LONDON
THE CAPITAL HOTEL,
APARTMENTS & TOWNHOUSE
THERE IS A PARTICULAR BREED OF LONDON HOTEL THAT OPERATES ON AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FREQUENCY FROM THE GRAND DAMES THAT DOMINATE THE CITY. THE CAPITAL, A UNIQUE OFFERING OF HOTEL ROOMS, SUITES AND APARTMENTS ACROSS INTERCONNECTED TOWNHOUSES TUCKED AWAY ON BASIL STREET IN KNIGHTSBRIDGE, IS PRECISELY THAT SORT OF PLACE. BY SAMANTHA READY
Quietly perfecting the art of understated luxury since David Levin opened it in 1971, The Capital has often been described as a‘ grand hotel in miniature,’ while also claiming to have coined the term‘ boutique hotel’ long before anyone else was using it. Having stayed, I’ m inclined to believe them.
Now part of the Warwick Hotel & Resorts portfolio, a family-run group founded in 1980 with the acquisition of New York’ s historic Warwick Hotel, The Capital has retained everything that made it special under the Levin family’ s stewardship while also striving to raise the hospitality bar. It’ s a member of both Small Luxury Hotels of the World and Pride of Britain Hotels, and the sense of being somewhere special hits you from the moment you ascend the steps and cross the threshold.
Less overwhelming international hotel and more private, secluded residence it offers just 73 guest bedrooms across its apartments, townhouses and main hotel, all of which- newly refurbished this spring- are individually designed and decorated with original artwork and antique furniture. Guests looking for a longer stay can opt for one of the 11 Capital Apartments, offering self-catered kitchens as well as the benefit of accessing all of the hotel’ s facilities.
Our deluxe king room was a nod to classic British design in keeping with townhouse style. Think muted colour palettes offset with pops of rich accents, beautiful cornicing, ceiling roses and marble bathrooms. Rather than being merely decorated, the spaces feel more lived in and welcoming, creating the atmosphere that makes it easy to understand why the hotel boasts a wealth of returning guests and is also popular with our cousins across the pond who love the grand London living paired with convenient positioning.
The location is notably first class: a stone’ s throw from Knightsbridge tube station, boasting Harrods and Harvey Nichols as neighbours, and a short jaunt from Sloane Street, the V & A, the Royal Albert Hall and Hyde Park.
And so is the dining. One of the main draws for many is The Capital’ s acclaimed dining, currently Tom Brown at The Capital, which claimed its Michelin star this year and marked a homecoming for one of Britain’ s most exciting contemporary chefs.
Brown, originally from Cornwall, covered in tattoos and a frequent visitor to Kent’ s coast particularly for gigs at Dreamland, first made his name here as head chef of Nathan Outlaw’ s restaurant at The Capital from 2016- 2018, retaining their coveted Michelin star. He then opened his own acclaimed Cornerstone seafood restaurant in Hackney Wick in 2018, earning a star within a year. After its closure in 2024,
138 • www. insidekent. co. uk