HotelChatter

Keeping a constant "No Vacancy" sign out front, the owners of the Rough Luxe only welcome those who seek it out and appreciate expensive and eclectic touches like a top-of-the-line copper soaking tub next to a wall of cracked, peeling paint. Even as you think the place may be falling apart, a revolving collection of modern art revives the spaces and reminds you to have a little humor in enjoying the singularity of the interior design. This is no place for careless rock stars or focused businessman, however; the Rough Luxe is straightforward and kind of delicate:

Some walls have been left partly stripped of generations of paint and wallpaper, a storyboard of colours and textures revealing layer by layer the history of the Georgian building. But they face walls of opulent new wallpaper prints or giant photographs of the interiors of stunning Italian palazzos. Huge day beds, covered with rich throws, are converted into beds at night. No plasma-screen televisions here - the tiny sets (circa 1983) have one button for each of the channels available when they were made.

While this means you won't catch us partying or catching up on our British comedies here, we love the Rough Luxe's concept of the memory of spaces and their focus on character and authenticity. Sometimes, too much luxury is simply too much and for frequent travelers, there is the danger of numbing to it. The Rough Luxe seeks to be the antithesis of the typical five-star hotel by literally stripping off the gloss and reintroducing guests to the personal experience of a night away. [Images via The Rough Luxe Hotel]

Related Stories:
· Checking in: The Rough Luxe Hotel, London [The Observer]