Detailed Review
No expense or imagination has been spared in giving The Pelham Hotel the character of a luxury townhouse. The hotel is just steps away from the South Kensington museums and underground, and a short walk to Harrods, Hyde Park and Knightsbridge shopping. It is managed in a traditional manner offering the highest standard of comfort and service. There are 51 bedrooms and suites, each individually designed and decorated, with modern comforts including air-conditioning and granite and mahogany bathrooms.
Additional facilities include the popular Kemps Bar and Restaurant, valet, concierge and 24 hour room service. For businesspeople, full secretarial and office services are available. The World of Interiors magazine said that "The Pelham's fine blend of originality and classic English quality will appeal to the lovers of tradition who dare to be a little different".
Press Quotes
"Hoteliers Tim and Kit Kemp have created a small empire of country-house hotels designed for urban sophisticates. But perhaps their best property remains one of the originals: the Pelham, a stylish, town-house-like hotel in South Kensington" New York Times 06
Independent Reviews
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“Bright, fashionable and fun, the South Kensington townhouse is both mature and playful – this is Kit Kemp at her best.”
The Pelham
By Jenny Pidgeon
Staying at The Pelham is like escaping to a friend’s sumptuous country house for the night, then waking up to find that South Kensington tube is just across the street. With the V&A, Natural History and Science museums close by, along with Harrods, Knightsbridge and Hyde Park, this hotel is perfectly situated both for tourists and Londoners looking for a little respite from city life. Opened in 1989, The Pelham is one of the award-winning Firmdale hotels, owned and designed by Kit Kemp and her husband Tim. In The Pelham, Kit has gone for a grand country house style. The two public salons on the ground floor – the drawing room and the library – are wood panelled and inviting, each with an open fireplace. The more formal drawing room showcases original oil paintings and yellow chintz furnishings, tastefully chosen Victorian and Edwardian antiques and fresh flowers burst everywhere. The cosier library is fantastic, with a well-stocked honesty bar and contemporary artwork hanging from the 18th century pine walls. These rooms are open to guests 24 hours a day and the fires crackle on well into the night. Finding your way to your room can be tricky at first as there are confusing staircases to deal with, and the grey carpeted hallways have a slight hotel-corridor feeling to them. Once inside, however, the rooms are individual and very special, each with its own character. The luxury doubles are high-ceilinged and plushly decorated, boasting sitting areas as well as canopied or four-poster beds. Each room has its own interesting features, be it the fireplace, a striking bust, or even the wire corset found on top of the wardrobe in one room. One deluxe double is on the ground floor – great for people watching but possibly not for those who demand a high degree of privacy (although I’m assured that nobody ever thinks to look in). The smaller standards on the top attic floor have sloping ceilings and unremarkable views, but are very charming – one in pink stripes is almost cute, but is far too stylish for that. The two suites on the first floor, one in red and one in blue, are huge and ornate, with floor-to-ceiling sliding windows leading out to the balcony at the front of the hotel. The attention to detail in the rooms is striking, in the choice of fabrics and paintings as well as the little touches such as the umbrella, proper hairdryer and funky retro radio. The minibar has been thoughtfully stocked with unusual goodies and the hotel is constantly refining its ideas and tweaking details. The en-suite bathrooms are clad in solid granite and mahogany, with cast iron tub or oversize shower. Heated towel-rails hold plump terry robes and there are complimentary Molton Brown products to take away. Downstairs in the basement hides Kemps, the intimate hotel restaurant which is also accessible from the street and open to the public. The small room is light with modern art on the walls and the food is reasonably-priced and excellent. The only complaint about The Pelham could be the Catch 22 choice between noisy rooms at the front and less desirable views at the back, but this dilemma is more-than compensated for by the fantastic position, sumptuously elegant atmosphere and a friendly, relaxed staff who provide a professional and round-the-clock room service.
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