I awaken to the gentle chirping of birds drifting in from the garden. Glancing at the clock, it's just past 7am—the perfect time to start the day. I rise from bed, put the kettle on, and prepare a cup of tea. As I wait for the water to boil, I draw back the curtains to behold a delightful scene: songbirds, likely robins and sparrows, fluttering among the trees and hedges in the garden below.
This soothing, idyllic moment almost makes me forget I'm in the heart of busy, built-up West London. Remarkably, the bustling high street and Earl's Court Tube station are less than 100 meters away. Yet, this oasis—Templeton Garden—creates a sense of distance and peace that feels worlds apart from the urban hustle.
A Garden Sanctuary in the City
The hotel opened in 2025, spanning a row of graceful white-pillared townhouses typical of Kensington, the district encompassing Earl's Court. While many such properties have been converted into hotels and apartments, Templeton Garden stands out with its spacious, leafy back garden designed exclusively for guests.
Several of the hotel's 156 rooms and suites, including my third-floor junior suite, offer views overlooking this verdant space. Even if your room faces the street, you can easily access the garden via the ground-floor lobby, ensuring everyone can enjoy its charms.
Morning Strolls and Seasonal Delights
After a satisfying breakfast featuring fruits, yoghurts, pastries, and a full English spread, I take a leisurely stroll outside. Dew glistens on the grass, and the air is filled with birdsong from the foliage. Despite it being the middle of northern winter, the evergreens ensure the garden doesn't feel bleak—especially on a bright morning like this.
You're more likely to spot birds now than in summer when deciduous trees thicken with leaves. I can easily imagine this garden as a perfect spot for afternoon tea in the shade or cocktails during long, balmy evenings. The diverse plants and flower beds promise that spring and autumn will bring their own unique charms, scents, and colors.
Elegant Interiors and Thoughtful Design
While the landscaped garden is the highlight, the hotel's interiors are equally impressive. As the first UK opening of the Miiro Hotels group—with other locations in Paris, Barcelona, Gstaad, and Vienna—Templeton Garden showcases the talents of architect and collector James Thurstan Waterworth.
Raised in rural Shropshire in England's Midlands, Waterworth studied design in London and trained at the studio of legendary Swedish-born creative Martin Brudnizki before becoming a design director for the British-founded hospitality icon Soho House. His curation at Templeton Garden offers a more subtle, soothing retro feel compared to the starkly offbeat designs of Brudnizki-crafted hotels like Broadwick Soho in London and Le Grand Mazarin in Paris.
The hotel features a cleverly sourced collection of antiques, books, plants, fabrics, and contemporary art thoughtfully placed throughout rooms, suites, and public spaces. I'm particularly drawn to the library opposite reception and enjoy the lobby where guests mingle, scroll on devices, or work on laptops.
Dining and Local Exploration
For refreshments, Sprout, the hotel's bar, offers a cozy spot for drinks. At Pippin's, seasonal menus of British dishes blend ingredients from trusted suppliers with fresh herbs grown in the garden. If the weather permits, you can even dine and drink al fresco amidst the greenery.
There are ample alternative eateries nearby, including several pubs on Earl's Court high street. For post-meal walks, you can follow in the footsteps of former residents like Alfred Hitchcock, Agatha Christie, and Beatrix Potter. The latter found inspiration in Brompton Cemetery, just a 10-minute walk from the hotel.
Venturing a bit further, South Kensington's superb cultural trio—the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and Victoria & Albert Museum—are about 20-25 minutes away on foot. You can reach them faster via the Tube from Earl's Court station, which is on the District and Piccadilly lines, offering direct services to destinations across London, from Wimbledon and Whitechapel to Leicester Square and Heathrow Airport.
Wherever your travels take you, it's comforting to know you have a lovely base—and a beautiful back garden—to return to.
Fact File: Low-season room rates at Templeton Garden start from around £154 per night (approximately $296). To book a stay or a table, visit miirohotels.com/templetongarden. For more information on visiting London and Britain, check out visitlondon.com and visitbritain.com.
