Firmdale's double act

Ask UK hoteliers who they admire among their competitors and the answers are fairly predictable. On the large corporate scale, it's invariably Four Seasons; on the smaller scale, it's often Hotel du Vin; and when it comes to London, there's no contest. The answer comes back loud and clear: Kit and Tim Kemp of boutique chain Firmdale Hotels.

But the Kemps don't seem to be aware of their fan club, and Kit Kemp is surprised when I tell her. Surprised, because the Kemps don't court the limelight. In fact, they generally avoid it. "We don't do many industry things," Kit says. "Perhaps we should do more, but we prefer just to get on with the business of running our hotels and working on new projects."

There's plenty to keep the couple busy, and it's a partnership that works. The stylish Kit - dressed for our interview in a long Afghan coat, burgundy boots and skirt, and a top with intricate detail on the sleeve - is the interior designer. She is personally responsible for designing each room in the five-strong collection of hotels, ensuring that no two are the same. Husband Tim is the property developer ("but he doesn't like to be called that, really," his wife says). He decides which sites will be suitable for the Firmdale ethos, and crunches the numbers to see if things add up.

If Kit wants money for her side of the business then, generally, she gets it. This is part of what Firmdale is all about - a high level of spend, no job-lots of art from the Philippines, and constant reinvestment in the business. "We have never skimped on spending money, even during an economic downturn," Kit says. "If people come into a room and see scuffed furniture, then they will vote with their feet and go elsewhere."

The Kemps' story began in 1985 when they opened Dorset Square, generally acknowledged as the first country house hotel in London. It was pioneering stuff - there was Anouska Hempel's Blakes, but that was about it.

When the Kemps, who had been involved in student accommodation in west London, went to the banks and said they wanted to open a boutique hotel, they were met with disinterest and a lack of understanding. "Nobody understood what we were trying to achieve," Kit recalls. "It was about 14 banks later that we were finally able to borrow the money to do it." Dorset Square has since been sold, but in the meantime the Kemps have opened the Pelham, Charlotte Street, the Knightsbridge hotel, Number Sixteen and the Covent Garden hotel.

The last of these, which opened in 1996, broke the mould by not being in fashionable Knightsbridge. But it was probably also the property that really put the Kemps on the map, attracting its fair share of media types and proving that a hotel in the heart of theatreland was viable. Even during the difficult times of 2003, the 50-bedroom Covent Garden recorded an occupancy level of 86.3%, with an average achieved room rate of £246.

Now, it's all systems go for the Soho hotel, due to open in September. The property is the first de luxe hotel to open in Soho and is situated in Richmond Mews, between Dean Street and Wardour Street. Until recently, it operated as a multi-storey NCP car park. Firmdale has demolished the existing property and is constructing a new building with 85 bedrooms and suites, eight private apartments, and two drawing rooms, each with an honesty bar. There will be three private dining rooms, and a fully equipped gym with two beauty treatment rooms and a personal trainer on site at all times. On the fifth floor, there will be two penthouse suites with wrap-around, tree-lined terraces offering views across London.

Kit is busy working on the interiors, tweaking ideas used in previous hotels - such as new frames for mirrors, new bedside tables, and lots of British art, including a 10ft-tall Botero sculpture of a cat. Some of the recognisable Firmdale touches will still be there - the full-sized mannequins that are in virtually every room, blending with the furnishings, will again feature in the Soho property, although there's talk of incorporating a light within them so they have a purpose, rather than being there purely for decoration. And there will be a 95-seat restaurant as well, named Fuel.

It's obvious how passionate Kit is about the hotels. The rooms are like her children, she says, all individual. Most days she gets around them, tweaking a light here, plumping up a cushion there. This is hardly a surprise, as she's one of the bosses in a company that only has two directors beside herself and her husband - namely Craig Markham, director of sales and marketing, and Carrie Wicks, operations director.

With such a small management structure, decisions can be made quickly, and Kit realises what a luxury this is. "I can't imagine working in a big corporation where everything has to be signed off in triplicate," she says. "I think we would be virtually unemployable anywhere else."

The group's ambition doesn't stop with the Soho. After that, there's another project in the offing on which contracts have just been exchanged. Details are not forthcoming at this stage, apart from confirmation that it will also be in London's West End.

The capital, it seems, is the Kemps' patch. "We can get around all the hotels quite easily and really keep an eye on what's going on, so we've no desire to go further afield," says Kit. There were plans to open in New York at one stage, until the events of 11 September put paid to the idea. Openings in Milan and maybe Paris are still tempting, but at this stage remain mere pipe dreams. "We don't really want to start travelling," Kit says. "What we do suits our lifestyle." n

Marketing idea
Are you a hotel owner in need of more revenue streams? The Kemps have carved out a new market for themselves in the shape of a cinema club. They have two small screening rooms, one at the Covent Garden and one at the Charlotte Street hotel, and offer a weekend film club.

For £30, hotel guests and members of the public get a three-course dinner, and then watch the film of the week in the private room. Classics such as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Goodfellas, Grease and Saturday Night Fever sell out straight away.

Sales and marketing director Craig Markham says this has proved so popular that sometimes, within minutes of sending out the information on an e-mail alert, the event is fully booked. The private screening rooms can also be hired, along with adjacent private dining and meeting rooms.

How to stand out Kit Kemp's guiding principles

• Why go repro when you can often get the real thing at the same price?
• Don't rely on gimmicks, because they age faster than the guests.
• You only need one good idea per room.
• Think of lighting as a sculpture piece in the room.
• Never place a light over a bald head.
• Avoid plastic, cellophane and neon.
• Don't let the hotel manager buy the wastepaper baskets - or anything design-related.
• Don't place bedheads against each other through walls.
• Don't lose the bath in favour of a shower stall unless absolutely necessary.
• Design desks big enough to work from, and to empty your handbag on.

Firmdale hotels

www.firmdale.com
Owners: Kit and Tim Kemp
Properties: Charlotte Street hotel; Covent Garden hotel; Pelham hotel; Number Sixteen; Knightsbridge hotel: Soho hotel (under construction)
Food and beverage: Brasserie Max (in the Covent Garden); Oscar (in Charlotte Street); Kemps (in the Pelham)
Group turnover: £23m, set to rise to £30m with the opening of Soho