The Glorious Clutter of London’s Hidden Hotel

Imagine you had eccentric British relatives who lived in an enormous 18th-century London townhouse, who were veracious collectors of antiques, and who stuffed their house full of every painting, sculpture, mirror, book, armoire, clock, chest, candelabra, and exotic curio they ever obtained. The hypothetical townhouse you are imagining probably looks something like the very real Miller’s Residence. But you needn’t be a relative of the Miller’s to stay there. The Miller’s Residence is a hotel.

The adventure of being a guest at the Miller’s Residence begins before you even set foot inside. Finding your way to this boutique hotel’s Notting Hill location you may feel a bit like Harry Potter searching for Platform 9 3/4. The address of the Miller’s Residence is #11 Westbourne Grove. But no matter how many times your eyes dart back and forth between #5 and #17 you won’t see a #11. Your taxi driver will shoot you a puzzled expression. Eventually, maybe, you’ll find the Miller’s Residence down a side alley, behind a red door, with only a small plaque marking it’s existence.

Once/if you find the front door you’ll head up a narrow staircase to the main floor where the reception is tucked away in a small room. It will not take you long to realize that our description of this hotel as stuffed full of art and antiques is no exaggeration.

The Miller Residence has eight rooms—two suites (called “salons”) and six guest rooms—spread out across three floors. Each room is named after a romantic poet. (The hotel itself is named after former resident and writer Martin Miller; reserve your room through Spot Cool Stuff and with a Mr. & Mrs. Smith membership card and you’ll get a complimentary copy of one of his novels). All the rooms have a TV with DVD player (guests have access to the hotel’s DVD collection) and wireless internet. We are especially partial to the Browning Room, with its canopy bed, and the Wordsworth Salon (see the first photo, below) though every room has a charm comprised of some combination of luxury, romance and quirkiness.

The hotel has no attached gym, though that’s OK because it also has no lift and you’ll get plenty of exercise traversing the stairs. There’s a splendid dining room that’s as overflowing with artworks as is the rest of the hotel. Our favorite part of the hotel is the bar, where there’s a working fireplace and an elegant other-worldly atmosphere. And—as if another reason to stay at the Miller’s Residence were needed—the bar serves a Miller’s Residence branded gin.

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