Blakes Hotel London is a seductive design journey through India- China- Indonesia- Thailand- Cambodia and on to the Pyramids- back through Italy ending up in the heart of London. An elegant- eclectic- ethnic picture reflected in the abundance and luxury of accessories- furniture and artifacts found all over the world by Anouska Hempel herself over the many years of her far flung travels. Blakes the first boutique hotel of its kind in London the world even evokes past and current intrigues and dark mysteries. The Opium Den that is The Chinese Room- sits in subterranean splendor next to the critically acclaimed restaurant. The room itself the epitome of decadence and comfort dedicated to the likes of Chanel and Dietrich is the place to be before or after enjoying the delights of an evening in London. Marlene herself is rumored to appear under certain lights and influences leaning seductively on the piano. The bar is also hugely popular with Londons fashionable it crowd who regularly pop in for a sharpener Blakes rooms are dramatic interpretations of deep- rich tones and subtle contrasts. The compositions are startling- luxurious and operatic. Some of the most astonishing interiors in the world can be found here as countless design magazine features have proven. What might have easily slipped into being over the top is somehow neither too saccharine nor too precious. Rather- these interiors are fascinating exercises in design imagination- choreographed by the masterly eye of Anouska Hempel herself. Right down to the smallest scale of carefully placed accessories or cushions- the relationship between objects and between forms and fields is studied and carefully resolved. Around each corner there is a surprise and the chance to discover more of the mystery and magic that has been created here. If the term Design Hotel means attention to detail and the entire aesthetic experience then Blakes London veritably deserves that title.