Perched gracefully on the banks of the River Thames, The Mitre, Hampton Court, is a stunning Grade II-listed property with a rich history dating back to 1665. Originally built to provide accommodation for the guests of King Charles II at nearby Hampton Court Palace, this historic gem has been reimagined as a luxurious 40-bedroom hotel. Luckily for myself and my sister, it’s now going to provide us with a night’s stay on a cold December night, and we have a welcome fit for royalty when we arrive after a short hop on the train from London.
Stepping into the cosy foyer, welcomed by friendly staff and warmed by an open fire and glass of mulled wine, we immediately relax. Carols are playing and Christmas decorations and candles add to the festive ambience. In fact, we start to feel like we are extras in ‘The Holiday’! We have to tear ourselves away in order to head to our room, and we are led by the wonderful Ashley through a maze of corridors and up and down stairs. She tells us how much she enjoys working at The Mitre, and it’s evident to see that she really means it. It’s a higgledy-piggledy building, and the sense of history is steeped in the walls. With only 40 rooms – of which none are the same – each of the guest rooms and suites is individually designed. All are named after historical references linked to the hotel such as King Henry VIII’s wives, The Gardener’s Hut, and Penny Farthing – each room celebrating its individual heritage. We are in ‘Tudor’ and it’s cosy and decorated in shades of blue and pink, in fact we are so enamoured with the room’s decoration that my sister immediately orders Farrow and Ball paint samples for similar shades!
Indeed each room we enter has our heads swivelling over the decoration and furnishings, each area is decorated sensitively, allowing the building to retain its character and its period features are enhanced with beautifully designed furniture and accessories from different periods, with maximalist contrasting colours and luxury upholstery and lighting. There is a charm and eccentricity here which can’t help but raise a smile, with pops of colour and warm textures that invoke a joyful and inviting atmosphere.
Through design we aim to connect our guests with the history and the location of each hotel, providing characterful bedrooms, and playful lively public spaces where people quickly feel at home Nicola Harding, Interior Designer
There is fresh milk in the fridge (a detail that I am always grateful for) and we make a cup of tea in the bone china cups (another detail not gone unnoticed) and have a cheeky sip of a ginger liqueur that’s been left for us, along with some homemade biscuits. We are meeting our sisters-in-law for dinner, so when they arrive we order glasses of Cremant and head to the library, a beautiful room for guests to enjoy, with a juke box and board games to play.
The room is high ceilinged and decorated beautifully in dark, moody colours perfectly encapsulating the dark academia interior trend, with velvet covered armchairs, creating a lux but cosy and relaxed vibe. We now feel like we’re in an Agatha Christie novel, thankfully without any dead bodies to worry about!
We head to the restaurant, 1665, for dinner. Named after the date the Mitre was built, 1665 is a riverside brasserie, with a centre-piece central bar, wine room, open kitchen, and beautiful riverside terrace. The Thames is high and fast flowing, and we can see it glittering in the riverside lights. It only adds to the cosy festive feel inside, and we tuck into some excellent food. Two of us have the festive menu, so go all out for brie and cranberry, and turkey and all the trimmings, while the others try beef shin with creamy horseradish mash, and a hearty and very moorish venison ragu. Service is friendly and unobtrusive and the wine and conversation flows. Before we know it, it’s way past our bed time, and we wave our guests off in cabs, and head gratefully to our room. Always heavenly when it’s a two minute walk home!
After a lovely uninterrupted night’s sleep, we miraculously find our appetites again and head to breakfast. This is served in another of the hotel’s dining areas, The Boathouse (which also doubles up as a cocktail bar in the evening) and the circular shape makes it feel like we’re dining in a hot air balloon! Thankfully it’s much more stable but watching the river rushing past gives an illusion of movement, and frankly this is is the only way I’d actually get into one! We opt for full English breakfasts, and there is a help yourself buffet with fruit and pastries too, and as we sip our drinks and watch the river go by, we digest not only a hearty breakfast, but also a wonderful stay. We make plans to come back in the spring to visit the world’s first Whispering Angel terrace, and to stay in another of the quirky rooms here.
