The pret-a-porter clad aeon of grandeur hotels meets luxe couture labels, has steadily cast its dashing chic sorcery on the sphere’s haut-monde cliques, as piece by piece they become inclined to a slice of palatial hospitality, garnished with a ritzy sprinkling of á la mode panache.
Cocooning discerning visitants in a high style staycation retreat, the illustrious historical mansion beacon of the Milestone Hotel & Residences aspires to enrapture their imperial lodgers, in a grand suite sanctum of stately splendour dripping with the artisan trappings furnished by the French empress of the high fashion sphere, we affectionately recognise as Hermès right within their not so modest, self titled abode of The Hermès Suite.
Tightly clasping their nimble hands to form a formidable lionised alliance, the Milestone Hotel’s Hermès Suite endeavoured to celebrate this harmonious trinity of cherished historical 18th-century architecture in the heart of London’s lush settings of Kensington, where I had spent a serene 24 hours in a ravishing backdrop interweaved with the contemporary voguish vigour of the mid-20th-century and a meticulously appointed ensemble of vintage adornments and furnishings chosen to illustrate the ardent annotation of this sacred sentence; “Where Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, Hermès is my soul mate”.
The Power of Passion: A Picturesque Love Story
Comfortably nuzzled within the graceful habitat of a Grade II listed layout, the Milestone takes pride in its high-brow stature by forming part of the much celebrated Red Carnation Hotel Collection; a dazzling incarnation born in 1984 from impassioned love, and an affection for the fragrant red carnation flower.
The year of 1952 had witnessed a young bonny belle by the title of Beatrice Tollman, and her hypnotising beauty which had cast its sorcery on a dashing hotelier named Stanley, whom was commonly acknowledged for donning the ruby red carnation floret neatly nestled within his lapel.
Following over three rapturous decades of wedded bliss and joyful companionship, coupled with Beatrice’s eagle eyed vision for meticulous service and hotel supremacy, the relentless couplet went on to purchase the whimsically distinguished sanctum of The Chesterfield Hotel, setting its esteemed timeless refinement within the heart of the billionaires playground of London’s Mayfair and continues to play the impeccable host to the spheres most prestigious aristocrats, nobles and cultured-class visitants.
The marriage of a bygone era of grandeur with immortal elegance, had continued to fuel the fire of Beatrice’s eternal liaison with the lavish world of glorious hospitality, paving the path to a further revered hotel assemblage of 17 uniquely fashioned, yet symmetrically luxuriant estates.
Be it Royal heritage treasure of The Rubens At The Palace neighbouring Buckingham Palace, or Cape Town’s paradisiacal oceanic retreat of The Twelve Apostles Hotel And Spa, each property remains highly heralded for their “Power of Passion” spirit.
With their high-powered president and founder, or as the team more tenderly present as Mrs. T continuing to manoeuvre her zealous brigade with a scrupulous interactive approach, the collection are relishing the rejoice in their family driven values, further elevated with her daughters Victoria and Toni’s cherished support as Director of Red Carnation Hotels and Director of Design of Projects respectively as they thrive in lavish surroundings, gastronomical regales and unparalleled hospitality with a heartfelt soul, all the while celebrating Mrs. T’s infinite love for her beloved husband, and his precious signature flower.
Taking A Bow To Six Generations of Hermès Artisans
Representing an extraordinary, wholesome legion of impeccable artisans for six generations since 1837, the sacred chronology had set its silk-stocking inception in motion in the City of Love we like to call Paris, when a hard-working harness-maker by the name of Thierry Hermès, went about setting up a workshop in rue Basse-du-Rempart to reap the rewards and “harness” in on his mastery panache to tap into the desires of his ritzy clientele by embracing the inherited dual thread notion; rigorous craftwork and his luxe patrons lifestyles.
In 1880, the time had come for Thierry Hermès’ to pass on the glittering throne to his son, Charles-Émile Hermès, whom had chosen to migrate the workshops to the fresh and now symbolic address of 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, and introduce to his esteemed native neighbours a sumptuous boutique centred around the exclusive, made to measure bespoke notion which led to the house’s high-standing repute for A1 excellence across Europe.
