Like a boy racer’s favourite Ferrari or a puppy’s beloved ball, the Union Jack flag stands tall above the entrance of The Gore Hotel. This luxury boutique hotel is quintessentially British – and proudly so.

With just 50 rooms The Gore delights in giving the most bespoke experience, far from the ‘cookie-cutter’ hotels of London. As one of thirteen hotels within the Starhotels Collezione, The Gore, like its brother and sister hotels, has a deep sense of history and individual character.

After the mighty success of Prince Albert’s international manufacturing exhibition in 1851, money was pumped into South Kensington and upsprung what was soon to be the glamorous Gore hotel.

Even its original owners have a rich sense of history as descendants of the British explorer, Captain Cooke. The sisters, Fanny and Ada Cooke, opened the luxury boutique hotel in 1892.

Located in this hub of South Kensington, guests staying at The Gore experience the true soul of the city. Capture culture at the Royal Albert Hall, the V&A, or the Natural History Museum. Stroll along The Serpentine and through Kensington Gardens to give a wave to Kate and Will at the Palace. Or glut on the shops of High Street Ken. Staying at The Gore means London is quite literally at your feet. But the most lavish of ways to spot the sites isn’t by foot.

It’s through The Gore’s Classic Car Experience in which a private chauffeur will give you a tour of the surroundings. The only tricky part is deciding whether to choose a 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s or 60’s Rolls Royce or the Queen Mother’s favourite – the lengthy Jaguar Daimler Limousine.

Spread across the length of two traditional townhouses means extravagance is built within The Gore’s foundations. Extravagance is the mortar that holds the bricks together. Within is a world of eccentricity.

This is strikingly obvious from the quirky yet entirely elegant banqueting rooms – The Mulberry Room, The Library Room, and The Tapestry Room.

But even more so, from the grandeur of the hotel’s bedrooms and suites. Each suite is themed differently. Each taking different hues, be that a deep red, teal blue, orangey gold, or lime green. And like a scene out of Downton Abbey or The Crown, each is unapologetically attention-seeking. The Tudor Suite, The Queen Elizabeth Suite, The Victoria Suite – just the names alone are regal.

Such splendid elevation carries from the suites’ names through to their design. Persian carpets, chaise longues, and tassels tailing throws fill the rooms with fabric. Eyes dart to the antiques – writing tables, ottomans and first edition hardback books.

Eyes are also drawn to the fireplace in Portland stone, the candelabras, and the mirrors hanging on the walls that sport the most ornate gold-gilded frames. There’s the odd selection of the hotel’s 5,000 pictures and prints. And the bold wallpaper and large stain-glass windows that frame these fantastic rooms.

In the Judy Garland Suite, red velvet is the fabric of choice. Draped across a four-poster canopy bed. But not just any bed. This bed once belonged to the actress herself who loved her stay at The Gore so much that she donated her bed all the way from Hollywood.

On the walk to the bathroom, the pair of bejewelled Ruby Slippers take centre-stage. These iconic shoes pay tribute to Garland’s role as Dorothy in the Oscar-winning 1939 film ‘The Wizard of Oz’. In the bathroom awaits marble basins and hand-painted tiles in a mural-like fashion that were inspired by the historical Roman baths.

Much of the hotel’s history is rooted in music – even beyond its more recent rock ‘n’ roll reputation. With the Royal Albert Hall just around the corner, the hotel has homed many a household name. From the British conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent to the Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba. And in true fin-de-siècle form, actresses of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, Dame Edith Evans and Dorothy Tutin, have also walked the hotel’s corridors. Not to mention the plentiful dollops of European aristocracy from the last few centuries.

Although this late nineteenth-century gothic style certainly shines through, when it comes to the feel of the hotel, the strict and rigid Victorian customs have been thrown away. And in its place is a very fashionable, if not a little flamboyant, atmosphere. This has most definitely been helped along by a few legends.

Bar 190 is what can only be described as a true London cocktail bar. And the legendary stars The Rolling Stones seemed to think so too. If these original mahogany-panelled walls had eyes, they would have seen the antics of their Beggars Banquet album launch party in 1968. A night full of champagne flutes, flirting, and food-fighting.

And little has changed – apart from the food-fighting, thankfully. Arrive in the late afternoon and the place will be packed with professionals catching a G and T after work. Or come a bit later and it’ll be heaving with the high spirits of theatregoers catching a negroni before or after the show. But enter this London cocktail bar at a slightly different time of day and you’ll find the bar quite cool, quite calm. Sip on your French martini and it’ll almost feel like you’re in on some sort of speakeasy secret.

Along with a drink, the tapas food at the bar can make for a perfect snack or sharing selection. Deep-fried baby squid with garlic and herb mayonnaise. Royal Siberian Caviar served with blinis and butter. Croque monsieur. Potatas bravas. Steamed clams in a white wine sauce. The menu offers both bistro and refined food, as well as scrumptious afternoon tea.

For a more formal meal, 190 Queen’s Gate restaurant is the one. The beautifully proportioned room is completed by the crystal chandelier hanging from its core. With French Michelin star Chef Daniel Galmiche at the helm, British classics are reimagined with a twist from across the channel.

To start, guests could choose pan-fried mackerel with herbs, tomatoes, and caramelised baby onions or maybe a duck liver parfait served with fig chutney and warm brioche. Mains may bring crispy pork belly with a roasted apple and beer sauce, truffled mushroom risotto or even Norwegian Fjord trout.

And to finish, you’d be silly not to choose the naughty chocolate, hazelnut, and pistachio brownie. But also on the menu is vanilla crème brûlée and other treats like a selection of British and French cheeses.

At The Gore, everything erupts with flavour – not just its Michelin star food and Bar 190 cocktails, but its dramatic décor, heritage, and history. It has conquered many a cultural scene in London over the last 130 years, and it’s not showing any signs of stopping soon.