Brown's Hotel

Brown’s Hotel stands in Mayfair, one of London’s most elegant districts. Built in 1832 by former servants James and Sarah Brown, it occupies thirteen linked Georgian townhouses. The main entrance now faces Albemarle Street after the 1889 addition of St George’s Hotel. Never renamed or rebuilt, it remains London’s oldest luxury hotel. Famous guests have included US President Franklin Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi and Diana, Princess of Wales. The hotel has also hosted writers such as Agatha Christie, Rudyard Kipling and Stephen King. The hotel’s history is woven through British and world events. Theodore Roosevelt married there in 1886 after a fifteen-day residency to meet marriage-licence rules. Dutch Prime Minister Pieter Gerbrandy ran his government from a sitting room during the Second World War. Rudyard Kipling spent his wedding night in the suite now named after him, kept reserved for him whenever he visited. Stephen King wrote the outline of Misery on a second-floor landing once used by Kipling. Kings, queens and exiled rulers such as Haile Selassie I have stayed within its walls. Inside, the hotel balances Victorian grandeur with modern comfort. Bedrooms designed by Olga Polizzi mix contemporary features with traditional furnishings. The Kipling Suite occupies the first-floor rooms where the newly-weds stayed in 1892. Charlie’s restaurant serves seasonal British dishes with European influences. The Drawing Room has served afternoon tea since the mid-19th century, its wood panelling and Paul Smith décor adding to the atmosphere. The Donovan Bar displays over fifty prints by photographer Terence Donovan, while spa treatment rooms offer quiet retreat.