Story

We could make a quick timeline of Brown’s: its foundation in 1832; the golden age under the James John Ford and his sons after 1860; the expansion into Albemarle Street in 1886; the end of family ownership in 1948; the purchase by Rocco Forte in 2003; and the grand reopening in 2005. But history is much more fun than just a list of dates.

Legends are like limpets. The task of history, therefore, is scrubbing the hull clean to reveal a story more interesting and deeper than first thought. And what a story it is, populated by such a diverse cast of characters: royalty and rulers, lords and ladies, politicians and presidents, diplomats and bureaucrats, heroes and heroines, writers and publishers, con artists and crooks, spies and war criminals, actors and journalists, bartenders and waiters, friends and foes, members of the armed forces, doctors, religious leaders, entrepreneurs, explorers, businesspeople, inventors, scientists and newly-weds. Here are some of their stories. 

Storytellers have always found Brown’s cosy, comforting air to their liking. One of the hotel’s biggest fans was Rudyard Kipling, author of If and The Jungle Book. It became like a second home from the day he was married until his death 44 years later. He described it affectionately as “our faithful, beloved, warm, affectionate Brown’s Hotel.” Brown’s has provided inspiration as well as excellent service to its writers. Agatha Christie was another literary guest and At Bertram’s Hotel owes much to her experiences at Brown’s (minus the bit about the hotel being an organised crime ring). Stephen King wrote the outline of Misery, his 1987 novel about a deranged fan, at the hotel fuelled by tea and jet lag. Mark Twain, Tom Wolfe, Arthur C Clarke, William Golding, Joseph Conrad and Jorge Luis Borges also stayed here.

Sarah Brown gave birth to both her children at Brown’s Hotel, starting a trend followed by Mrs J Gubbins, Mrs H W Kingsbury and the Countess of Dudley. A birth of another kind occurred in 1876: Alexander Graham Bell made Britain’s first telephone call at the hotel. The hotel’s proximity to the fashionable church of St George’s, Hanover Square has long made it a favourite for honeymoons and wedding receptions. Future American president Theodore Roosevelt, who gave his profession as ‘rancher’, stayed there before his second marriage in 1886. He was also on hand when his niece Eleanor married another future American president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Inevitably the couple honeymooned at Brown’s.

Brown’s has a long history as a haven for royals and rulers in search of comfort, cosseting and a low profile. While some came for sightseeing and others for a taste of ordinary life, most came of necessity having been sent into exile: Queen Elizabeth of the Belgians during WW1; Haile Selassie following the Abyssinian Crisis in 1936; King Zog of Albania in 1939. King George II of Hellenes was Brown’s longest royal guest, using it as his British base between 1924 and 1935, and making his suite the court of the Greek royal family.

In the lead up to World War II, American aviator Charles Lindbergh was the first guest to be recorded flying himself to Britain. During his stay he discussed the state of aviation in Europe, dropped in on American Ambassador Jack Kennedy and his children, had lunch with former prime minister David Lloyd George, stayed with the Astors at Cliveden and had his first practice putting on a gas mask. During the war itself Brown’s welcomed servicemen and politicians from the Allied nations. Dutch Prime Minister Peter Gerbrandy, known as ‘The Sea Lion’ due to his enormous moustache, took up residence at Brown’s for the duration and declared war on Japan from his sitting room. The hotel thus became a revolving door for figures involved in the war, such as Field Marshal Gort, General Wavel and Admiral Vian.

Whilst London was at war, Brown’s added an air raid shelter to its facilities. Swiss manager Anton Wallimann worked hard to ensure a familial and warm environment for his guests. He struggled to find food and the staff to serve it. Another problem was the endemic thievery. As a result, at teatime every waiter received one teaspoon that was passed from one guest to the other and reclaimed after everyone had stirred their tea.

Brown’s site has expanded significantly from the initial townhouse at 23 Dover Street. 21, 22 and 24 Dover Street were added by James Brown, while the Ford family expanded into Albemarle Street. 

When James and Sarah Brown started the hotel, it was pitched as a “private hotel” catering to the country gentry. Visitors could not stay at the hotel unless they were personally known to the Brown family or had a letter of introduction. Even as the hotel expanded throughout the Victorian era this emphasis on discretion and privacy continued, providing a point of difference from the larger and more flashy hotels built by deep-pocketed corporations. In 1905 Mark Twain wrote that Brown’s was a “homelike, old-fashioned English inn, a blessed retreat of a sort now rare in England, and becoming rarer every year.” It was only by the latter half of the 20th century that Brown’s found its swing as a more public-facing hotel, with its legendary afternoon tea and the opening of a bar helmed by the legendary Harry Craddock.

Rocco Forte Hotels bought Brown’s in 2003 and the hotel was re-opened by Margaret Thatcher after a top-to-toe renovation in 2005. Brown’s continues to be a family affair, guided by Sir Rocco Forte, his sister Lady Olga Shawcross and his children Lydia, Irene and Charles. They follow in the footsteps of former owners James and Sarah Brown, James John, James and Henry Ford and the Bon family. 

In 2016, the hotel opened The Kipling Suite, dedicated to the author who was believed to have written The Jungle Book during one of his many stays here and designed by the talented, Lady Olga Shawcross.

In 2032, sooner than expected, we will be celebrating 200 years of Brown’s – a date that we now know will be correct. 

If you are interested in learning more, Andy Williamson’s book Brown’s Hotel: A Family Affair will be released in January 2024.