London & South East Premier Hospitality

Henrietta Hotel

Henrietta
Written by Roma Publications

Henrietta Hotel – A celebration of authentic style

Henrietta

Stirring up the London hospitality scene with a stunning venue that celebrates style in its most authentic form, is the newly launched Henrietta Hotel, on Henrietta Street, Covent Garden.

Experimental Group’s Henrietta Hotel is a boutique 18-bedroom townhouse just a stone’s throw from the group’s first London venture, the iconic Experimental Cocktail Club in Chinatown.

Lavishly decorated by regular Experimental Group collaborator Dorothée Meilichzon, the group’s cocktail background prevails throughout.

Dorothée’s design prowess extends across the 18-guest rooms and restaurant and is characterised by her individual styling that blends sophisticated design with local inspiration.

The guest rooms feature hand-painted textures on the wallpaper, upholstered headboards and patterned carpets with contrasting marble skirtings, all of which cleverly reflect the building’s history and Italianate architectural elements. Bathrooms are traditional and contemporary in style, with large mirrors and Dorothée’s signature fountain basins.

In the public areas, Dorothée has expertly captured the Experimental Group’s bohemian style through her sumptuous fabrics and mosaics with deep colours. At the core is the hotel’s two-tiered restaurant – The Henrietta – that best reflects her distinctive style; a chic fusion of ornate Victoriana and sleek Art Deco.

Cleverly designed interior furnishings combine with her authentic flair – eye-catching wallpapers, terracotta tiles and oak flooring – all capped by a unique hand-painted mural that fills the entire ceiling, drawing the eye upwards to accentuate the soaring atrium.

Dorothée Meilichzon commented: “My first inspiration for the hotel was the street itself. I always try to start from the neighbourhood.

“On Henrietta Street , (and quite often in London) the street buildings are very flat, but have varying roof shapes and window ornamentation, making for richness and an individuality of style known as ‘modénature’ in French.

“My initial inspiration was one of decorative architecture including arches, capitals, and bas-reliefs, as well as the type of amazing door frames similar to those frequently found in apartments in Milan.

“With all this in mind, I designed gigantic bed heads, conceived as a bas-relief with a mix of elements including bespoke mirrors, fabric panels with fabrics from Rubelli, and hand painted patterns.

“All of the doors feature capitals on top, with a glass capital between the bathroom and the bedroom.

“I designed the carpets using a pattern inspired by terrazzo, flooring, and all skirtings are in white Carrara marble.

“I have used four different colour palettes to make the bedroom designs more individual. Another striking design feature are the tall brass bedside lights which are fixed into the bedside tables.

“Because I like to mix different styles, I have also taken inspiration from the 1970s and designed a little armchair inspired by Pierre Paulin’s work. Some brushed aluminium elements are also featured.

“The bathroom basins have been conceived as a fountain incorporating two large pieces of granite at a 90° angle, with a shape inspired by one of the buildings in Henrietta Street.

“The bathroom flooring features traditional black and white octagonal tiles and cabochons and there are double showers and large baths, so two people can either shower or take a bath together.

“Public areas, such as the restaurant on the ground floor and mezzanine, are a tribute to the former garden which pre-dated Covent Garden and belonged to Westminster Abbey, before becoming the site of a fruit and vegetable market.

“Along this theme, I designed a new glass roof with arches echoing those of Covent Garden. I also used a lot of organic elements such as hand-made French terra-cotta wall tiling, a mix of green fabrics including velvet, leopard skin and triangular patterned, as well as woodgrain flooring and a herbarium.

“A particularly dramatic design element is an entirely hand painted ceiling featuring a giant tiger.

“The spacious open kitchen is fitted with all the latest stainless steel equipment and features a large table right in front of a counter where guests can dine. As well as the restaurant, dining is also available in the venue’s two cocktail bars.

“The restaurant has an unusual layout, with tables set at random angles rather than aligned, in a free form inspired by Charlotte Perriand.

“All of the public spaces merge into each other, with the restaurant kitchen become a dining room, and the hotel lobby merging with a cocktail bar, which in turn blends with a space under the glass roof of a garden.”

Romée de Goriainoff, Experimental Group founder comments, “Opening a boutique hotel has been a dream for us since we arrived in London in 2010. We are so in love with London’s thriving hotel culture. We looked high and wide for the right spot for the hotel and we found it in Covent Garden, as it so perfectly meshes the new with the old and epitomises the trendy urban cool of London itself, which is at the forefront of the evolving hotel industry.”

Henrietta

CJN Concept Ltd

CJN Concept Ltd is one of the leading interior fit out contractors in the UK. Specialising in high-end commercial and hospitality fit outs, CJN Concept Ltd work closely with designers and architects to provide visually stunning and superior quality interiors.

Priding themselves on their quality of workmanship, CJN Concept Ltd offer innovative design and the best materials, expertly fitted with care and attention to detail. With over 25 years’ experience, CJN Concept’s hard work, attention to detail and constant striving to exceed expectations are just some of the reasons that most of their clients are repeat appointments or through recommendations.

Ryan Nicholas, CJN Concept Ltd, said:

“Our flexibility allows us to have great relationships with our clients, adjusting to the clients’ needs whilst endeavouring to remain on time and within budget.”

CJN Concept Ltd has fitted out a vast array of projects, ranging from Michelin star restaurants to Hilton hotels, to Mayfair apartments. At the Henriette Hotel, CJN Concept Ltd were involved from the very beginning and with all aspects of the project; stripping out the two buildings, carrying out structural works to create openings in order to turn the hotel into one building, building an extension on the 5th floor and then carrying out the internal fit out whilst assisting with design, ensuring the France-based team were compliant with UK regulations and value engineering to keep the project within budget.

Ryan said:

“It has been a pleasure to work with the client on this project and to assist with overcoming the various challenges that this prestigious hotel faced in terms of the building, the location and the budget.”

About the author

Roma Publications