Blakes Hotel London

What Blakes Hotel London does

Blakes Hotel London is a privately-held, single-property luxury boutique hotel located at 33 Roland Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, South Kensington, London. Founded in 1978 by interior designer Anouska Hempel, the property is widely credited as the world's first design-led luxury boutique hotel, predating comparable concepts in San Francisco (1981) and New York (1984). The hotel operates under the legal entity Blakes Management Limited and is owner-operated by Navid Mirtorabi, with no parent company, subsidiaries, or external investment disclosed.

The core product is 44 individually designed rooms and suites organized across seven categories (Petite Single through the signature Hempel Suite), ranging from 18 to 65 square meters and featuring eclectic influences including Asian, Moroccan, and Colonial aesthetics. Ancillary revenue streams include the on-site Blakes Restaurant (an Asian Fusion–Italian brasserie), Blakes Below (a late-night basement bar and event venue with capacity up to 120), the Japanese-style Courtyard with the Birdcage for private dining, and dedicated event spaces for corporate meetings, photoshoots, and trunk shows. Guests also receive complimentary access to the South Kensington Club's wellness facilities (Russian banya, hammam, fitness classes) via a partnership arrangement.

The business model is built on a multi-stream revenue structure covering accommodation, food and beverage, events, gift vouchers, and wellness partnership access. Distribution is hybrid: direct via the hotel's own website, phone, and email, plus indirect through Design Hotels (a Marriott-owned curated network) and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty point earning/redemption. The customer base is distributed across luxury travelers, couples, fashion/music/art/film industry professionals, corporate and private event clients, and pet-friendly travelers. Pricing for accommodation is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; published pricing covers ancillary services such as continental breakfast (£18), lunch set menus (from £25), and day delegate packages (from £65 per person for groups of 10+).

Name

Blakes Hotel London

Legal name

Blakes Management Limited t/a Blakes Hotel

Website

https://blakeshotels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blakes Hotel London is a privately-held, 44-room luxury boutique hotel in South Kensington, founded in 1978 by Anouska Hempel as the world's first design-led boutique hotel. It serves luxury travelers, creative-industry professionals, and private event clients through accommodation, F&B, and event services, distributed directly and via Design Hotels/Marriott Bonvoy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Hotel Accommodation

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Boutique Resorts (Small-Scale Resorts) (THAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH)

Keywords

• Luxury boutique hotels
• Hotel accommodation
• Restaurant and bar services
• Private event venues
• Design-led hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accommodation: Revenue from 44 individually designed rooms and suites ranging from Petite Single to Hempel Suite, including European King and Double bed options with various size configurations from 18-65 sqm.
2. Restaurant & Bar: Blakes Restaurant operates as a Chelsea brasserie offering Asian Fusion to Italian cuisine, with Blakes Café (Mon-Sat 7am-6pm, Sun 8am-4pm), Brunch (Sat 1-5pm, Sun 12-4pm), and Dinner (Tue-Sat 6-11pm). Blakes Below is the late-night secret bar venue. The Courtyard operates daily 8am-8pm.
3. Meetings & Events: Event spaces including the Restaurant (up to 36 seated, 50 standing), Below (up to 120 capacity with Chinese and Japanese rooms), Birdcage & Courtyard (up to 10 people), and Suites for photoshoots and trunk shows. Day delegate packages from £65 per person.
4. Gift Vouchers: Prepaid vouchers available for restaurant dining and hotel stays, valid for 12 months from purchase date.
5. Wellness Partnership Access: Partnership with South Kensington Club provides guests complimentary access to gym, wellness facilities including Russian banya, hammam, and fitness classes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Blakes Hotel London operates a 44-room luxury boutique hotel offering individually designed accommodation across seven room categories (Petite Single through the signature Hempel Suite), three food and beverage outlets (Blakes Restaurant brasserie, Blakes Below secret late-night bar, and the Japanese Garden Courtyard), and a portfolio of private event venues for meetings, dinners, photoshoots, and celebrations. The hotel also provides a wellness offering via partnership with South Kensington Club and a 24-hour dog concierge service for pet-friendly travelers.

