THE JOURNAL
LITTLE GEMS
With a flurry of new hotel openings, why are we longing to stay in somewhere cosier and quirkier, and why is a boutique hotel project on every interior designer’s wish list? Ticky Hedley-Dent investigates
Boutique hotel junkies can rejoice, because there continues to be a steady stream of new openings that are hitting that design sweet spot. The term boutique hotel was coined in 1984 by the king of cool himself, Studio 54 founder and legendary hotelier Ian Schrager, when he used it to refer to his now closed Morgans Hotel in New York. The concept being that the hotel had the creativity, personality and style of a boutique rather than a hotel – and boy did this concept fly. He was, as usual, hitting the zeitgeist and the boutique
hotel sector has continued to flourish. “Hospitality has changed a great deal in the last two decades,” says interior designer Russell Sage who worked on the beautiful interior of the newly opened Henry’s Townhouse in Marylebone, a project in collaboration with Jane and Steven Collins. “People desire a much more personable experience and service. Boutique
hotels being smaller in scale, create an environment that naturally evokes an experience that makes the guests feel unique and looked after.” Of course, boutique hotels themselves have become
ubiquitous, but what makes the great ones unique is when the designer has dug down and rooted the project not only in its location but with an interesting backstory. Henry’s Townhouse was an interior designer’s dream as it is the former home of Jane Austen’s favourite brother Henry. Each of the seven rooms is designed with its own story. “Henry’s Townhouse for us was a great opportunity to create spaces that engage the guest with characters from the past, their individuality and relationship with each other. Bringing the house back to life, through the restoration of the building and meticulously layering details, we created a sophisticated small hotel with a sense of occasion,” says Sage. Guests
OPPOSITE: Nicola Harding’s scheme for the check-in area at Beaverbrook Town House in Chelsea, with ‘Pineapples’ wallcovering from Adelphi Paper Hangings at Tissus d’Hélène and a Vaughan ‘Shoreham’ lamp. ABOVE: Russell Sage Studio collaborated with Jane and Steven Collins for the Regency-inspired Henry’s Townhouse
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