In the know

Our favourite rooms: We absolutely love Room 103, a junior suite that’s fit for a queen. It comes with gloriously high ceilings, hardwood floors, ragged walls with original panelled features, a bed with a draped headboard and red velvet coverlet, gilt-framed mirrors, a beautiful antique desk and its own terrace overlooking Draycott Place. We also like Gallery Room 304, which is divided up by latticed screens made from antique wooden doors, and Deluxe Room 404, which has a small private terrace that looks out over the rooftops of Chelsea towards Battersea Power Station.
Packing tips: Make sure you remember your best pastel-coloured cashmere jumper – to wear over your shoulders, of course. You also might want to start practicing your plummy accent if you really want to fit in with the hotel’s Sloaney clientele.
Also: The hotel might not have any gardens, but there’s a small, secret terrace up on the top floor. If your room’s not blessed with outside space, then head up there and ask for some cocktails to be sent up to you.

Need to know, San Domenico House hotel, London, United Kingdom

Current offers

Smith card offer: A bottle of wine and a fruit basket

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San Domenico House

London, United Kingdom[view map]

Style: Restrained Italian extravagance
Setting: Chelsea townhouse

Created from two five-storey, red-brick Chelsea townhouses, complete with original brick balconies and verdant window boxes, family-owned boutique hotel San Domenico House is a little piece of Italy in West London. Communal areas and bedrooms are stuffed with antiques from the bel paese, and English and Italian traditions are blended throughout. It’s warm, welcoming and extremely inviting.

Need to know

Rooms: 15, including nine suites.
Rates: £235–£360, not including breakfast or 15% taxes. Breakfast is an additional £12–£18 a person.
Check-out: Midday. Earliest check-in, 2pm.
Facilities: Free broadband, massage room, fitness room, laundry service, meeting facilities. In rooms: standard or flatscreen TV, CD/DVD player, air-conditioning, minibar, Molton Brown and Masseria San Domenico toiletries.
Poolside: There is no swimming pool at San Domenico House.
Also: Fear not, nicotine addicts – you’re permitted to smoke in six of San Domenico House’s rooms.

Food & drink

Hotel restaurant: The hotel doesn’t have its own restaurant, but the small breakfast room in the basement does offer traditional full silver service if you’re after some afternoon tea or coffee. The room is a lovely spot, with duck-egg blue wallpaper, brightly coloured silk curtains and golden damask everywhere, and sits just on the right side of formal.
Dress code: Go for creams and neutral colours – but avoid light-blues unless you want to camouflage yourself against the walls.
Top table: All of the white-clothed tables in the downstairs breakfast room are equally elegant.
Room service: Guests can order from a 24-hour room service menu, which contains a selection of breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes, as well as drinks and afternoon tea.
Hotel bar: There is no bar at San Domenico House. If you sit yourself down in one of the communal areas, though, it won’t be long before one of the staff comes over to see if you would like them to mix you a cocktail.

Also worth knowing

Children: Kids are welcome at the hotel. Complimentary cots are provided for under-threes, and extra beds can be added to rooms for £70–£110 a night. Babysitting is also provided for £10 an hour – though you need to give 48 hours notice.

Smith Members offer

A bottle of wine and a fruit basket

If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).

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Smith travel team

If you'd prefer to talk to someone, or don't want to book online, call our travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.