The Pelham London - Starhotels Collezione

The Pelham has long stood apart from London’s flashier, more modern boutique hotels. This is the place for anyone who’d rather see tradition updated for a new century, rather than thrown right out the window — and, on a more practical note, anyone who’d prefer a row of townhouses in South Kensington to some converted warehouse in Shoreditch.

That’s not to say it’s hidebound, by any means. This is an early Kit Kemp design, mixing contemporary pieces with historical references in equal measure, and presenting a visual style that’s quite unified, despite its eclectic origins. Never is it fussy, nor is it ever needlessly provocative — rather, it’s gentility of a perfectly timeless variety.

Bedrooms are all different, as you’d wish them to be, and all are richly decorated in a similarly grand yet tasteful style. The televisions are hidden away, but all the expected modern gadgetry is in place, and the bathrooms are a vision in marble, with heated towel bars and Penhaligon’s bath products.

The location is easily half the appeal, as the Victoria & Albert and Natural History museums are close by, as are Harrods and the Knightsbridge shops. This convenient situation makes the Pelham’s bar and restaurant, Bistro Fifteen and Bar 15, a popular stop not just for tourists but for Londoners as well. And South Kensington tube station is steps away, which means relatively easy access to Heathrow and anywhere else.