Royal Garden Hotel

Kensington, London

A couple years ago, we were contacted by a hotelier to refurbish their hotel in Kensington, including 420 rooms and public areas.

The hotel overlooks one of central London’s most important green spaces. With views overlooking Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park as the main selling point of the hotel, our design aim was to furnish the rooms with a neutral and pared back aesthetic while still retaining a sense of luxury that is the hallmark of a 5-star hotel.

Photography: Michael Franke

The original hotel was designed by one of the titans of British architecture, Colonel Seifert. Although having undergone a retrocladding process in the 90s, we were cognizant of the modernist flavour of the original architecture, with its rational layout, simple rooms and full width picture windows.

Our design is intended to be as timeless and straightforward as the original, while creating a haven of calm and warmth for the 21st-century hotel guest. The unobstructed views of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park are the star of the show. Our rooms have been oriented to optimise its location, flooding the rooms with natural light and maximising the exceptional views over London.

The guest should feel immediately at home due to the familiar layout, warm and natural materials and subtle lighting. We provided tonal and textured backdrops with oak herringbone floors and handmade raffia-covered panels, within which we placed touch points such as bespoke wool rugs, grey-stained oak joinery items and bronzed trims on the mirrors and cabinets.