Hotel designer Kit Kemp: Travel, Style, and Destination Secrets Revealed

London-based creative director Kit Kemp co-founded Firmdale Hotels shares her travel, style and destination secrets.

Crosby Street Hotel in New York.

As told to Susan Kurosawa

3 min read

6:00AMOctober 12, 2023.

Updated 5:24AMOctober 13, 2023

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Kit Kemp, creative director of Kit Kemp Design Studio and co-founder of London-based Firmdale Hotels, will launch the group’s 11th property, Warren Street Hotel, in Tribeca, New York City, next year, joining stablemates Crosby Street Hotel (2009) and The Whitby (2017). Kit founded the Firmdale boutique group with husband Tim in 1985 and opened the Dorset Square Hotel in Marylebone. The Kemps also run private residential accommodation, restaurants, bars, wellness spas, and an online store.

Kit Kemp of Firmdale Hotels

Kit is known for her playful and bright interiors across individually decorated guestrooms which feature trademark dressmaker dummies, and modern but extravagantly patterned textiles, many with distinctive folk art motifs.

Kit is also the author of four best-selling books on interiors and debuted the RikRak toiletries, bath and home fragrance line in 2018, which features across Firmdale properties.

Kit’s studio creates the bespoke looks for all the brand’s accommodation and she has collaborated on fine china with Wedgwood, plus a new tableware and glassware venture with Spode.

Firmdale Hotels feature Kemp’s eclectic approach to design.

Fabrics and wallpapers are also part of the Kit Kemp design portfolio, and for the latest collection she has teamed with London-based Christopher Farr Cloth on a series of wallpapers. The Kemps were jointly awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to the British hotel industry and charity.

The secrets of sensible packing

Sunglasses, reading glasses, dark glasses … in fact, lots of glasses to wear for different occasions and all in pretty cases. To quote Oscar Wilde, “One should always have something sensational to read.” So I always pack a book I’ve been looking forward to reading. And a hat with a proper brim.

Haymarket Hotel, London, is part of Firmdale Hotels. Picture: Simon Brown.

Tips for flying

Drink plenty of water while flying as the airconditioning on aircraft can be dehydrating. Carry a big multi-coloured scarf in cabin baggage to keep warm and jazz up an outfit for arrival. I always pack Gardenia Sandalwood hand cream from my Kit Kemp RikRak range, both for the scent and as a moisturiser. Always wear comfortable shoes, no matter the final destination, as passengers often have to walk so far at airports.

The spot for seafood

The Fish Pot, on the beach at St Lucy in Barbados, has a wobbly pontoon that moves with the waves if you arrive by boat. Have a cocktail after you arrive, not before, if you don’t want to risk falling into the gorgeous blue waters. It’s not necessarily the best food but the atmosphere is great.

Haymarket Hotel, London.

Favourite hotel

We recently stayed at the Mezzatorre Hotel on Ischia (off the coast from Naples). Full of charm, it sits right on the bay and has mesmerising views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The breakfast is amazing; it consists of all the pastries you could ever think of and a full menu of mozzarella from nearby Naples. It’s a place to do very little but sit by the sea, soak in a thermal pool and eat lobster spaghetti.

The Mezzatore Hotel on Ischia.

Best holiday haven

Il Convento in Puglia, which is owned by Lady Athena, the wife of the late Lord McAlpine. He was an obsessive collector and has filled the property with the very best Aboriginal art, pieces by artist Joe Tilson, and books.

The beautiful interiors of Il Convento Pugllia. Picture Henry Bourne.

Guests walk through the kitchen to get to the breakfast room, past all the preserves, fruits and vegetables, so you feel fully involved. The guestrooms don’t all have ensuites, so it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but that doesn’t bother me one jot. It’s a very romantic place, unlike anywhere else I’ve been.

Tips to beat jetlag

I always book ahead for a massage on arrival to unknot all that travel tension. I recommend a spritz of RikRak Lavender Eucalyptus pillow, linen and room mist before you go to bed. It’s soothing and fragrant.

Rikrak spray mist by Kit Kemp

My favourite family holiday spot

Barbados is a joyful place we regularly return to as a family. We have had a home there for the past decade. It’s a place that allows us to slow down and truly switch off, where you take off your shoes and don’t put them on again until you leave. It’s the eccentric community and artisans that make the island so endearing.

Bottom Bay in Barbados, in the Caribbean.

My favourite city

Besides London, New York is definitely my favourite city and, after many visits, I’m really enjoying getting to know the Tribeca area better. It has so much to offer with historic industrial buildings and cobblestone streets lined with boutiques and cafes. I love
popping into the retro Odeon Restaurant for its famous three-egg omelette. I’ve also recently stumbled upon the cosy and creaky Mysterious Book Shop filled with new, used, collectable and rare books covering mystery, crime and espionage.

Duane Street in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City.

Where I shop

London is a jewel box of creativity. The best place to find cutting-edge design is at the CAA (Contemporary Applied Arts), on Paddington St in Marylebone; ideal for craftspeople and a mix of different objects for the home. The town of Tetbury in the Cotswolds has a beautiful high street with lots of wonderful antique shops and art galleries.

Tetbury in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, UK.

I love Brownrigg Interiors, Lorfords and Josephine Ryan Antiques for furniture shopping. MOLOH is a really good fashion store that’s great for jackets and coats –they’ve even made one using fabric by my design studio.