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Firmdale Hotels was founded in London, in 1985 by husband and wife team, Tim and Kit Kemp, opening their first hotel, Dorset Square Hotel in Marylebone. Today, Firmdale has expanded to include 10 hotels and 2 private residences across London, New York and Barbados as well as restaurants, bars, spas, an online store and interior design firm. Each hotel has been meticulously designed by Kit, infusing playful, bright interiors and bespoke detailing, creating a fresh modern approach on traditional English style. Dorset Square Hotel in Marylebone opened in 1985, followed by Covent Garden Hotel in 1996, Charlotte Street Hotel and Number Sixteen in 2000 and Knightsbridge Hotel in 2002. The Soho Hotel was next in the collection to open in 2004, followed by Haymarket Hotel in 2007 and Ham Yard Hotel in 2014. Crosby Street Hotel was the first New York opening in 2009 followed by The Whitby Hotel in 2017.
Overview
Location
United States, New York
Employees
1001-5000
Founded date
1985
Mentions in press and media 11
| Date | Title | Description |
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| May 21, 2026 | Heatwave ready! 9 best rooftop bars in Soho and Covent Garden | The London heatwave is here and it’s time to get outside. Following our recent round-up of the best London rooftop bars in the Square Mile, we’ve collected our favourite rooftop bars in Soho and Covent Garden. Here are the very best, with o... |
| Feb 3, 2026 | Art After Dark: Loads of London venues are offering free late-night entry this month | A series of free-to-attend events taking place in the evenings will transform London’s dark winter streets this February. Art After Dark launches this week and the central focus is the artist Lakwena Maciver’s seven-metre high tower of illu... |
| Jul 23, 2025 | Tourists help boost luxury London hotels despite widening losses | Losses have widened at a luxury London hotels group despite international tourism helping to boost its sales to a new record. Firmdale Hotels, which was founded by Tim and Kit Kemp, has fallen to a pre-tax loss of £30.4m for its year to 31 ... |
| Jul 9, 2024 | Putting the New in New York: Some of the hottest new openings for your next Big Apple escape | Listen to this article Putting the New in New York: Some of the hottest new openings for your next Big Apple escape 1 min New: You can now listen to articles. This audio is generated by an AI tool. In the city that never sleeps, every seaso... |
| Feb 9, 2022 | Fitzrovia: We focus on a London area that’s like the West End but cooler | Although the central London district of Fitzrovia has no formal boundaries (it is part of both the London boroughs of Camden and Westminster), it is generally agreed that it sits between Euston Road to the north and Oxford Street to the sou... |
| Dec 23, 2021 | Events: Culture learnings from our partner brands | With the rapid cancellation of all social events over the last couple of weeks, we now feel privileged to have been able to spend time at the beginning of November (in the superb Ham Yard Hotel) with the senior leadership teams from across ... |
| Feb 17, 2021 | Design Story: Behind The Scenes At Bainland Country Park | This year, it looks as though holidaymakers across the UK are gearing up for another summer of the staycation, with many hotels, cottages and country houses already fully booked. |
| Feb 1, 2021 | Valentine’s Day Gift Guide: The Best Hotel Gifts | |
| Jan 14, 2021 | The Top Hotels Set To Open In The UK In 2021 | It’s still early days for global travel to resume to the ways we once knew and loved, but with the vaccine now rolling out, we can only remain hopeful that the industry will slowly start to return later this year. |
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FAQ about Firmdale Hotels
When was Firmdale Hotels founded?
Firmdale Hotels was founded in 1985.
What has the press written about Firmdale Hotels?
Parsers VC has collected 11 articles mentioning Firmdale Hotels, among them “Heatwave ready! 9 best rooftop bars in Soho and Covent Garden” (May 21, 2026) and “Art After Dark: Loads of London venues are offering free late-night entry this month” (Feb 3, 2026).
Is Firmdale Hotels still active?
Yes, Firmdale Hotels is active; its latest activity on Parsers VC dates from Jul 28, 2026.