New Faces

Like a champagne tap that never turns off, there seems to be no end to the constant stream of gorgeous, desirable new hotels opening in the UK, says Fiona Duncan

Only time can tell which upcoming addresses will turn out to be disappointing and which will become classics of their kind. Twenty years ago this summer, to take one example of the latter, Olga Polizzi opened Hotel Tresanton in the seaside town of St Mawes (p49). Fashioned from a rambling former yacht club, it has indeed become a classic, as sparkling now as it was when it first opened with a flourish. Which of the many hotels set to open in the next few months will achieve the same status? Here are the ones that look, to me, the most likely. Some will have opened by the time you read this; others, in the way of new openings, will have announced yet another long delay.

Talking of delay, if there’s a prize for that then Heckfield Place (heckfieldplace.com) wins hands-down. It was back in 2012 that billionaire Gerald Chan announced the imminent opening of this Hampshire Georgian country house, a former wedding venue and training centre set in a 400-acre estate, as a 70-bedroom luxury hotel and spa. Since then, there have been further false starts and numerous staff, including general managers and executive chefs, have come and gone. Now, at last, its autumn opening seems assured, with ex-Aman Olivia Richli as GM and Skye Gyngell as culinary director. Designed by Ben Thompson, it aims at being a ‘living place, resolutely natural…a country haven with a progressive vision and an antidote to the modern world where guests can connect with each other and nature…a place of intrinsic beauty where extraordinary things can happen’.

Gosh. If it’s all it’s cracked up to be, it will certainly give Lime Wood (p79, another young hotel that’s already become a classic) a run for its money. Let’s hope it’s worth the long, long wait… the runes are good.

Oscar Wilde would not have quibbled at all these delays. The man who said ‘I am always late on principle, my principle being that punctuality is the thief of time’ is recalled in two imminent London hotels. At Belmond Cadogan (belmond. com), a multi-million pound refurbishment of the much-loved Cadogan Hotel on Sloane Street preserves the style of the 1887 building, but threads it with quiet contemporary luxury. GA Design International have created an interior inspired by the hotel’s history and the personalities associated with it, amongst them Sir Hans Sloane, Lillie Langtry and Oscar himself, for it was here that he was arrested in 1895. I have high hopes for a classic in the making.

Over in the somewhat unlikely setting of a former Baroque style Baptist Church, albeit one with fine proportions and a soaring octagonal chapel, French interior designer Jacques Garcia has indulged his passion for Oscar Wilde without stint. Mind you, Garcia is never one to stint (witness Costes in Paris, La Mamounia in Marrakech or NoMad in LA and NYC). Here at L’oscar (loscar.com) his predilection for bohemian opulence and 19th-century decadence à la Wilde is given full reign, perfectly embodied by a chandelier, lit by hundreds of glass birds, that cascades seven floors down through the original staircase. If you prefer modern minimalism, do not venture here.

‘Quintessential English character married with the literary and academic spirit of its location’ is eagerly expected from the rebuilt 192-bedroom University Arms (universityarms.com) in Cambridge. The intention is to create a hotel that matches the city’s heart and style – ambitious, beautiful and full of life. An exciting one-off partnership between John Simpson, one of the world’s most important classical architects, and stratospherically successful interior designer Martin Brudnizki should surely pull that off.

The rapid growth of the Artist Residence hotels (artistresidence.co.uk), masterminded by a couple only just out of their twenties is impressive, even more so because each property (featured in this guide, p42, 88, 89 and 103) is unique, reflecting its location. Justin and Charlotte Salisbury’s latest venture is their most ambitious: a derelict former boot factory, Grade I listed, in a boho corner of Bristol. Its original features are being lovingly restored and without doubt it will make a quirky, cool and highly individual new address for the city.

I’ll be intrigued to revisit Monkey Island (monkeyislandestate.co.uk) at Bray on Thames when it opens... many moons ago I spent my wedding night there. The centuries-old retreat was once popular with visiting monarchs, artists and famous performers. Reached by footbridge or boat and surrounded by beautiful gardens, its slick, luxurious interior is being created by the same people behind The Carlyle in New York and The Dorchester in London.

There’s another new island hotel in the offing... on beautiful Islay. Gordon Campbell Gray has returned to his Scottish roots at The Machrie (campbellgrayhotels.com) where the restored 18-hole championship links golf course is already open. The accompanying hotel promises a deliciously comfortable base in the Western Isles, one of the world’s most beautiful places. Campbell Gray has an eye for lovely things and his hotels are always designed with flair and care. Also in Scotland, keep an eye out for the opening, hopefully in the winter, of the Fife Arms in Braemar (thefifearms.com) where Hauser & Wirth owners Iwan and Manuela Wirth are painstakingly returning the town centre landmark to its former splendour. Who’s in charge? The former long-time general manager of Tresanton, Federica Bertolini. Should be good, maybe even a classic.