With the time of 1922 stemming in a shift in peoples lifestyle patterns due to the interwar period, Émile Hermès, son of Charles-Émile and his sharp-witted brilliance had secured the rights to what we now refer to as the zip brought on by his enthralling intrigue during a trip to Canada, with the “close-all” opening and closing technique of a military car hood before a glamour drenched assembly of meticulously tailored men’s golfing blazers, glittering jewellery, exquisite watches and ladies sandals were inaugurated into the house from 1925, to 1928.
It was the year of 1937, when an iconic creation was born; that sumptuous silk scarf starting with the extravagantly princely hatching of the feather fine, Jeu des omnibus et dames blanches rigorously forged by Émile Hermès’ son-in-law, Robert Dumas which in turn smoothed the red carpeted path for the silver spooned birth for many iconic and elusive luxury ornamentation staples.
The glossy portfolio ranged of a collection of smart crisp ties by Hermès, THAT iconic chic Kelly bag courtesy of a photograph of Grace Kelly flourishing the accessory, not to neglect the saddle-stitched prestige symbol of the Birkin bag, a prestigious genesis born from a chance encounter in 1984, between Robert Dumas’s son Jean-Louis Dumas and actress/singer Jane Birkin and her desire for a stunning handbag worthy for both an afternoon soirée, or dazzling evening affairs.
As we jet-set into the 21st Century, the time of 2005 had witnessed the Sixth generation descendant and Jean-Louis’s son, Pierre-Alexis Dumas take to the reigns as the polished top-drawer artistic director of Hermès, and with that, the house’s first Haute Bijouterie collection and privileged home furnishings in 2010, alongside Hermès prevailing vivacity whereby they have unleashed their tribute to the house’s flamboyant creativity, and wondrous foundations in humanist values throughout the generations.
Quintessential Regal Resplendence Meets Exquisite Parisian Suite Artisanship
Where the Red Carnation’s Milestone Hotel & Residences basks in personifying the epitome of classical, homegrown hotel magnificence, Hermès chooses to embody the paramount in French à la mode craftsmanship, with their melodious suite collaboration.
Scarcely a five-minute stroll from High Street Kensington station, has you in the presence of a splendid red brick facade tracing back to 1689, handsomely adorned with intricate carvings to frame the lordly windows, which give way to the magnolious Victorian interiors leading to the decadence of your Hermès dressed boudoir.
Stretching to a bountiful 580 sq ft of intimate secluded luxury, this comely chamber embraces its quintessential native old world architectural charm. Imposing wooden embellished windows lined with smooth cream and green striped curtains bedazzle the stage to a colossal antique gold, four-poster bed cocooned with regal emerald bedclothes to match the sumptuous jewel green carpeting, all the time welcoming a modernistic flair revealed in the gleaming black marble clad bathroom housing a walk in rain shower, and an array of fragrant Floris toiletries lined up by the bottomless like bathtub.
Enveloping these homely yet luxe delights, the Parisian couture settings encapsulate the embellishments of elaborate vintage Hermès scarves prettifying the walls, settled by glossed wooden seating upholstered in the multi-hued monograms while all lined up by the statement masterpiece of a French burr walnut desk completed with a glass sheathed coffee table, and mother-of-pearl bedside chests decorated with Italian copper bounds.
With a series of glossy taintless Hermès titles to leisurely leaf through, a tring of the bell will no sooner have one in the presence of a gallant besuited gentleman, accompanying a solid silver ice bucket bearing a icy chilled magnum of France’s finest champagne offerings, all yours to savour from the idyllic confinements of the endearing private balcony impeccably settled to luxuriate in the ethereal noble vistas of Kensington Palace, and their botanical Gardens before the evening commencement of hedonistic happenings.
In Suite Curriculars
Starting from approximately GBP 3,900, the Hermès suite welcomes its discerning visitors with the well-appointed comforts below for an indulgent nearcation affair.
- Complimentary welcome beverage upon arrival
- Complimentary evening canapés
- Personalised business cards
- Fresh fruits or homemade cookies and large mineral bottled water upon arrival
- Butler’s selection of English soaps from bespoke perfumeries
- In-room cocktail masterclass or champagne Sabrage (charges apply, 48 hours’ notice required)
Conclusion
It is unequivocal to state, that the Milestone Hotel & Residences has immaculately paid an honoured ode to the much adored namesake 19th Century French designer, playing its role in continuing to see this honoured residence bask in the esteemed Forbes Five-Star rating in the Forbes Travel Guide, 2024 as this powerful suite dalliance redefines the definition of highbrow contemporary grandiosity, and supremely, the dynamic might of family.
