London, United Kingdom

Beaverbrook Town House

Price per night from$555.53

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (GBP440.00), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Style

Play house

Setting

No place like Sloane

For Lord Beaverbrook excess was the everyday: lavishly hosting A-lister soirées, growing his newspaper empire, and buoying the war effort with his drive to make Spitfires from scrap metal. This exorbitant spirit is encapsulated in Beaverbrook Town House, where designer Nicola Harding has been let off the leash in styling suites themed around London’s great theatres (one of our lord’s favourite pastimes): beds are canopied, walls are awash with playbills and posters, there’s reams of passementarie, vintage treasures a go-go, and pops of colour have rarely felt more powerful. And, the decor isn’t the only show of extravagance – The Fuji Grill’s omakase menu is an epic of 20 courses, martinis topped with caviar are slung over the stained-glass bar, and each floor can be hired exclusively to make a sumptuous pied-à-terre.

Smith Extra

Get this when you book through us:

One pre-mixed cocktail each in your room

Facilities

Photos Beaverbrook Town House facilities

Need to know

Rooms

14 suites spread over two Grade-II-listed Georgian townhouses.

Check–Out

11am. Earliest check-in, 3pm. The hotel will try to accommodate requests for late check-outs and early check-ins where possible.

Prices

Double rooms from £528.00, including tax at 20 per cent.

More details

Some rates include the full-English breakfast.

At the hotel

Private garden and terrace, snug with a bar trolley, free WiFi. In rooms: flatscreen TV with Chromecast, Roberts radio, minibar filled with free soft drinks and locally sourced treats, Nespresso coffee machine with Cru Kafe capsules, Kitchen Aid kettle and selection of East India Company teas, desk, bathrobes and slippers, air-conditioning, Bamford bath products.

Our favourite rooms

All the world may be a stage, but Beaverbrook has all the stages. Rooms are named after London’s historied theatres, from the Globe to the Garrick, to Drury Lane and the Old Vic. Each fills a unique role and has a costume to suit its backstory. Designer Nicola Harding has leaned into the drama when it comes to colour, print and textile, sourcing from London’s finest: antique seating from Howe, cushions by Penny Worrall, lampshades by Rosi de Ruig, lighting from Vaughan Designs, metal fixings by Joseph Giles and tassels and such from Samuel & Sons. All rooms feel generously sized for a London stay, and have free minibars and clever touches (TVs hidden in ottomans, which can swing around to be watched from the sofa or bed), so maybe go by your favourite playhouse – we’re partial to the canopied beds in the Deluxe Rooms and Studio Suites. For added privacy, hire out a whole floor.

Spa

There’s no spa, but the townhouse partners with KXU gym and treatment rooms on Pavilion Road, Chelsea.

Packing tips

Pack a dressing-up box of a wardrobe. You may feel at home enough for schlubbing, but who would pass up the chance to flutter about in a silk kimono, affix a fascinator for apéritifs, or crack out the opera cloak? Before you leave your room, take a look in the mirror and add five more accessories.

Also

The World War Two achievements of Lord Beaverbrook are recognised with a Spitfire motif that pops up throughout the hotel and tony badges staff wear. And take some time to browse the hotel’s 500-plus-strong collection of artwork.

Children

Children are welcome. There’s more to entertain adults, but babysitting can be arranged and there are toys and games for kids on arrival. Extra beds can’t be added, but some interconnect and you can hire out whole floors. Cots can be added for free.

Sustainability efforts

Sustainable fixings and mixers go into the drinks at Sir Frank’s bar, and herbs from Beaverbrook’s Surrey garden are used to garnish. This ethos carries over to the Fuji Grill, where local suppliers and some garden-grown produce are used. Packaging used is almost all recyclable or biodegradable and toiletries are used in refillable containers, and there’s ethically sound chocolate in the minibar and eco-friendly stationery.

Food and Drink

Photos Beaverbrook Town House food and drink

Top Table

There are few things more mesmerising than the dicing, slicing, searing and plating that chef Jan Horak undertakes during the omakase feast – see it up close at the counter.

Dress Code

Play the part in this theatrical space.

