HENRY'S TOWNHOUSE
A unique boutique hotel in Marylebone, London, once owned by Jane Austen’s brother
If you’re familiar with the numerous, long-time medical clinics on Harley Street or Whimpole Street, where people from overseas have visited for years for top tier discretionary treatments, you’ll know Marylebone.
Or maybe from a Monopoly board… It’s one of the four railway stations mentioned, but you still may not know how to pronounce it… “It’s Marley-bone” said the cab drivers on the way there and back from Henry’s Townhouse at 24, Upper Berkeley Street. But some people are old school and prefer the Marry-le-bone pronunciation.
One such person is the proprietor of Henry’s Townhouse, Steven Collins. He’s warm and welcoming, beautifully dressed, with a polished style. The pronunciation remains a conundrum.
Henry’s Townhouse is a boutique luxury hotel with a difference, named after Jane Austen’s brother, Henry who resided there in the late 1700’s, early 1800’s. Jane wrote parts of Sense and Sensibility there.
The hotel is set in a gorgeous Georgian Grade II-listed building, nestled and discreet, spread over four floors with a large pantry in the basement… all hidden behind an unassuming door. Period art everywhere. Ann, Henry’s wonderful House Manager, told me when I arrived that it had been renovated to its former glory. Its facades over the years had been covered, boxed in, the ceilings lowered, and it became a hovel of a guesthouse, at some point being painted in lime green and orange. The horror, the horror.
Steven confirmed that “for many years it was a rundown B & B, in terrible condition, but it always had nice features, so we came up with a business plan — let’s try and turn it into something a bit special. You can take this place exclusively. You don’t have to sleep here, you can hire it for parties, you can have afternoon tea, you can have model shoots here, which we do. It works well for famous personalities who take the whole place.
“I can’t give you all the names, but they come with their entourage, they’ll come with their chef, their nail polisher, their PR, their manager, and all under one roof where they can be left alone. But by definition, we are a hotel.”
When Steven bought the house he hadn’t been aware of the home’s history, which was discovered by Russell Sage and his team who helped design the interiors.
“It was originally nine or ten rooms and I enlarged and built at the back and made ensuite bathrooms, cut the rooms down to six, which is a good size.
“We get people from all over the world that want to come to London, maybe for a special occasion, maybe for a wedding. A bride often stays here before they get married, with their family. Corporates have a little wine tasting here, or little parties. It works well for parties because we move things around.”
Although Steven says “it runs well also as a little hotel from time to time”, they concentrate more on exclusive use, because “it’s easier for us to run it when there’s one family here, they’re all here together.”
This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and it’s been rather a busy year thus far at Henry’s, with visiting Jane Austen Societies, and teas, and the BBC filmed a drama on Jane’s life…
Steven, Mister History now, says: “Henry Austen was the most intelligent of the Austen family, he was a banker and then a man of the clergy, and he brought Jane’s writings out into the open, her novels. Jane died when she was 41, and he brought the literature out. This house is mentioned in Sense and Sensibility, and some of [her] other writings.”
Step into 18th century England for a night if you can. Henry’s Townhouse’s six bespoke bedrooms are each named after an Austen family member. It’s in keeping with the Regency period but with modern amenities such as air conditioning, luxurious linens, and a flat screen TV that emerges from an unassuming period chest. A fully stocked mini bar hides in a cupboard — there are wonderful teas, coffee and snacks, there’s a rainfall shower in the bathroom, sumptuous products and Dyson hairdryers. The rooms are decorated with antiques, plush soft velvet chaise longues, cushions, satin drapes, and wonderful art, and the floors are wonky, it’s fabulous. In the morning, a full a la carte breakfast awaits in the pantry downstairs.
Steven Collins is a bit of a pioneer in the property business specializing in offering large luxury homes for exclusive use, as in you can rent the entire place, even for a day, or a week or however long you’d like… (To a point. I’m sure they’d kick you out eventually).
The townhouse is full of eclectic and wonderful furnishings, from the Regency period to the modern era, with some Scandinavian flavor thrown in.
“I’m a collector of all this nonsense, actually, over the years,” he says. “We have this place. We have a similar place to this in Tuscany, and we have Temple Guiting in the Cotswolds, and also a place in the south of France (opening in 2026), which combined are in The Collection. This is the only one really where you can take a room. The others are exclusive use, and they’re all different.”
Included in The Collins Collection are Villa Il Santo, in the Chianti region of Tuscany – originally built in 1000 AD no less! Beautifully renovated and opened in May 2024. You can fly over the region with HeliChianti, go food and wine tasting, or truffle hunting, there’s yoga and pilates, hot air balloon rides, and there’s even golf close by. Sleeping up to 16 guests, it’s ideal for weddings and friend or family getaways in the Tuscan hills. There is a minimum stay of seven nights, which is negotiable in low season.
15th Century Temple Guiting Manor in The Cotswolds is set on 14.5 acres of landscaped grounds, sleeping up to 34 guests across five properties, including the manor house, a converted barn and the granary. With a beautiful church within five minutes walk away it’s ideal for weddings, but also family get-togethers or for corporates. The barn and the manor house can also be booked individually. There’s a gym, a yoga and pilates studio, cinema, an outdoor heated pool, hot tubs, an all weather tennis court, executive chefs, and many extras.
Opening in 2026, in St. Jean Cap Ferrat between Nice and Monaco will be the latest property, Villa Juliette, a four bedroomed villa complete with a self contained apartment, pool, tennis court and fabulous sea views. There is use of a small boat with a skipper, and chefs, babysitters, cleaners etc. by arrangement. Great for children and has lots of outdoor space. Available for a week minimum stay. Full time staff will be on site each day.
