Tucked in a quiet crescent just around the corner from Harrods, the World’s most famous department store, and a few minutes walk from the V&A and Science Museums in South Kensington, The Franklin is an intimate, cosy and characterful 5-Star boutique hotel nestled in the heart of bouji Knightsbridge.
Black and white Art Deco stylings with contemporary graphic mono prints, antique mirrored walls and lush green planting give the ambience of a New York speakeasy with soft jazz notes permeating through the shared areas.
The Garden Suite
Our octagonal shaped Garden Suite looks out to the perfectly manicured privately shared Egerton Gardens and sitting at the large floor-to-ceiling windows is a perfect opportunity to dream of stunning Victorian home living with wealthy neighbours.
Mirrors are used to bounce light around the room but the huge four poster bed is the star. The size is perfect for a few nights and is perfect for much-needed R&R after visits to the museums close-by.
Every one of the 35 spacious rooms and suites is elegant and stylish thanks to the timeless, muted decor, high ceilings and full-height windows, comfortable bathroom with bath, stylish furniture and mirror TV.
Drinking and Dining
The hotel bar is a great place to relax with a cocktail. It’s small and elegant with a friendly bar tender who mixes up a neat Old Fashioned as well as their signature Lemongrass Negroni, and is lined with mirrors for a Great Gatsby 20s vibe.
The all-day dining ‘lounge’ menu is small but with plenty of choice (there’s everything from a cheeseburger to pastas, pizzas and salmon). We chose the pan-fried sea bass with Salmoriglio dressing and mashed potato (which was beautiful), and the Fassona Beef filet served with roasted potatoes and fine mix salad (which went down a little too fast it was tenderly cooked).
This modern Italian fair is the domain of Michelin-starred Chef Alfredo Russo. While the initiate 30 seater restaurant has great views of the gardens we chose to eat our dinner in the little green hideaway – an annex off the reception area that feels like a private room.
Make sure you wake feeling hungry because the breakfast choices will leave you needing to head out on a long walk just to burn off some the additional and unplanned for calories. After ordering avocado with poached eggs, and the cast iron baked eggs with sausage and broccoli, we also received pastries, cheeses, hams and muffins at the table.
The afternoon tea experience
Afternoon tea at the Franklin is a pull for many and an ideal opportunity to take a load off from all that sightseeing. Currently on offer, to coincide with the V&A’s current exhibition Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser, is the special Alice at The Franklin Afternoon Tea. A delicious mix of savoury offerings with scones, cupcakes and chocolates and clever little nod and an imaginative twist to the story of Alice in Wonderland (including little ‘Drink Me’ juices).
This is a huge afternoon tea and can be bought with ticket entry to the exhibition or as part of a stay at the hotel – don’t even try rushing it, savour and take your time while enjoying the luxury surroundings.
Of course we indulged in a post afternoon tea trip to the exhibition. The V&A is the first museum to fully explore the cultural impact of Alice in Wonderland and its ongoing inspiration for leading creatives, from Salvador Dalí to Tim Burton, Vivienne Westwood and Little Simz. It’s a real visual treat from the moment you step into the exhibition to see what Senior Curator Kate Bailey and the team have captured. The surreal dreaminess of Alice’s world is brought to life using sound and a mix of moving projected visuals, virtual reality, and exhibits and posters, stunning costumes from film and fashion, as well as exhibits from the museum’s own collection.
If you are stuck for other things to do or ideas whilst visiting the capital just speak to The Franklin’s team of staff and their concierge who will certainly share knowledge and give you that 5-Star service you’d only expect from such a beautiful hotel.
Diners booking the afternoon tea and exhibition ticket option will be allocated a pre-booked timed ticket for the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition to be used on the day of their reservation.
To make a reservation for afternoon tea and exhibition, please call our Concierge Team on +44 (0)20 7584 5533 or email concierge.thefranklin@starhotels.com
Afternoon Tea £45
Afternoon Tea and Exhibition Ticket £55
Champagne Afternoon Tea £55
Champagne Afternoon Tea* and Exhibition ticket £65
Find out more about the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition here.
A documentary about the exhibition will hit the big screens nationwide on the 14th October – tickets are on sale here.
The Franklin is part of Starhotels Collezione, which includes boutique hotels in Paris and Italy.
THE FRANKLIN, 24 Egerton Gardens, SW3 2DB Knightsbridge, London
Tucked in a quiet crescent just around the corner from Harrods, the World’s most famous department store, and a few minutes walk from the V&A and Science Museums in South Kensington, The Franklin is an intimate, cosy and characterful 5-Star boutique hotel nestled in the heart of bouji Knightsbridge.