Hotel restaurant

The Fuji Grill restaurant is something of a surprise tucked away in this quintessentially English stay, but the hotel’s Gatsby-esque aesthetic touches on art deco and nouveau mores, including the craze for Japonisme – and it’s a sister eatery to the Surrey mansion’s successful dining spot. Nicola Harding and Beaverbrook’s creative director Sir Frank Lowe painted the walls bamboo green and sourced delicate Hokusai and Hiroshige paintings of Mount Fuji, 19th-century woodblock prints, tansu cabinetry and other antiques. Thus creating an authentic atmosphere for a menu that could pass muster in Tokyo. Signature dishes – toro with yuzu miso and truffles; chargrilled wagyu with juniper and sansho pepper – are firmly in place, alongside the highest quality of sushi, sashimi, robata grills and small plates: bream slivers spread like petals with truffle ponzu jelly, Scottish langoustines with bergamot, Hokkaido scallop ceviche and tempura vegetables drizzled with pine-infused dashi. And for those more adventurous of palate, some sushi comes with a scattering of citrusy Kentish ants (yes, you read that right). Each plate – and the bento boxes served at lunchtime – is composed with the care of a nihonga painting, garnished with flowers and arranged in painted kibachi bowls. The à la carte is dizzy with choice, so put yourself in the hands of chef ​​Jan Horak for a two-hour omakase meal with 20 surprise courses (available Wednesday to Saturday at 8:30pm), set at an intimate counter.
Dress code Play the part in this theatrical space.

Hotel bar

Lord Beaverbrook was one for a tipple – well, he was good friends with Winston Churchill – and Sir Frank’s Bar (a tribute to creative director Sir Frank Lowe, who collected and curated the historic artefacts, unique artworks and whimsical treasures displayed throughout) feels like you’re hopping Chinatown bars and afterparties with the press magnate, as he would often do after dinner at the Savoy. The walls are lacquered; tabletops are mosaics of vintage Japanese matchbox covers; the bar’s stained-glass blocks glow in shades of burnt umber, fuschia and scarlet; and guests perch on raspberry velvet banquettes or tuck into leather booths. Cocktails are themed around West End classics, say a Miss Saigon (premiered at Drury Lane in 1989) with sake, cachaca, pineapple, lychee and lime; or a Bank Heist (inspired by the Comedy About a Bank Robbery, which premiered at the Criterion in 2016), a blend of Islay single malt, chocolate wine and nutty liqueurs, infused with smoke. There are seven martinis – the most decadent of which, the Miss Money Penny, has Beluga vodka, vermouth and a spoon of caviar; and fans of Beaverbrook’s signature Spitfire Collins (a heady concoction of gin, ginger ale, creamy peach liqueur and lemon) will be pleased to know it’s landed on this drinks list too. And if you’re still unsure, have the barkeep whip up something bespoke. 

Last orders

Breakfast runs from 7am to 10am (7.30am to 10.30am on weekends), lunch from 12 noon to 3pm and dinner from 6pm to 10pm (children under 14 allowed till 8pm). Sir Frank’s Bar opens at 10am and pours its last drink at midnight.

Room service

Summon a sushi feast to your room during restaurant hours.

Location

Photos Beaverbrook Town House location
Address
Beaverbrook Town House
115-116 Sloane St
London
SW1X 9PJ
United Kingdom

Beaverbrook Town House couldn’t have a more upmarket address, occupying two Georgian residences a few blocks down from monied Sloane Square opposite private Cadogan Gardens (lucky guests get a garden gate key on request).

Planes

Out of London’s big four airports, Heathrow and Luton are the closest, both around an hour’s drive away. Gatwick and Stansted are both 90 minutes away. Chauffeured airport transfers can be arranged from £80 one-way, and if you’re travelling between the two Beaverbrook properties you can be driven from one to the other in the hotel’s own chauffeured car (this service is free with the City to Silence package).

Trains

Sloane Square Tube station is around a five-minute walk away, making it easy as can be to zip around London; it services the Circle line which will loop you around the city and the District line, which will ferry you from west to east, and to reach everything in between, Victoria Station is one stop away, which handily happens to be the terminus for the Gatwick Express. (The Heathrow Express stops at Paddington, from which you can take a slightly roundabout route to Chelsea via the Circle line).

Automobiles

Nah, mate – Londoners tend to Uber about, and those with cars should abandon all hope of finding a decent parking spot near Cadogan Gardens. Zippy tubes and comprehensive bus routes make a set of wheels somewhat redundant, and you’re in one of London’s prettiest enclaves, so pavement pounding is thoroughly recommended. If you insist on driving, at least Chelsea is just beyond the Congestion Charge zone.

