Blakes is the inspirational creation of world renowned designer Anouska Hempel as the world’s first luxury boutique hotel. Located in the leafy Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Blakes is justly famous for its stunning design, elegance and dedicated service. Its uncompromising stand on privacy has made it the London base for film stars, musicians and all the top designers, earning its reputation as The "Couture" Hotel.Sympathetically converted from a collection of period Victorian town houses, Blakes is now established and recognized as totally unique and has revolutionized and influenced the concept of the small luxury hotel worldwide. Blakes is a seductive design journey through India, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and on to the Pyramids, back through Italy ending up in the heart of London. An elegant, eclectic, ethnic picture reflected in the abundance and luxury of accessories, furniture and artifacts found all over the world by Anouska Hempel herself over the many years of her far flung travels. It evokes past and current intrigues and dark mysteries. The ‘Opium Den’ that is The Chinese Room, sits next to the critically acclaimed restaurant adorned in luxurious soft furnishings and a myriad of slipper orchids where candles and books are in profusion, stacked high on the squat tables waiting for guests to leaf through their exotic pages. Chinese ancestors smile knowingly down from the walls, black lacquer trays and colourful canapés gives the perfect background for the gentle and elegant service that glides unobtrusively from room to room giving the most discreet attention one could ever wish for. Yet at the same time the place is busy, bustling, bohemian and beautiful. The room itself is the epitome of decadence and comfort dedicated to the likes of Chanel and Dietrich, and is the place to be before or after enjoying the delights of an evening in London.
