"Why book? The UK’s penchant for small, well-designed hotels that breathe life into tired properties – see the very successful Pig and Artist Residence groups – continues with The Mitre, the first in what’s hoped to be a series of openings up and down the country from the newly formed Signet Collection. Many people travel to Hampton Court to haunt the larger-than-life royal palace but few stay the night – this harlequin-bright hotel with its toes in the Thames gives guests the chance to appreciate the area before and after the crowds descend. And the reasonable starting rate is lower than many B&Bs.
Set the scene Just over the bridge from Hampton Court station and across the road from the palace, with the deer-grazed acres of Bushy Park a few steps away. The Mitre is a little like London – a glorious, eccentric mess of architectural styles, from a bright white Nineties rotunda built to Georgian brickwork and an original bow window from Henry VIII’s reign. Pops of color everywhere – hothouse greens, deckchair stripes, tropical birds and honky-tonk squiggles on walls and cushions and fabrics – along with original works from local artists and pretty posies in small vases. From the twin-deck restaurant and brasserie, steps lead down to the riverside terrace, where hogsheads of Whispering Angel rosé are poured in summer and row boats launched for Edwardian-style jaunts on the Thames.
The backstory The Mitre was built around 1665 (a good year for plague, for those interested in historic echoes), when Charles II was on the throne and wanted more space for spare guests at the palace. Fast forward to the early 21st century and the hotel had become a melancholic space with hangover-inducing carpets – plenty of scope for the building’s own Restoration led by designer Nicola Harding (who worked on The Rose in Deal). She was invited in by Hector Ross, who along with chef Ronnie Kimbugwe set up the new Signet group – the pair met at the Bel & The Dragon inns, with Ross going on to run the headlining Beaverbrook hotel in Surrey when it opened in 2016. Another key figure here is manager Claire Fyfe, an energetic former Master Chef finalist with a keen eye for detail.
The rooms Ours was christened Edward – all the names riff on royalty or the area’s history, without too much forelock-tugging – decorated in pinks and blues with a four-poster, ceramic lamp shade and copper tub in the bathroom below a vintage map of London. ‘The idea was to listen to the building’s stories and bring some whimsy and playfulness to them,’ says designer Harding. Other favorites are the larger Play Writers Den and Christopher Wren bedrooms – while the King Henry VIII Suite has a bed like a jousting tent and splendid views of river and palace. But just to have a glimpse of the Thames as you wake is deeply special – especially in the evening golden hour when swans and paddle-boarders skim past. All are supplied with Bramley bath potions, snifters of King’s Ginger liqueur and weekday invitations to cheese tastings.
Food and drink Plenty of comfort-food hits that show off fresh English ingredients with the occasional global twist – harissa-heated Devonshire crab toast, cauliflower popcorn, roasted stone bass with a miso-tea crust, a splodge of burrata surrounded by heritage tomatoes, a whole picnic of creamy honey-sweet puddings. Both restaurants are set in the rotunda overlooking the river, with the all-day Coppernose restaurant below and swankier 1665 brasserie above (though you wonder why make the distinction…). An inventive cocktail menu includes the Pumpking, with Cognac, pumpkin spice and star anise; and order a pint of the house craft ale, which arrives in a pewter flagon with a see-through bottom – used in the Middle Ages so as to keep an eye out for attackers (or in this case the waiter). In warm weather, the Whispering Angel bar on the terrace makes a persuasive case for a lost afternoon.
The crowd Since opening in September 2020, it’s been a staycation hit, drawing families and couples, along with plenty of curious locals. Plus anyone with tickets to the RHS Hampton Court flower show, summer festival (Van Morrison and Tom Jones on the billing for 2021) or other events at the palace – during our stay before lockdown, petrol heads were salivating over rare motors in the Concours of Elegance.
The neighborhood There’s that big palace over the road. Can’t miss it. Has a maze, 1,000 plus rooms and the biggest grape vine in the world. But also wide open Bushy Park, very similar to the better known Richmond Park, and leafy walks along the river and canal towpath. Hampton Court village itself is quite charming, with its old-school wine bar, family butcher and Emporium for antiques.
The service This place not only looks like a regatta but has the same boaters-in-the-air atmosphere – everyone appears to be having a good time. Fyfe is a bright presence, often to be seen in the lobby, and a few members of the team were here in its previous incarnation, so know the area well.
For Families This is an arms-wide-open sort of space. Plenty of courtyard rooms suitable for dogs, and even children – the larger rooms can fit up to four guests with fold-down beds.
Eco effort Chef Kimbugwe works with Hampton Court gardeners to source as many vegetables locally as possible, while all fish is MSC certified. Harding kept as much of the original furniture as she could, using antique and repurposed pieces elsewhere. The team reduce use of plastic, compost food waste, have partnered with ethical drinks outfit One Water and support Trees for Cities, along with apprenticeships for locals. Plans for rooftop bees and herbs, and water recycling, are quietly buzzing on the horizon.
Accessibility There’s one bedroom kitted out for accessibility, and a dedicated lift for the restaurants.
Anything you’d change?There are disappointingly few sightings of headless ghosts.
Anything left to mention?The library snug has the atmosphere of a Victorian seance and crystal decanters for a late-night nightcap; the garden orangery, tumbling over with greenery, makes a fine place for private parties. On the opposite bank, James Martin's family has been hiring row boats since Queen Victoria first opened up the palace to visitors, which can be ferried over for messing about on the river" - Rick Jordan