Worth getting out of bed for

Hey, big spenders, you’re in luck – Chelsea is where fashion’s biggest and brightest names have chosen to land their UK motherships: Versace, Armani, Valentino, Fendi, Dior, Chanel, Prada, Tom Ford, Tiffany & Co, Cartier… Dahling, the list goes on and on. And Harvey Nichols and Harrods are just a well-heeled trot away too. The King’s Road may long have left its countercultural and punk reputations behind it, but there’s still a good mix of indie, high street and more haute boutiques to explore along it, plus interiors stores for the covetous, vintage emporiums and a number of spas and beauty salons. Pedestrianised Pavilion Road, just down the street from the hotel, has a more village-y feel, with a general store, baker (Bread Ahead), cheesemonger, butcher (Provenance), stationers (Papersmiths) and wine peddlers (Pavilion Wine). It’s here you’ll find KXU Gym, the hotel’s partner and gym to the stars (and mortals who want an elevated exercising experience), who run 20 classes to cover the core disciplines and whose personal trainers rank among the best. And you can also get invested in london’s cultural scene here – the Saatchi Gallery has sometimes controversial yet always involving modern-art exhibitions, the Royal Court Theatre has an exciting roster of plays, many by up-and-coming writers, and Kensington’s grand-dame museums (the Science Museum, Victoria & Albert and Natural History Museum) are within easy walking distance. Those who appreciate the hotel’s considered style will also like Leighton House’s intricate decor and the Design Museum’s showcases of iconic pieces. You’re a hop and a skip from Hyde Park for the Serpentine Galleries (and pavilion come summer), pedalos on the lake and Kensington Palace across the border, but you could take the elite option and ask reception for a key to private Cadogan Gardens – a rare luxury for locals and guests alike. This manicured green stretch has a playground, rare trees and plants dating back up to 300 years (black bamboo, maples, palms), Sir Hans Sloane’s garden from the Chelsea Flower Show, a pollinator meadow and tennis courts. And, for more green-fingered fun, head to the Chelsea Physic Garden, which was first planted in the 17th century and now houses around 4,000 useful, edible and medicinal plants; they often hold supper clubs, tours, workshops and fairs too.

Local restaurants

Chelsea’s dining scene reflects its ritzy nature, and you’ll quite literally pay for the privilege here; but, in exchange, you will dine very well indeed. Sit shoulder to shoulder with the ‘hood’s top brass at Daphne’s, which has been serving elegant pastas in an exquisitely dressed space since the 1960s. There’s no faffery with the menu – simplicity and quality are key; spaghetti comes topped with chunks of lobster and a dusting of chilli, a spritz of lemon is all that’s needed to awaken the veal Milanese, and a whole section on truffles let’s the delicacy speak for itself. Elystan Street might have risen to the Michelin star firmament, but it has a foot on the ground still. It’s friendly, unflashy and serves food that’s straightforwardly tasty. The ​​double-baked cheese soufflé with melted leeks and truffle, mallard breast with chestnut, crab-apple and currant, and pears poached with sloe gin, epitomise umarket comfort food. And Myrtle has shown us that there’s a galling dearth of Irish fine-dining restaurants in London. Chef Anna Haugh (who you may have seen on Saturday Kitchen Live, Royal Recipes or Ready Steady Cook) has compiled a seven-course tasting menu that’s plucked produce from all over the isle, with oat-crusted hake and a mackerel chowder, boxty stuffed with Burren beef, chocolate mousse with Guinness sponge and Carrageen moss, and selection of sweets to finish.

Local cafés

Fans of wild, foraged farm-to-fork fare should hop to Rabbit, where dishes use delicacies from the Gladwin Brothers’ Sussex farm and whatever they can sniff out in the neighbourhood. Their mushroom-marmite éclairs have quite the reputation, but the menu’s one hit after another, with pork, apricot and pistachio terrine, fallow deer with truffled turnip, and gin-cured trout with golden beetroot and dollops of crème fraîche. Pizza joint the Jam – which has sat on the King’s Road since its Seventies punk hey-day – looks like a giant Jenga game with its labyrinth of wooden cubby-holes. But, once you’ve worked out the logistics of getting into your seat, you can dive into delicious sourdough pizzas and mix-and-match small plates such as paprika cauliflower with butternut mash, tiger prawns in a brandy and mascarpone sauce and wild-mushroom salad with quail eggs and mustard. There are separate vegan and gluten-free menus too.

Local bars

Perhaps it’s something to do with their air of in-the-know exclusivity, but there’s an abundance of speakeasies squirreled away in Chelsea. Aptly housed in the Chelsea Cloisters is Barts, where you’ll need to knock at the letterbox before you’re whisked into what looks like a prohibition-era train carriage. Luckily, their ‘bootleggers’ have got their hands on an array of fine spirits, so the menu runs long, with sweet, savoury, sour and dry libations, plus champagne aplenty. Callooh Callay hails from east London to the King’s Road, and it’s a little less subtle – they have a sign and everything – but, there are still secrets to uncover within. Head through the wardrobe door and you’ll find yourself in a wonderland of decadent decor and indulgent cocktails – make ours a salted caramel and vanilla espresso martini.

