London & South East Premier Hospitality

The Exhibitionist Hotel – A work of art

The Exhibitionist, South Kensington, London
Written by Roma Publications

The Exhibitionist, South Kensington, London

 A creative tour de force with its inventive interiors, cutting edge design, bespoke furniture, art installations at every turn and eight art galleries within its walls, The Exhibitionist Hotel, just opened in South Kensington, is a work of art in itself.

Created within a beautifully restored 18th century townhouse originally built for the Royal Family’s officials, the hotel offers a blank canvas for emerging artists to exhibit their work. The gallery spaces will be transformed regularly so both in house guests and non-residential guests will experience something new on each visit.

Main Contractors for the project to transform the hotel’s interior were Elevation London.

The Exhibitionist, South Kensington, London

The hotel’s exceptional facilities range from all day dining in the Garden Room and lounge, to indulging in signature cocktails at Abstract Bar, through to opulent plunge pools, private terraces and outdoor cinemas. Its 37 bedrooms include two chic Penthouse Suites, and two incredible splash suites, (55m2) featuring a private plunge pool, while the Penthouse suites (75m2) have a private rooftop terrace with outdoor cinema.

Hotel founder Manhad Narula commissioned innovative top designer Steve Crummack of Drop Dead Gorgeous to oversee the interior concept.

Commenting on the design, Steve Crummack told Premier Hospitality:

“The general look and feel of the space is designed to elevate the guest above the presence of the original, strong interior architecture, to create a natural environment for the various art installations and to convey a wry sense of humour, absent from so many hotel lobbies.

The Exhibitionist, South Kensington, London

“The direction chosen utilises the entire space on all dimensions and planes, whilst all other senses are stimulated to push through the sense of ‘wow’.

“I had opted to create a bar space reminiscent of something I had seen as a small lad in an artist’s studio, that of sunlight streaming through a window through glass water colour wash out jars. The effect puts a smile on everyone’s face and oddly, coveys various visions from person to person. The best for me was that of hard boiled sweets!

“When conceiving the business of signing in at reception, I had an opportunity to play with people and their expectations of such a mundane activity. The creation of a desk without a single straight line or surface disrupts the automatic activity and focuses one to stop, absorb and marvel in the surroundings that have to this point, remained completely invisible.”

The Exhibitionist, South Kensington, London

Created by Gorgeous Stuff, Individual installations and key pieces within the hotel include:

Charlotte…The prima ballerina, up turned and kicking. Created from tree bark and flowers, her red lace is undone to signify that the hotel will never be complete and is a beautiful example of work in progress.

Scarlet…The girl in the floral dress, waiting for her man to join her from the elevator, half turned toward the window in case she’s already missed him.

Miss Havisham’s Bird Cage…a homage to the classic tale, beauty and decay with a twist of the forbidden. The bird cage chandelier adorning the exterior entrance will slowly ‘grow’ ever wilder, twisting it’s barbed wire ‘ivy’ around the columns and beyond. The cage door has been left open and the songbird long since departed.

The Exhibitionist, South Kensington, London

Bar Code…typographic wall art by Steve Crummack.

Twiggy…the underside of something that is forever growing, soon to engulf the lounge that it crowns, like a fringe of a water willow.

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Roma Publications