Activities

Firmdale Hotels is the owner and operator of a collection of individually-designed hotels in London. Founded in 1985 by Kit and Tim Kemp, the company was an early pioneer of the boutique hotel concept.

Most of the hotels have in-house destination restaurants serving predominantly modern British cuisine, although Refuel at the Soho hotel specialises in modern international dishes.

Timeline

• 1985: Firmdale opens its first hotel, the 37-bedroom Dorset Square in Marylebone. The property, described as London’s first grand country-house style hotel, is sold in 2002.
• 1989: The company opens the Pelham hotel in South Kensington. It also opens the 11-bedroom Durley House hotel in Sloane Street which is sold in 2003.
• 1996: The opening of the Covent Garden hotel on the site of a former hospital marks Firmdale’s first property outside the Knightsbridge area.
• June 2000: The Kemps open the Charlotte Street hotel in South Kensington on the site of former dental warehouse. It also doubles its number of standalone restaurants when it acquires two Leith’s restaurants in Beak Street and Notting Hill and a third restaurant in Earlsfield.
• September 2001: Firmdale opens its first hotel without a restaurant, Number Sixteen in South Kensington.
• 2002: Firmdale opens its second restaurant-free hotel, the Knightsbridge hotel in Beaufort Gardens. By now, the company has sold on its standalone restaurants, which include Min’s in Beauchamp Place, the Enterprise in Walton Street, the Establishment in Gloucester Road, the Beak Street restaurant, the Notting Hill Brasserie and 573 Garrett Lane in Earlsfield.
• September 2004: The Soho hotel opens on the site of a former multi-storey car park.

Operating data

Firmdale made a profit of £1m in 2003-2004 on a turnover of £14m.

Number of hotels: six in London

Pelham hotel, Cromwell Place (50 bedrooms, Kemps Bar and Restaurant)
Covent Garden hotel, Monmouth Street (58 bedrooms, Brasserie Max restaurant)
Charlotte Street hotel (52 bedrooms, Oscar restaurant)
Number Sixteen, Sumner Place (42 bedrooms, B&B)
Knightsbridge hotel, Beaufort Gardens (44 bedrooms, B&B)
Soho restaurant, Richmond Mews (85 bedrooms, six private apartments, Refuel restaurant)

Number of employees: about 600

Strategy

“Our mission at Firmdale Hotels is, like most hotel groups, to ensure that we are the first choice for international business and leisure travellers and to exceed targeted occupancy, revenues and average room rates. But our main aim is to grow, constantly changing and evolving our product so that we are always wanting to be way ahead of our competitors. Our aim is to be the leader, a benchmark in the industry rather than a follower. 

“Firmdale Hotels has a strong global reputation but it is the individual profile of each property that stands out. We stand for value and quality as well as high standards of personal service and loyalty.”

Source: company statement, June 2005

Key directors

Managing director and owner: Tim Kemp
Design director and owner: Kit Kemp
Operations director: Carrie Wicks
Marketing and public relations director: Craig Markham
Finance director: Malcolm Soden

Contact

18 Thurloe Place
London
Greater London
SW7 2SP

Tel: 020 7581 4045
Fax: 020 7581 1862

E-mail:
Website: http://www.firmdale.com

Commentary

The Kemps have been credited with redefining the concept of the luxury London hotel with their stylish yet affordable properties. When they opened their first hotel, Dorset Square, the only other boutique property in London was Anouska Hempel’s Blake’s hotel.

In common with other pioneers of the boutique concept, the Kemps had some problems convincing the money men and were turned down by 14 banks before they secured the necessary funds. But by early 2005, the couple had made an estimated £60m from the hotels, which run at nearly 100% occupancy throughout the year.

Kit, a self-taught designer, is responsible for the style of the hotels, which are all rebuilt and designed from scratch. Each room is individual, although Kit has developed a design signature in the life-sized mannequins placed in all the bedrooms. Her style has evolved into a contemporary twist on the traditional English style.

Among its many awards, the group won the RAC Credit to the Industry accolade in 2004 for setting new standards of excellence.

The group started work in January 2005 on the 50-bedroom Haymarket hotel that will open in February 2007next to the Haymarket Theatre Royal. The hotel, forged from Grade II and Grade II* listed premises, will include a restaurant, a bar and a 20-metre swimming pool.