The Pelham London, Starhotels Collezione

A five-star South Kensington townhouse with 51 rooms and suites designed by Kit Kemp, an Italian restaurant, and the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and V&A within walking distance.

Afternoon tea at The Pelham ends with a pistachio tiramisu. It is served in the drawing room or the library of this South Kensington townhouse, and the Italian finish is a clue. The Pelham belongs to Starhotels Collezione, an Italian group, and the restaurant downstairs is La Trattoria.

Kit Kemp designed the interiors. Her signature is pattern: bold headboards, drapes and upholstery set against plain wallpaper, or the reverse. Each of the 51 bedrooms and suites has its own mix of antique and modern furniture, paintings and fabrics, so no two look alike.

Superior rooms come with a queen-sized bed and a granite and oak bathroom, and Deluxe rooms add Penhaligon’s bath products. One of the eight Junior Suites has a four-poster bed, a chandelier, a fireplace and a black marble bathroom, so ask for it by description when you book.

The 50 sqm King Suite has floor-to-ceiling windows over South Kensington. The 158 sqm South Kensington Grand Suite has four double bedrooms and sleeps up to ten.

At La Trattoria, Head Chef Roberto Roncolato gives traditional Italian dishes a modern twist, from breakfast through dinner. The concierge can also line up a Jaguar E-type or an Aston Martin for a drive across town.

The location is the reason to book. The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A are all within walking distance, so a family can do a museum weekend without a taxi. The hotel lists no gym or spa, so if a treatment room matters, look at Bulgari Hotel London or Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park instead.

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