You require a hotel that is ultra-central, chic but not aggressively trendy,  which also offers all the sophisticated guest services available. In short: the kind of hotel you would come back to again and again.

The Haymarket Hotel delivers on all fronts. It is situated in the heart of London’s West End, between Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square. Two blocks away from the National Gallery, it is also in the midst of the theatre district and close to some of London’s best restaurants and bars. St.James’s Park is a short walk and the hotel is within easy reach of the city’s financial district. Opened in March 2007, it is one of six London hotels (some with their own private cinema) owned by entrepreneurs Tim and Kit Kemp.

The Kemps made hotel history by pioneering the boutique-hotel concept, creating deeply comforting and welcoming spaces with flair and individuality. Tim Kemp finds the sites. His wife (named “International Interior Designer of the Year in 2008) looks after the decor, overseeing every detail, and never repeating herself: every room in each of her hotels is unique. Her classic-contemporary “fusion” design ethos mixes handpicked antiques, rustic and contemporary pieces and original art with a seductive blend of fabrics and textures in fresh colours.

The building of the Haymarket Hotel comprises three noble, four-storey Georgian town houses, part of a grand plan for London, executed by the architect John Nash for George IV. Inside you find Kit Kemp’s signature quirky style: a touch of  English country house comfort, relieved here and there with touches of modernity. When you enter the hotel, a sense of airiness is immediately noticeable. The floor boards are of light grey oak. Minimal modern art is scattered about the lobby and the three spacious public areas - nicely offset by white walls, canary-yellow fabrics and distressed-wood furniture. Rooms are mainly illuminated by table lamps. This makes the conservatory (ideal for afternoon tea) and the sumptious library (guests sign for drinks at the honesty bar) warm and intimate places to relax in. A charming touch: The library  has a corner set aside for chess. There is also the Shooting Gallery, a private function room where hand-painted paper depicts a tropical jungle in shades of grey.

The hotel’s 47 bedrooms and three suites are large by London standards, with colour schemes ranging from floral prints to monochrome stripes.  High-speed wireless access,  a flat screen LCD television - all the standard high-tech offerings are available but discreetly done.They are not the central focus. Common to all rooms is a tailor’s dummy that features the same fabrics as the room and has become the hotel’s signature and logo. 

Guests can also take advantage of the BRUMUS bar and restaurant and a stunning 18 metre swimming pool with bar and a nightclub-worthy sound and lighting system. But perhaps the hotel’s most  impressive feature is the exclusive four-level town house with its own front door and access to all the hotel’s services and facilities.  It’s first-floor drawing room has two fireplaces and overlooks the stage door of the Theatre Royal Haymarket. There is total privacy and an expandable number of bedrooms, as suites can be closed off for bodyguards, nannies, assistants, personal trainers: the essential paraphernalia of visiting film stars.

Creating something out of nothing is a skill Tim and Kit Kemp have turned into an art form. They have now brought their bo-bo (bohemian-bourgeois) style and long standing reputation for world class service to Lower Manhattan. The Crosby Street Hotel in SoHo occupies a purpose-built 11-storey building that  has floor-to ceiling warehouse-style windows and respects the 19th-century industrial vibe of downtown Manhattan. The hotel features an impressive art collection and is one of the most environmentally responsible hotels built in the United States. It is the first of several properties planned for New York City.

Haymarket Hotel
1 Suffolk Place, London SW1X 4BP
www.firmdale.com