‘Hotel of the Year’: The Birch in Hertfordshire, England

Named Hotel of the Year 2020 by the Times of London, the newly opened Birch is located in a 1763 brick Georgian mansion in the town of Cheshunt, near Hertfordshire, England. “It’s kind of a hotel but it thinks it’s a festival,” according to cofounder Chris King, who partnered with Chris Penn, the former managing director of the now-shuttered Ace Hotel in London, on the project. The “festival” concept includes workshops (glassblowing, pottery, bread making), yoga, co-working spaces, a cinema, an on-site organic farm, and a wellness space. Memberships are available for regular frequenters.

The founders worked with architecture studio Red Deer, who deftly overhauled the interiors of the centuries-old structure, preserving original details and outfitting the spaces with a quirky mix of new and vintage pieces.

Join us for a look:

Photography by Adam Firman via the Birch.

Above: The Birch is located in a 1763 brick Georgian house in the town of Cheshunt, near Hertfordshire, England, on a 55-acre estate.
Above: The original mosaic floor in the entry was restored.
Above: The reception area has a sculptural metal-clad concierge desk.
Above: A sitting area with fireplace.
Above: Another sitting room overlooks the gardens.
Above: The designers left some of the floors unfinished, preserving original paint spatters.
Above: The restaurant’s casual all-day cafe, Valeries.
Above: Twenty private dining rooms and meeting spaces are available to rent.
Above: The screening room has rows of striped canvas deck chairs.
Above: One of the larger dining areas.
Above: The monumental staircase was restored.
Above: A sunny corner at the end of a hall.
Above: The handmade ceramic bedside lights are by Emma Louise Payne.
Above: The custom sculptural valet stands are made from recycled plastic and reclaimed wood by Jan Hendzel Studio.
Above: A bright pink tiled bath.

For more eccentric inns and hotels:

Durslade Farmhouse in Somerset: The New Bloomsbury?

A Historic Hunting Lodge in Scotland, Revamped by Hauser & Wirth

Piet Oudolf’s Otherworldly Garden at Hauser & Wirth Somerset