Dorset Square Hotel: A Sparkling London Debut

Over the past three decades, Tim and Kit Kemp have revolutionized the London hotel scene. Their company, Firmdale Hotels, now owns seven boutique properties in the British capital. These cater to a wide variety of tastes, and range in style from contemporary (The Soho Hotel and Haymarket Hotel) to the more traditional (Knightsbridge Hotel and Covent Garden Hotel).

The Kemps first bought Dorset Square Hotel in 1985. Situated in a quiet, tree-lined enclave, it is close to Regent’s Park — the location of the American ambassador’s residence, Winfield House — and the enviable neighborhood of Primrose Hill. In 2002, as they expanded their reach to New York, they sold the hotel. But 10 years later, they bought it back. It reopened last summer, having been refurbished with Kit Kemp’s signature bold colors and textures. The hotel’s 38 rooms and cozy public spaces fit within interconnected Regency townhouses.

Engaging interiors offer an eclectic mix of one-of-a-kind furnishings, original artwork and knickknacks collected from around the world, handwoven carpets, custom wallpaper and yards and yards of chintz, all beautifully blended in Kemp’s distinctly personal style. Each room has its unique color theme. Many look out onto the leafy private gardens of Dorset Square. Baths of marble and oak provide tub/shower combinations and some, showers only.

Down a flight of stairs in the hotel’s light and spacious basement, The Potting Shed Bar & Restaurant provides first-rate and well-priced British fare in an unpretentious atmosphere. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as for afternoon tea. Although Dorset Square lies to the north of the Marylebone Road, a major east-west artery that marks the northern boundary of the West End, it is within easy reach of both Paddington station, from where the Heathrow Express shuttle departs to London’s principal airport, and St. Pancras station, the magnificent and newly restored Victorian edifice that houses the terminus of the Eurostar rail services to Paris and Brussels. -A.H.