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
-
This surreal new seafood restaurant in LA is the stuff of mermaid's dreamsAt Cento Raw Bar, delectable fare is complemented by playful, oceanic interiors by Brandon Miradi
-
What’s new in the wearable world of smart glasses, and extended and augmented realityAre you ready for AR? Meta, Google, Snap and more are gearing up to compete with Apple and deliver frames-based communications devices – complete with AI integration
-
Italian-Japanese fusion’s a joy at east London’s Osteria AngelinaA Victorian warehouse in Spitalfields has been given a slick modern makeover to house a unique Italian-Japanese restaurant
-
Italian-Japanese fusion’s a joy at east London’s Osteria Angelina
A Victorian warehouse in Spitalfields has been given a slick modern makeover to house a unique Italian-Japanese restaurant
-
This Hackney bar is reviving London’s legacy of lesbian spacesDesigned by Studio Popelo, La Camionera emerges as a vital sanctuary for London’s FLINTA* community, honouring it right down to the details
-
Time-travel to the golden age of the cruise ship at Sea Containers LondonThe South Bank hotel celebrates its tenth anniversary with four new suites inspired by period cabin design, from Edwardian elegance to 1980s glamour
-
Twin Peaks’ Double R Diner is coming to London (for a day)Mubi marks Twin Peaks’ 35th anniversary with pop-up diner and streaming release
-
Ukrainian restaurant Sino adds to London's diverse food culture with warming traditions that feel familiar yet newPronounced see-no, the new Ukrainian restaurant in Notting Hill, by Polina Sychova and chef Eugene Korolev, is built on the intimate relationship between people and nature – offering beauty in simplicity
-
Art, pasta and maritozzi: this is Locatelli at the National GalleryChef Giorgio Locatelli is the National Gallery’s new Italian master with the latest chapter of his beloved London restaurant
-
A local’s guide to London – Climax Books founder Isabella Burley’s favourite hauntsCreative consultant Isabella Burley credits growing up in the English capital with shaping who she is today. She takes us on a tour of some significant spots
-
This new London restaurant is a Greek island idyll on a plateMyrtos by Asimakis is a flavoursome ode to Kefalonia, conceptualised by Vernon Viljoen and Block1:Design
