Each room at this luxury boutique hotel in London’s Kensington/Chelsea neighborhood is styled uniquely, with rich cardinal reds or washes of tea rose evoking the vivid colors of far-off places. There's the Corfu Suite, which showcases a tall four-poster bed swathed in romantic pure-white muslin, and the Empress Josephine Suite, where opulent shades of ebony and gold shroud the tented bed. TVs, telephones, and iPod docks by Bang & Olufsen make it possible for every room to function as a self-contained hideaway. And with the staff placing a special emphasis on privacy, even the luscious shared courtyard feels secluded and cocoon-like.

New Zealand-born film and television actress-turned-hotelier Anouska Hempel is one of the world's most celebrated designers and a noted figure in London society. Her work spans architecture, interiors, furniture, fashion, garden, and product design. Her first venture, Blakes Hotel in South Kensington, was created in 1978 as the world's first luxury boutique hotel. Hempel’s collaboration with hotelier Navid Mirtorabi and Meir Abutbul, owner of the cafe chain Apostrophe, also resulted in the 80-bedroom boutique hotel La Suite West, bordering London's Hyde Park. Leading a prestigious team of architects and designers, Hempel passionately practices her mantra: ‘design, refine and repeat.’