The Hari wins Country & Town House Future Icons Award

The Hari, a 30-suite hotel on Chesham Place in Belgravia, has won the Country & Town House Future Icons Award for Responsible Hotel & Resort. The property, which opened in 2023 within a Grade II listed Georgian townhouse, converted a single private residence into suites across five storeys. Designed by Tara Bernerd and Partners, the interiors use natural materials including oak, stone and plaster throughout. The hotel operates under a philosophy that embeds sustainability into how it runs: staff uniforms are made by Savile Row Bespoke, Head Chef Mendes da Costa works with local suppliers and seasonal menus, and energy consumption is monitored through smart building systems.

Operating in one of London’s densest postcodes creates a particular clarity about what matters. Rather than retreat to the margins, The Hari has chosen to embed responsible practices into staffing, sourcing and energy management. Staff receive above London Living Wage compensation, comprehensive healthcare coverage, and participate in decision making through quarterly forums. The business is structured as stakeholder capitalism rather than pure profit maximisation, a choice reflected in annual sustainability reporting: current energy sourcing comes from renewable providers, and the property has committed to carbon neutrality by 2030.

Founded by the Hari family, the hotel was built on operational principle rather than marketing claim. For guests choosing where to stay in London, the award offers evidence that a luxury property can operate with integrity. For the hospitality sector, it presents a different kind of challenge: that the future of luxury travel is being shaped not by those with the most space or largest budgets, but by those willing to question how they operate.

The hotel’s location in Belgravia, one of London’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, makes this recognition more nuanced still. This is not a rural retreat with space for vast gardens and renewable energy installations. Operating within the constraints of a Georgian townhouse on a London street creates a particular kind of clarity about what matters and what can be cut away. Every decision, from the procurement of linens to the training of staff, must reflect the values the property claims to hold.

Award recognition in the hospitality world often comes and goes without shifting practice. Yet a Future Icons Award specifically for responsible operations carries different weight. When one of the judges feels compelled to highlight the setting as part of what makes the achievement distinctive, it suggests something has shifted. The Hari’s win points to a philosophy of responsible luxury that is not about scale or dramatic gestures, but about consistency, thought and the willingness to make harder choices in tighter spaces.

For guests choosing where to stay in London, the award offers something concrete: evidence that a luxury property can operate with integrity. For the hotel itself, the recognition validates the philosophy that has guided it since opening. For the city’s hospitality sector, it presents a different kind of challenge: that the future of luxury travel is being shaped not by those with the most space or the largest budgets, but by those willing to question how they operate and why.

The Hari opened in 2023 within a Grade II listed Georgian townhouse, converting a single private residence into 30 suites across five storeys. The hotel’s design centres on restrained interiors by Tara Bernerd and Partners, who specified natural materials including oak, stone and plaster throughout the property. Energy consumption is monitored through smart building systems, while staff uniforms are produced by British maker Savile Row Bespoke. The approach to sourcing extends to the kitchen, where Head Chef Mendes da Costa works with local suppliers and seasonal menus, a constraint that has become operational principle rather than limitation.

Founded by the Hari family, the hotel operates under a philosophy of stakeholder capitalism rather than pure profit maximisation. The business structure reflects this commitment: staff receive above London Living Wage compensation, receive comprehensive healthcare coverage, and participate in decision making through quarterly forums. The property has committed to carbon neutrality by 2030, with current energy sourcing from renewable providers and water consumption offset through conservation partnerships. These are operational choices, measurable and reported annually, rather than marketing claims.

Country & Town House’s Future Icons Awards programme evaluates properties across innovation, sustainability and community impact, judging applications against published criteria that include waste reduction, local employment and governance transparency. The Responsible Hotel & Resort category recognises properties demonstrating measurable environmental and social outcomes over a minimum three year period. The Hari was selected from an international field of applicants, with judges including hospitality leaders, sustainability experts and travel journalists who assessed entries against verified operational data rather than promotional material.

Imagery courtesy of The Hari (@theharilondon).