When the two most emblematic figures of the London restaurant scene for the past three and a half decades decide to open a hotel, you can expect something spectacular. And that’s exactly what it is, as I was recently able to experience.
Art Deco grandeur
Imagine if, back in the mid 1920’s, the General Manager of The Carlyle hotel in New York decided to head to London to set up a hotel. That’s the story created by Chris Corbin and Jeremy King to serve as the underlying theme for the building of their first hotel.
His name would be Jimmy Beaumont, and his hotel would be The Beaumont. And the magic works well: the moment you step inside The Beaumont, it feels like Jimmy’s spirit is all around the place. And if you cannot feel his spirit, you will find his touch everywhere, through every piece of furniture and every work of art (there are over 1,500 of them) carefully selected by Jeremy King and his wife Lauren Gurvich.
A technical and architectural prowess
As if this concept was not enough to create a fabulous place already, Chris Corbin and Jeremy King went even further with The Beaumont. From the outside, it is impossible to miss the gigantic statue that seems to be installed on the left of the also imposing building, looking as peaceful as it is intriguing. Over 8 meters above ground, this 10 meter high sculpture, commissioned to Antony Gormley, is the perfect embodiment of today’s growing relationship between art and hospitality.
Named ROOM, the sculpture is more than a work of art : it is actually the most astonishing hotel bedroom you will ever get a chance to sleep in. Hidden inside a suite that is, at first, totally connected to the 1920’s spirit of the hotel (staying there will make you feel like The Great Gatsby, between impeccable vintage Art Deco furniture, objects and even books), ROOM is reachable after stepping through an immaculate white bathroom and up 7 steps.
There, behind a black curtain, a white bed seems to be floating in the middle of the 12 square meter, 10 meter high bedroom. A one of a kind experience, that really needs to be lived by oneself. There is even a book dedicated to ROOM, which gives an idea how special it is.
The best in London
The Beaumont is definitely the most exciting new hotel to be open in the past two years in London. More than a hotel, it’s a whole lifestyle that has been brought to life by Chris Corbin et Jeremy King, and that is managed to perfection by the young and dear Jannes Soerensen, whom I have been following from The Connaught to the Bristol in Paris, and now back to Mayfair.
Information and booking: https://www.thebeaumont.com