ARCHITECTURE / INTERIOR DESIGN

Michael Squire

Neatly situated in Earl’s Court on South Kensington’s Cromwell Road – just a hop from Harrod’s – this intimate hotel is a new, understatedly luxurious restoration of a four-storey double-fronted Victorian terrace typical for this tiny London neighbourhood.

London architects Squire and Partners have redesigned the public spaces to retain their original English charm, restoring the space’s intricate wrought-iron banisters, two sweeping stone staircases and a Victorian mosaic floor. These elements are, however, juxtaposed with splashes of contemporary design – something already obvious in the meticulously restored façade where vivid green window reveals and glass balustrades along The Rockwell's ground level offset original mouldings and details.

Once inside, guests can settle into cosy comfort in the lounge, an inviting haven with an open fireplace, walnut bookshelves and lush burgundy draperies, or in One-Eight-One restaurant, which overlooks a landscaped garden whose lush foliage and teak garden benches offer a rare urban oasis. Inside, simple oak furnishings and wallpaper with a palm motif impart a calm modernity.

The floral-wallpaper theme is revisited in an array of variations in most of the 40 guestrooms at The Rockwell hotel, each of which also retains original architectural details for a twist on English tradition. Furnishings, however, are clean and pure and bathrooms splendidly ultramodern, outfitted with glazed power showers and fittings by Philippe Stark and Hans Grohe. Garden rooms have private patios with southern exposure and the two-level mezzanine suites give the feeling of living in a refined private apartment rather than a hotel. A perfect fusion of contemporary luxury with past charm, The Rockwell’s unpretentious design has already attracted a decidedly elegant clientele.