of Sloane Street, Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Peter Jones. Each room has a theatrical theme. You might be in the Shaw suite or Ashcroft suite, for example—or the Vivien Leigh or Alan Bennett, with kitchenette facilities. Complimentary after- noon tea and biscuits are served in the drawing room each day, followed in the early evening by a glass of Champagne, and by mugs of hot chocolate at 9pm. Club rates start at £160 for a Standard Single (RR £295) and £190 for a Standard Queen (sin- gle occupancy). For two sharing a Superior Double our rates start at £240 (RR £375), a Deluxe Double is £300 (RR £435) and a Suite starts at £380 (RR £515). Club rates include complimen- tary room upgrade (if available on arrival), Rates exclude VAT. The Franklin Egerton Gardens, SW3 The Franklin, a five-star gem of a townhouse hotel in Knights- bridge, has been transformed by its new Italian owners and the designer Anouska Hempel, cre- ator of Blakes, the ‘world's first boutique hotel’ into a no-ex- pense-spared discreet haven of beauty, style and luxury. It com- bines the elegance of a private English townhouse with the dec- orative splendour of a palazzo. Nothing in this beautiful hotel is run of the mill. The sense is of staying somewhere hidden and intimate, enhanced by the care- fully crafted dark, moody, mir- rored walls, picture frames, even beds, and sophisticated interiors. Design features include lime- stone and Carrara marble and Italian velvets and silks, with a bucolic background of Egerton Gardens to complement those striking interiors. It is a delight to overlook the gardens, taking tea or an evening aperitif. As such a good hotel deserves, the food is sublime—a signature Italian restaurant is presided over by a former Italian Young Chef of the Year, Alfredo Rus- so. There is a Champagne bar, a library meeting room, and health facilities including ham- man, steam spa and gym. This is not a large hotel—it has only 35 rooms including 19 suites—but even the entry-level Superior bedrooms are brim- ming with Anouska Hempel’s inimitable design and eclectic taste. All rooms are luxurious, with the best Frette linens, pil- low menus, palatial marble en- suite bathrooms and fragrant Penhaligon’s bath products. This is a very classy hotel with a stylish Italian ownership— Starhotels Collezione—and we are delighted to recommend it to our Members, particularly at our exclusive Club rates. These start at £275 (RR £605) for a Superior Double. Deluxe Double: CCUK £321 (RR £795). Junior suite: £417 (RR £1,085). Rates are for two guests sharing, with complimentary room upgrades from Deluxe up- wards. All rates exclude VAT. The Franklin, Anouska Hempel designed English townhouse with the style of a palazzo: Members have advantageous rates and free upgrades. Clockwise from top: Grange Holborn, Beauchamp, White Hall and Tower Bridge: From £99 for two with English breakfast and upgrade. 108