Henry's Townhouse, Marylebone

The building you are approaching, number twenty-four Upper Berkeley Street, holds a direct connection to one of the most famous figures in English literature. During the early nineteenth century, this Georgian townhouse served as the London residence of Henry Austen, the older brother of the novelist Jane Austen. Henry was not merely a sibling to Jane; he was her favorite brother and a constant source of support throughout her life. Henry Austen lived here between eighteen hundred and eighteen hundred and five, a period when he worked as a banker and an officer in the Oxfordshire militia. Jane Austen visited this house frequently during her trips to London, and some historical accounts suggest she worked on her seminal novel Sense and Sensibility while staying within these very walls. Henry provided a crucial link to the professional world for his sister, often acting as the intermediary between Jane and her publishers when she began releasing her work. The property has been transformed into an exclusive-use boutique hotel that draws deep inspiration from this literary history. When the building was acquired for renovation, it had fallen into significant disrepair and was operating as a nondescript bed and breakfast with bright, modern decor that masked its Georgian roots. During the restoration process, architects uncovered the building's original structure and integrated period-appropriate features to honor the time when the Austen family gathered here. The interior design reflects the Regency era, featuring hidden jib doors in the wood paneling that lead to concealed rooms, a common architectural trick of the eighteenth century. Each of the six guest bedrooms is named after a specific member of the Austen family who would have been part of Henry's social circle, such as his wife Eliza or his cousin Phylly. The house also contains a rare copy of a university periodical called The Loiterer, which Henry co-authored with his brother James while they were students at Oxford. The current owners curated the space to evoke the feeling of a private home rather than a commercial hotel, filling the rooms with antiques, curated artwork, and fabric-heavy décor. One of the main reception rooms is dedicated to Jane, housing a commissioned portrait of the author. A unique feature of the house is the downstairs kitchen area, named Monsieur Halavant's Pantry after the French chef who once cooked for the Austen family. It remains a focal point of the residence today, functioning as a communal space where guests gather around a large, central refectory table.