Sixties `it girl` and actress turned hotelier, Anouska Hempel, is a legend in design circles. Famed for creating the stunning Hempel Hotel in London’s West End, Anouska is also responsible for establishing the prestigious Blakes in London and Amsterdam, and most recently the rainforest-inspired Warapuru in Bahia. Known for her unwavering commitment to the creative vision, Anouska is an unapologetic perfectionist. Her eye for detail is most evident in the understated Hempel, said to be one of London’s first minimalist hotels.
Compared to the lavish Blakes Hotel in South Kensington, the simplicity of the Hempel is a stark contrast. Discreet glamour in an almost all white decor is this Hotel’s signature style. From the sparse lobby to the Zen garden, all areas of the hotel are focused on creating calm and tranquillity. Each of the 44 bedrooms and six apartments in the Hempel are all individually
designed to exact standards. Particular highlights feature a bed in a cage over a lounge and a towering atrium over a bed.
Located at Craven Hills Gardens, north of Hyde Park, the luxury hotel is situated close to the world-famous Portobello market of Notting Hill. This market runs along a mile-long road which is lined with antique treasures and vintage fashions. After a long day, head to the Churchill Arms on Kensington Church street, a pub and Thai eatery that is literally decorated in flowers. For a more upmarket affair, take a Black cab to Nobu in Mayfair or the Worseley in Picadilly.
There are endless possibilities when it comes to London entertainment. Despite its gritty streets and more often than not, gloomy skies, London is a metropolis that is open to the world. Diverse in its cultural offerings; underground tube rides,
outrageous tabloids, summer music festivals, pubs at every corner,’beigels’ on Brick Lane, bars in Hoxton, super-clubs in Farringdon, lazy Sundays on Hampstead Heath and Soho cabarets – and this is barely scratching the surface.
www.the-hempel.co.uk