Reviews

Photos Beaverbrook Town House reviews
Rebecca Cope

Anonymous review

By Rebecca Cope, Travel journalist

It is the curse of the city breaker to stay in a charmless hotel. I know that I have been a victim of it during my travels. There was the shoebox-sized cubby-hole rented by the square-metre in Manhattan; the swelteringly hot apartment over a whiffy fish market in Florence; the sixteen-to-a-room hostel in Amsterdam. When location is king, comfort often suffers.

The Beaverbrook Town House could, though, be the antidote. Based on Sloane Street in one of London’s most well-known neighbourhoods, Chelsea, the 14-suite boutique hotel offers something rare: a personal experience in the big city.

Navigating the Tube with a nine-month-old, a pushchair and a suitcase is enough to make me rue the day I decided to leave the house at all, but my shoulders drop noticeably upon arriving at the hotel, where I’m greeted by the triple threat of Nicola Harding’s joyful interiors, the scent of Cire Trudon’s Ernesto candle, and a quaff of an amber-coloured liquid in a cut-glass decanter. It’s like checking in to the home of a very well-to-do friend. Which it is, in a way.

Inspired by its namesake Lord Beaverbrook’s reputation as an early 20th century man about town, the hotel evokes the English country house style that is so in vogue at the moment – with his own Surrey home being the original Beaverbrook outpost. Spitfires nod to his wartime work, as the man tasked with providing planes for Churchill, while the suites are all named after theatres, in a nod to his passion for the West End.

Before arriving I was a little apprehensive about how baby-proof the room might be, with visions of antique breakables and choking hazards, but we – and the room – escaped unscathed.

Squishy sofas piled high with patterned Penny Worrall cushions, a velvet ottoman with a scallop-edged drinks tray on top, a very clever television that sinks into an upholstered stand like in a Bond villain’s lair… That last touch alone entertained my daughter for at least 10 minutes.

While it’s not a hotel which frequently hosts children, the staff went out of their way to accommodate my daughter: lightly cooked toast appeared at breakfast for her to gnaw on, a Beaverbrook teddy bear was sitting in her cot, and everyone greeted her by name.

It’s my toxic trait that I always arrive before check-in and am then annoyed when I have to leave my bags or worse, mill around. Happily our room was ready upon arrival at 2pm and after a quick coffee in the room (they are kitted out with Nespresso machines et all) we were ready to brave the Big Smoke again.

First on the agenda was a visit to the V&A to see the Divas exhibition (apt, considering my daughter’s temperament). The museum quarter of South Kensington – which includes not only the V&A but also the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum – is a pleasant 15-minute stroll.

There’s also Knightsbridge and Sloane Street for window-shopping at luxury behemoths from Chanel to Gucci, or the Kings Road for your high-street fix. We managed to fit a nap in via a few laps of Hyde Park, also close by, and treated ourselves to a pitstop at Hamleys.

We took the good weather as a sign from the universe that we should have a pre-dinner cocktail, despite it being a Monday, so we chose a table on the terrace at the front of the hotel.

Feeling rock ‘n’ roll because of our surroundings (the Swinging Sixties really took off here), I opted for the Top Hat, which must be the spiciest margarita I’ve ever had (punishing is what I’d call it).

The rare real estate of tables on the street meant that every table was taken: my fellow patrons included a family of tourists drinking tea, a woman ‘working from hotel’ and a couple on a second date, which feels like a pretty accurate microcosm of the hotel clientele at large.

With a tired baby we decided to spare our fellow diners and order room service from the hotel’s Japanese restaurant, the Fuji Grill. If sushi in bed sounds fancy, that’s because it is. Particularly when it’s spicy tuna rolls, tempura prawns, Alaskan black cod and Wagyu A5 sashimi.

Add a new series of University Challenge (hello, Amol Rajan) and a long soak in the tub with Bamford toiletries and you’ve basically got my dream Monday. After a blissful night’s sleep in a room with actual blackout blinds, we rose an entire hour later than the baby usually allows, and skipped down to a breakfast of eggs Benedict and waffles with crispy bacon.

Having been made a massive fuss of for the past 24 hours, my daughter is a nightmare for the next week. When I think back to that Monday evening though, it seems worth it. Ah well, I’ll just have to book another stay…

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Price per night from $555.53