WHERE WE STAY: LONDON'S BLAKES HOTEL
MAKE THIS BOUTIQUE HOTEL YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME WHEN IN LONDON.
PHOTOs via blakes hotel & TEXT JULIA ROITFELD
nEIGHBORHOOD: CHELSEA, London
ADDRESS: 33 Roland Gardens, Chelsea
CATEGORY: ROMANTIC BOUTIQUE HOTEL
NOTEWORTHY: AN ORGANIC MENU, TOUCHES OF CHINOISERIE and parisian flair, charming courtyard
Why JRR loves it: The First time I came to the Blakes was 25 years ago on a London trip with my mom. It always feels like a home away from home, which I love. I also love that decades later it is as authentic as it used to be, but at the same time knows how to evolve and make change in order to be sustainable.
Free standing tubs are a chic touch at this boutique hotel.
“At Blakes we care greatly for the environment.”
BLAKES SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES
CURRENTLY:
BLAKES BEES: BLAKES introduced a bee colony on their roof this year and planted lush bundles of lavender (all guest windows planted with lavender and the ground floor and courtyard) to help the bees feel more at home. Blakes Honey is coming soon!
WAR ON PLASTICS: BLAKES is no longer producing guest amenities (soap, cream, shower gel etc.) and once their current supplies are exhausted they will be moving to large glass containers. No beverages are provided in plastic bottles (changed their complimentary water to glass) and all straws are paper.
FOOD: The food offered at BLAKES is locally sourced as much as possible and the hotel’s menus have an extensive vegan and vegetarian selection, and any meat and seafood used is locally sourced.
HOUSEKEEPING: BLAKES is dedicated to recycling waste, only changes linens every 3 days unless used (avoids chemicals and water wastage) and recycles the used guest toilet rolls in the back of house area.
FUTURE PLANS:
Solar panels
Converting all lighting to LED
a blakes bedroom suite
blakes courtyard restaurant
