Red Carnation hotel gets a new look

For those who like a personal touch there can be no better place to check in than the newly renovated Egerton House Hotel in Knightbridge. Corporate and leisure guests from around the world can expect warm, personalized service which has come to be the trademark of all Red Carnation Hotels.

The experience unfolds the minute a guest steps inside the door.  General Manger Sandra Anido ensures  that  the thirty-bedroom Egerton House is the antithesis of the faceless corporate chain hotel with its businesslike approach. It is a house rule that every guest receives personal attention during their stay and is made to feel like a guest of the family – which in this case would be the Tollman family.

Founder of Red Carnation Hotels, South African hotelier Beatrice Tollman leaves her elegant stamp not only on the service but also on the décor of the hotel and rooms. Her attention to detail is reflected in the beautiful, handpicked antiques, Brussel weave carpets and Savoir beds. On the ground floor, the cosy drawing room, with its gorgeous open fire, is elegant but utterly comfortable and the small bar gives it a convivial, clubby feel.

All this olde world charm has been artfully juxtaposed with all the modern conveniences:  video-conferencing on plasma screens, flat-screen TVs, WiFi throughout, and specially programmed Nano iPods offering a vast selection of music. It is a short walk away from Harrods and other central London attractions.

Red Carnation’s flagship, The Milestone, a member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World, is a beautifully restored Victorian mansion dating from 1882. Overlooking Kensington Palace and Gardens it has a gracious stately presence that is complemented by contemporary conveniences and service. It is within walking distance of Kensington High Street’s elegant shopping and near the Royal Albert Hall and the West End.

The Milestone has 45 deluxe guest rooms and 12 luxurious suites, each individually designed with exquisite taste and equipped with the latest technology.

The Windsor Suite & Map Room are beautiful function rooms with natural daylight & video-conferencing. All of the luxurious guest rooms have spacious work desks & modern business amenities, such as conference-phones, voicemail & fax/copier/scanner machines. Cheneston’s Restaurant, with its adjoining Oratory, offers fine international dining, while the Stables Bar & the Conservatory offer a relaxed ambience.

Chief Executive of Red Carnation Hotels Jonathan Raggett who manages the Red Carnation properties in the UK and Europe says that the personalized attention that guests receive is extended to the staff at all their properties. Employees are involved in every aspect from menu selection to food preparation.

Red Carnation Hotels is a collection of luxury properties. Its luxurious five-star properties in London are The Milestone Hotel, Egerton House and “41.” Outside London is Summer Lodge Country House Hotel, Restaurant and Spa and Evershot, Dorset, a member of Relais & Chateaux. Other RCH properties, and members of Leading Small Hotels of the World, are the five-star Hotel d’Angleterre on Lake Geneva, Switzerland, and The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Cape Town, South Africa.

Forget those mints. Nothing compares with a single red carnation placed night after night on your pillow!

Report by Chitra Mogul