Growing up, I was hopelessly enchanted by the life of Eloise – the ever elusive and self-assured fictional six-year-old sophisticate who lives on the “tippy-top floor” of The Plaza Hotel. To live like the children’s literary character, Eloise – “skittering” in and out of elevators, twirling about under the grand lobby’s dripping crystal chandeliers, and calling a splendid pink suite “home” – was an infinitely romantic notion. It still is.
To step into a hotel’s gilded revolving doors is to pass into another, much lovelier world. One where crisp linens, plump pillows, and dimly lit bars that boast impressive lists of imaginative cocktails envelop us into the utmost comfort and indulgence.
This vision of utopia is something that designer and hotelier, Anouska Hempel, has always seemed to recognise. Before her, the luxury hotel model was to homogenise rooms however far flung they may be. Lady Weinberg, to use her official title, pioneered the boutique hotel concept with her seminal, Blakes, which opened in London, in 1978.
With its glimmering bohemian excess and decadent rooms inspired by a well-worn passport, Blakes is lovingly described by Hempel as “an entire world within a hotel”, constituting the ultimate “home away from home”. Conceived amid a personally difficult time, Hempel says, “I channelled my energy into creating the kind of oasis I wanted to live in and escape to,” acknowledging that when thoughtfully designed, a hotel leaves us dreaming, “if only I could stay forever”.
On Monday, 17 October, Lady Weinberg was awarded the very first Lifetime Achievement Award in the annual Andrew Martin International Interior Designer of the Year celebration. Recognised as the Oscars of the interiors industry and the crowning jewel of the design calendar, the awards were founded by Martin Waller in 1996 to fill what he had termed “a great void in the recognition of extraordinary talent in interior design” and to celebrate designers on the world stage.
In honour of Hempel’s unrivalled hideaways, here are some thoughtfully curated flourishes to make your bedroom feel like a dazzling hotel suite.
“I don’t think there should be a huge difference between a hotel room and a bedroom at home,” says Kit Kemp, co-founder and creative director of Firmdale Hotels, and the 2008 winner of the Interior Designer of the Year Award. “Both should be fun, both should have a bit of drama, and both need to be comfortable.”
A good night’s sleep is central to every aspect of how we live our lives, so start with your bed. Hempel recommends investing in an extra deep, 12-inch mattress with a thick, cushy topper. For a strong hotel-esque focal point, go for the largest bed that the room can fit. Position it centrally in the space and work symmetrically around it, adding a nightstand and a wall sconce on each side.
Encouraging a feeling of height, draw inspiration from Kemp’s iconic Ham Yard and Covent Garden hotels by choosing a high reaching, statement headboard. Like a wallpapered feature wall, a headboard upholstered in an idyllic floral stripe, or a bold geometric trellis design draws your eye to the centre of a room. Then, the rest of the bedding scheme can be kept neutral, allowing the colours to pop against the surrounding canvas.
All-white linens paired with an extra fluffy down comforter create a cloud-like cocoon. Alternatively, you can opt for a bedding set with an Oxford border– that classic double row of densely stitched cord around the edge. The Hotel Luxury collection by Sheridan has you covered with indulgent, 1,200 thread count sheeting in these elegantly clean styles.
Hempel is partial to a robust arrangement of six to eight overstuffed pillows– the more the better. For that five-star hotel quality slumber, consider how you tend to sleep. Front sleepers will be most comfortable with a down filling as it flattens to keep the neck and spine healthily aligned, whilst side and back sleepers may be happier with the support of a thicker, memory foam pillow.
“It is very important to have a sense of arrival,” says Kemp. “I like to create interiors that evoke a feeling.” Upon stepping into a ritzy lobby, there always seems to be a divine aroma drifting through the air. As 20th-century writer Marcel Proust so notably recognised, our olfactory sense has the power to create some of the strongest feelings and memories. Channel this at home by choosing a signature fragrance for your bedroom, such as the Keys Soulcare Sage + Oat Milk Candle, which is perfect for lovers of creamy, subtly sweet scents. For an autumnal, woody aroma, consider Malin + Goetz’s Leather candle which features notes of muted florals, softly worn leather, and sensual sandalwood.
Finally, add the finishing touches – elevate your at-home wardrobe with a plush monogrammed terry cloth bathrobe for peak cosiness. Keep slippers by the side of your bed to replicate a posh turndown service. Consider conveniences such as having a charging station and a glass of water at your bedside. Create a refreshment station stocked with coffee, tea, and biscuits atop a decorative serving tray on your dressing table. And fill a clear glass vessel with a romantic display of your favourite blooms. Now you’ll never want to leave!
