The Halkin, London, UK
Halkin, a haute-couture Italian-style boutique hotel, owned by Singapore’s Christina Ong of Como Shambhala group. The public spaces of The Halkin amount to little more than a small but handsome lobby and bar while the rooms get the star treatment.
The rooms design can be described as “”Milanese Zen”", rich leathers and soothing muted colors doing their best to expand the already generous space. Each floor takes on as its theme one of the four ancient elements but the differences are subtle enough to avoid gimmickry; all four are as unassumingly elegant as can be. The marble bathrooms are expansive, and the COMO Shambhala bath products add to the culture shock—you may have to walk outside and see the building’s Georgian facade to reassure yourself that this is indeed London.
The location, in quietly upscale Belgravia, is a perfect match for this chic yet grown-up hotel—attractive yet not too ostentatious, and providing easy access to Knightsbridge, Hyde Park and Picadilly.
