A reinvigorated classic

It’s no coincidence that the thematic design of the 111 rooms at the newly opened The Ampersand Hotel is based on science and knowledge. After all, it sits on South Kensington, right smack in the middle of London’s world-famous museum district, with the Victoria & Albert Museum, The Royal Albert Hall, The Natural History Museum and The Science Museum just a stone’s throw away. The building can be traced back to 1888. It was the original boutique hotel with rooms that did not abide by uniformity. Since then it has undergone a comprehensive restoration and refurbishment but still retains its original Victorian facade with a subtle dove grey replacing the previously red exterior.

As a nod to its cultured neighbourhood, the award winning architecture and interior design firm Dexter Moren Associates brought five categories of rooms to life with lashings of colour and five main themes: botany, music, astronomy, orthonology and geometry. Intimate double rooms, for example, references the Science Museum's planets and solar system; superior rooms are etched with musical scores; and deluxe rooms and studios brim with botanical style and annotated ornithological illustrations, echoing the flora and fauna of The Natural History Museum. Geometrical shapes define the interiors of luxurious suites that are decked out with balconies that afford ‘Mary Poppins' views across London.

Excerpt from the November issue of epicure.