Number Sixteen
South Kensington, London
Dreamy English elegance for the 21st century, in one of London’s smartest residential quarters
Clutter? Not unless you bring your own. Number Sixteen is a temple
to cool colours and clean lines. Simplicity lies at its heart. The
style is subtle yet graceful, a rarity in England, and you’d
be forgiven for thinking you were in France. The effect is warmly
seductive. Wander at will and you’ll pass driftwood
furniture, a wooden Victorian birdcage, framed collages of
butterflies cut from books, and impeccable contemporary art on the
walls. Smartly-dressed waiters swoop for your baggage, sleek sofas
flaunt themselves in Sunday-best fabrics.
Above and below are 41 gorgeous bedrooms, yet it feels
like there are only a handful. You're minutes from the Tube in
South Kensington, yet there's no street noise. And as you enjoy a
weekend lie-in, breakfast in the garden or snooze over the papers
in the dreamy lounge, you're wrapped in a cocoon of peace. One of
the first of Firmdale's boutique hotels, this is urban chic at its
very best.
Reviewed by Tom Bell
Last updated 10 May 2012
Highs
- Exquisitely stylish and fresh interiors
- Wonderful, friendly staff who are happy to help
- Well-priced bedrooms that pamper you all the way with Miller Harris toiletries, blissfully comfy beds and turndown chocolates
- A great location with the shops on your doorstep and the tubes and buses less than a 2-minute walk
- Beautiful tree-lined garden; a perfect spot for afternoon tea
Lows
- The smallest rooms are quite small
- People were smoking in their room when we stayed, and the scent wafted through the corridor and into our room
- The basement rooms are a bit short on natural light
- No restaurant, but delicious room service, which you can have wherever you want, and a wealth of local eateries
