The Franklin — London, UK
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

After a two-year face-lift, The Franklin has reopened in London’s tony Knightsbridge just around the corner from a clutch of local institutions like the V&A and Harrods. Its Italian owners Starhotels enlisted hotel doyenne Anouska Hempel to carve out 35 rooms from a trio of Victorian terrace buildings that back onto Egerton Gardens.
These days, Hempel is busier than ever, and her eye for studied opulence remains as sharp as ever. For The Franklin’s interiors, the echo of Venice looms large by way of velvets, alabaster, etched mirrors and Canaletto prints of London, mixed with ikats and silks. In particular, she channels her trademark love for grey and patterns by swathing the ground floor with limestone and Carrara marble, and the rooms with Frette bed-linen, oak floors, and mirrored furniture.
The best rooms in the house look out onto the garden and majestic stands of London Plane trees and, weather permitting, there’s something to be said for taking afternoon tea on the terrace lined with espaliered pear trees and Indian water bowls.
Meanwhile, the mirror-lined bar stocks seven champagnes and 22 gins, which might just leave you with enough steadiness to make your way to dinner in Michelin-starred Alfredo Russo’s dining room.
ADDRESS
22-28 Egerton Gardens
VIEW GOOGLE MAPS (opens in new tab)
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance combines bronze and beeswax for expressive candles
Made in Portugal under the French designer's Made in Situ label, 'Bronze and Beeswax' is a series of candles and candleholders whose aesthetic is both organic and minimalist
By Rosa Bertoli • Published
-
Karimoku Commons Kyoto offers an intimate, home-like experience
Karimoku Furniture Inc opens its first Karimoku Commons location in Kyoto, in a former wooden machiya townhouse that offers an intimate experience of the brand
By Danielle Demetriou • Published
-
Venice Biennale 2024: a guide to the artists announced so far
Keep up-to-date with our ongoing list of who’s representing who at the Venice Biennale 2024 – here's what we know so far
By Martha Elliott • Published
-
London tour: from design shopping to exciting dining, architecture and art
Our London tour is a guide to the city’s must-sees of the moment, from Battersea Power Station to a hyperlocal design hub and the best bars and restaurants
By Martha Elliott • Published
-
Cosiest London cocktail bars for this frosty winter season
The best London cocktail bars for winter, from a fairy-lit terrace in Fitzrovia to snug surrounds in Covent Garden
By Martha Elliott • Published
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico
By Chadner Navarro • Published
-
Notting Hill’s Sister Jane Townhouse is a theatre of whimsy
Sella Concept devise an eccentric, multi-experiential home for fashion brand, Sister Jane
By Harry McKinley • Last updated
-
Holmes Hotel carves out its own corner on London’s Chiltern Street — London, UK
By Melina Keays • Last updated
-
Aparthotels: the new breed of accommodation offering the best of both worlds
Aparthotels are big business. We take a look at Native, the design-led brand with big plans
By Lauren Ho • Last updated
-
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland
By Daven Wu • Last updated
-
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia
By Dimity Noble • Last updated