Product overview

Blakes Hotel London is a luxury boutique hotel offering accommodation across seven room categories ranging from Petite Single to the signature Hempel Suite, all designed by Anouska Hempel with eclectic influences. The property features multiple food and beverage outlets including Blakes Restaurant (Asian Fusion-Italian cuisine), Blakes Below (late-night speakeasy bar), and The Courtyard (Japanese Garden). For events, the hotel provides versatile venues including private dining spaces, the Birdcage & Courtyard for intimate gatherings, Below for up to 120 guests, and suites for photoshoots and trunk shows. Wellness facilities are available through a partnership with South Kensington Club, offering Russian banya, hammam, and fitness classes. Additional services include a dedicated dog concierge package and Blakes Confidential concierge service for local recommendations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Petite Single

Quantifiable outcome

• Design Hotels membership providing global distribution and Marriott Bonvoy point earning/redemption

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Kensington ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with South Kensington Club (SKC), a private members' health and wellbeing sanctuary in a Georgian townhouse. Blakes guests receive complimentary access to SKC facilities including Russian banya, Turkish hammam, cold plunge pools, private treatment cabins, skylit cardio gym, weights room, and daily fitness classes (Pilates, HIIT, yoga, barre, boxing). SKC is located at 38-42 Harrington Road, London SW7 3ND.
• Design HotelscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBlakes is a member of Design Hotels, a curated global collection of independent boutique hotels. This partnership provides global distribution, booking referrals, and brand credibility within the boutique hotel community. Design Hotels is owned by Marriott International.
• Marriott BonvoyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThrough Design Hotels membership, Blakes participates in Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program allowing guests to collect and redeem points for stays following loyalty scheme terms and conditions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ham Yard Hotel (Firmdale Hotels): Soho design-led boutique hotel with eclectic interiors, rooftop, and theater — comparable theatrical-design positioning and Firmdale's boutique model directly competes for Blakes' design-luxury guest.
• The Hari: Belgravia boutique luxury hotel with individually designed rooms, intimate scale, and a strong F&B concept — a comparable small-format design-led London competitor serving similar affluent travelers.
• The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel: Chelsea heritage luxury hotel in the same Royal Borough as Blakes, with comparable scale (54 keys), historical provenance, and creative-industry clientele — a direct local competitor for design-conscious luxury travelers.
• The Halkin by COMO: Belgravia boutique luxury hotel with contemporary design, intimate scale, and wellness-forward positioning — comparable small-format luxury in adjacent central London neighborhoods.
• The Soho Hotel (Firmdale Hotels): Firmdale's flagship London boutique property with individually designed rooms and strong creative-industry clientele — a leading example of the design-led boutique hotel category Blakes helped invent.
• Covent Garden Hotel (Firmdale Hotels): Founder-led design boutique hotel with individually themed rooms and theatrical interiors, operating a comparable small-property luxury model with strong F&B — a peer in the design-led boutique category Blakes pioneered.
• The Connaught: Luxury Mayfair hotel with comparable design pedigree (Tara Bernerd interiors), similar room count (~30 suites), and shared clientele of fashion/film professionals — direct competitor for high-end London boutique luxury stays.
• Number Sixteen (Firmdale Hotels): South Kensington boutique hotel offering individually designed rooms, townhouse setting, and curated luxury — same neighborhood, comparable size, and similar design-led positioning.
• The Berkeley: Knightsbridge luxury hotel with strong F&B (afternoon tea, Marcus Wareing), pet-friendly suites, and a design-forward identity — closely comparable to Blakes in location, positioning, and luxury traveler audience.

Broad incumbents

• 45 Park Lane: Dorchester Collection's Mayfair luxury property with contemporary art-driven design and a small-format model — a wider portfolio incumbent that competes for the same Mayfair/Kensington luxury traveler.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blakes-hotel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blakes Hotel London