths and carefully covered with silver cloches.
Pancakes as light and fluffy as clouds, were topped with wild berries and served with fresh cream on the side. These were sat alongside a generously sized traditional full English breakfast, with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.
In a nutshell
From £380 a night, The Franklin London is not only conveniently located to enjoy some of the best things to do in London, but promises to deliver an exceptional stay that combines the warmth of a private home, the impeccable service of a luxury hotel and the timeless Italian influenced design by Anouska Hempel.
To discover more, visit: collezione.starhotels.com
All imagery courtesy of The Franklin London.
View this post on Instagram