For those in the know, The Connaught in the heart of London’s Mayfair has been home to a significant collection of some 3,000 pieces of both classic and contemporary art. Take a look at the artwork in your suite, should you stay, or in the hotel’s restaurants, helmed by chefs Hélène Darroze and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and you might spot pieces by Barbara Hepworth, Graham Sutherland, Damien Hirst or Julien Opie.

This has paved the way for a new micro collection of four female artists’ work all in red. Pieces by Louise Bourgeois, Jenny Holzer, Ti-a Thuy Nguyen and Trina McKillen make up this carefully chosen edit, which provide both the inspiration and backdrop to The Red Room, a new bar within the hotel which opens on Wednesday, September 29.

Designed by Bryan O’Sullivan, who has put his signature stamp on other Maybourne group drinking spots including The Berkeley Bar & Terrace and The Painter’s Room at Claridge’s, says he wanted to create the space as a “home within a home”. The Red Room is a hideaway accessed through a velvet-curtained doorway from the hotel’s prestigious Champagne Room.

Of the project O’Sullivan says, “When designing the space we envisioned an eclectic art collector’s home. A space that feels elevated yet utterly relaxed”. The colour palette consists of soft creams, blush pinks and pearlescent blues. A mosaic runway leads to two focal points – the pink onyx bar and the Italian marble fireplace with intricate red veins. The latter is flanked by two glass panels in vivid reds and blues by British artist Brian Clarke – the only male exhibited in The Red Room. Instead of the usual club chairs, the design includes an eclectic mix of furniture, evoking a well-appointed sitting room complete with ceramics and objets d’art. There’s also a cocoon-like snug in ombre scarlet with a giant antique pendant lamp.

As for the art, the most important piece hangs over the central marble fireplace, “I Am Rouge” by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois. This piece in watercolour, gouache and pencil, was a chance find. Paddy McKillen, co-owner of the Maybourne group, happened to mention to Jerry Gorovoy, Bourgeois’ long-time assistant that he was creating a Red Room at The Connaught and a painting, boxed and ready for another exhibition, was brought up from a basement and purchased on the spot. Another piece by Bourgeois is a ruby-red hologram, from an untitled series of eight holographic pieces from 1998.

California-based photographer Trina McKillen addresses themes of beauty and ugliness, spirituality and profanity and life and death through her work. “Composition #8” is the only photographic piece in the collection. “Scarlet Mist” dominates another wall – an oil painting by Vietnamese Ti-a Thuy Nguyen. This piece was bought by McKillen at the 2018 Red Auction in Miami, all proceeds of which go to fighting AIDS in Africa. Finally, New York-based Jenny Holzer’s “Benghazi” is a graphite and watercolour modification of previously censored US government documents in a brilliant shade of red.

The focus of the bar will be its impressive wine list which has been curated by Daniel Manetti, Director of Wine. A new Coravin system makes it possible to serve rare vintages to first growths – by the glass. These include a 1994 Petrus (the most famous Merlot in the world) and a 2016 Montrachet Grand Cru, (the world’s most famous Chardonnay produced by Domaine Thenard). Two custom made trolleys have been crafted to decanter and serve wine. There is also a capsule list of six cocktails created by Agostino Perrone, Director of Mixology, inspired by the bar’s wine selection. The menu features charcuterie, cheeses and small plates, including veal carpaccio, Gochuchang chicken oysters and kale tempura. Murano glassware flecked with red, a sharp, white-jacketed bar team and the sounds of vintage Italian and French music complete the ambiance.

Need to Know: The Red Room opening hours are 4pm – midnight, Wednesday – Saturday; www.the-connaught.co.uk.