Tourists in Our Own Town!

One piece of advice we’ve been given by so many friends about being pregnant is to make the most of time with your other half, appreciating each other and the last few months of life as two, before number three appears and your world is changed forever!

We are so looking forward to meeting baby BM in a few months’ time and do feel very ready for the shift in our priorities, after all, it has been a long time coming for us and we couldn’t be happier that our little one will be here so soon!

But we wanted to make sure we do appreciate these last few months and plan things that might not be as easy for us to do later in the year.

The main thing that sprung to mind for us, was to spend some time in London soaking up the culture. Even though we are lucky enough to have our own flat in London, we rent it out for short lets through Plum Guide and it is booked all through January, February and March, so we thought we would take the opportunity to stay right in the middle of the City in Soho and soak up all that has to offer.

Luckily our plans coincided with the opening of the latest Soho House venture, Kettner’s Townhouse. They were offering really good member discounts for the first month after opening, so we took advantage of that and booked to stay for a whole week. Our babymoon, instead of relaxing on a beach somewhere, (which would have been lovely, but our consultant prefers that I don’t fly), was to spend a week as tourists in our own town!

I have long been a fan of Kettner’s and members of my family have been frequenting it for generations in its different guises. The history behind it is rich and fascinating and I’m so pleased that Soho House have taken it on and updated it in such a sensitive and stylish way.

It was originally established in 1867 by August Kettner, rumoured to be the chef to Napoleon III. It has been popular with historical figures and creatives throughout its history; rumour is that King Edward VII courted his mistress, actress Lillie Langtry in the private dining rooms and it remained open through both World Wars, entertaining visitors including Sir Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie and Oscar Wilde.

As with all of their properties, Soho House has created a stunning and elegant space to spend time in, and the rooms above the restaurant and bars are equally as stylish and comfortable.

We were lucky enough to have Room 25 on the third floor with double-aspect large Georgian windows (the dream!). The décor in the room was perfect in keeping with the history of the building – William Morris-style patterned paper on the walls, soft greens, warm woods and brass. Super cosy with an indulgent feel.

We loved our week in London, it was a mix of catching up with friends, gallery pottering, and theatre (we saw The Lion King, which was a little disappointing and The Ferryman, which was amazing!).

I went to the Royal Opera House to see the ballet for the first time with a group of girlfriends. We saw Giselle from a box and it was utterly mesmerising, such a treat and had the most gorgeous afternoon tea at Sketch in the beautiful pink room with two of my closest girlfriends and beautiful new goddaughter, Rose.

We also pottered around the shops and started making a list of all the baby bits we will need. We visited Anita’s House in Chelsea one morning, and she was amazing! After a few hours with her, we felt totally calm and sorted in terms of knowing what we would and wouldn’t need and I’m so excited that she will be working with us to pull everything together for May!

If you are wondering what to do for your own Babymoon (or even just a break away with a loved one), then I can’t recommend Soho and Kettner’s Townhouse enough. On our last night we celebrated with a gorgeous meal in their restaurant with friends and the food really didn't disappoint. A French brasserie-style menu, with a stunning wine list to match and the most amazing selection of champagne cocktails that everyone else enjoyed!

Being so central forced us to really make the most of what London has to offer and the beautiful décor inside the hotel meant that it was the perfect, calming escape from the hustle and bustle of the City.

Photography : Patrick Butler-Madden & Soho House