The oldest and one of the most elegant hotels in London began life as an unexceptional terraced house.
However, since then, royalty, American presidents, and many other notable figures of the past two centuries have crossed its threshold.
Notably, the then Princess Elizabeth attended the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regimental tea party at Brown’s Hotel in July 1951 as a guest of honor.
And Diana, Princess of Wales, was a guest of the American Correspondents’ Association in London in 1996, at a time when she was consulting with lawyers about her divorce from Prince Charles.
Legend has it that Winston Churchill, when asked which London hotel he preferred, replied: ‘I don’t stay in a hotel; I’m staying at Brown’s.
Sir Rocco Forte has owned Brown’s Hotel (pictured) in London since 2003.
Sir Rocco writes that Brown’s is the oldest hotel in London and “one of the most elegant.” Above, the hotel lobby.
It has offered everyone a refuge that is both opulent and intimate. Located in the heart of Mayfair, it remains one of the most exclusive places to stay in the capital, spread across what were once 13 neighboring Georgian properties.
Its Kipling Suite, named after author Rudyard Kipling, costs £6,000 a night.
However, its original owner, after whom the hotel is named, was the humble valet James Brown, who, it is said, had worked in Lord Byron’s household.
He could only afford to rent the property and converted it into a hotel in 1832.
Pictured is the Kipling Suite, named after author Rudyard Kipling, who considered Brown’s his “second home.”
Sir Rocco reveals that the hotel once enforced a rigid dress code, requiring men to wear a jacket and tie. Upstairs is the living room
But his timing was perfect, as the nobility began to prefer hotels over the expense of renting or maintaining a residence in London.
Brown and his wife Sarah, another maid, formed a winning team as they learned to mirror their guests’ cottages with comfort and discretion.
Kipling considered Brown’s his second home.
The Sir Paul Smith Suite, which costs from £5,500 per night
Overlooking Dover Street, the Sir Paul Smith Suite is ‘flooded with natural light’
Sir Paul Smith’s suite, pictured, is a showcase for Smith’s creations, including cushions from his latest homeware collection and sofas, tables and leather goods from his collaboration with the Italian luxury furniture company DePadova.
He had lunch with his best man on his wedding day and it is believed that that is where The Second Jungle Book began.
It was also there that he wrote to a friend in 1915: ‘My son leaves for Flanders this week. So we’re in town waiting until he leaves… ‘A month later, John Kipling was killed at the Battle of Loos.
Horror film star Peter Cushing also called Brown’s “my favorite hotel in London.”
Horror film star Peter Cushing also called Brown’s “my favorite hotel in London.” Upstairs is the privately rented Roosevelt Room.
Royal visitor: Princess Diana leaving the hotel in 1996
He even had it written into his contract with the Hammer studio to stay there during filming.
Unable to sleep one night while at Brown’s, American author Stephen King went downstairs to find a quiet place to write and was shown a desk by a concierge that, according to legend, Kipling had used during his visits.
“Buoyed by cup after cup of tea, I filled 16 pages of a shorthand notebook,” King recalls.
The result was the outline for Misery, his 1987 novel about a deranged fan.
History has been made at Brown’s.
In 1877, inventor Alexander Graham Bell stayed on his honeymoon and brought his new device and made the first telephone call in Europe.
The Fortes’ relationship with the hotel began in 1970, when my father Charles, who had built a considerable business, merged with TrustHouse, which owned Brown’s.
After a hostile takeover of the group by Grenada in 1996, I was able to acquire it in 2003 when Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund decided to sell it.
Yum is the word: upstairs is Charlie’s, the hotel’s elegant restaurant.
Baby, baby, hooray! Donovan’s, the 1960s photo-themed bar famous for its cocktails
In 1877, inventor Alexander Graham Bell stayed at Brown’s house on his honeymoon and brought his new device with him and made the first telephone call in Europe. Upstairs there is a replica of a period telephone in a meeting room that honors the connection between the hotel and the Scottish country.
There was once a rigid dress code that required men to wear a jacket and tie.
The late actor Oliver Reed took off his pants in protest because the use of leggings was not stipulated.
However, even then, at the end of the meal the beautifully ironed trousers were returned to him. Just as expected.
‘Brown’s Hotel: A Family Affair’ by Andy Williamson is available now priced at £42, available to purchase in-hotel and online at roccoforteshop.es