Bloomsbury / Russell Square

Kimpton Fitzroy London

★★★★★

Kimpton Fitzroy London is one of the most spectacular hotel buildings in the city. It opened at the turn of the twentieth century as the Hotel Russell, designed by the architect Charles Fitzroy Doll, and it occupies the entire eastern side of Russell Square, its facade a riot of red-brown terracotta, towers and statues of four British queens. Inside, the original marble entrance hall and grand staircase, with columns of coloured marble and ornate plasterwork, are among the most dramatic hotel interiors in London. After a long period of decline, the hotel underwent a major restoration and reopened in 2018 as the first UK property of IHG's Kimpton brand, an American boutique group known for its playful style and evening social hours. The restoration revealed and repaired the historic interiors while bringing the rooms up to date with a fresh, colourful, contemporary feel. Fitz's, the hotel's bar and parlour, is a jewel-box cocktail bar with stained glass and velvet, and the brasserie offers relaxed all-day dining. Rooms range from compact doubles to grand suites, some with views over the square's gardens. The location is ideal for culture lovers: the British Museum is about five minutes' walk, the University of London's Bloomsbury squares surround the hotel, and King's Cross and St Pancras, for the Eurostar, are a short walk or one stop away. Russell Square station on the Piccadilly line is right around the corner, giving direct trains to Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, Knightsbridge and Heathrow. It is a luxury hotel with more personality, and usually more approachable prices, than the grand dames of Mayfair.

The building's story is worth knowing. Doll designed the Hotel Russell in an opulent style for a confident Edwardian London, and the hotel has long been linked by legend to the Titanic, whose dining room is said to have shared a designer with the Russell's. Whatever the truth of the tale, the restored dining spaces and the marble hall convey that age of ocean-liner grandeur. The four bronze queens on the facade, Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anne and Victoria, are easy to spot from the square.

Living in it: the Kimpton approach means friendly, informal service, a complimentary social hour in the evenings in many Kimpton hotels, and an emphasis on fun touches. Rooms are bright and stylish, with good beds and modern bathrooms; standard rooms can be compact, so consider an upgrade if you want space. The hotel is popular with both leisure travellers and business visitors, and the bar draws locals after work. Russell Square's gardens, with a cafe and fountains, make a calm start to the day.

Base math: Bloomsbury is one of the best-connected and most pleasant central neighbourhoods for visitors. On foot you reach the British Museum, Covent Garden in about fifteen minutes, the literary sights of Bloomsbury, and the shops and restaurants of King's Cross, Coal Drops Yard and Granary Square. Eurostar travellers will appreciate St Pancras International nearby, and the Piccadilly line runs direct to Heathrow. Families get space in larger rooms and suites, and couples a memorable setting at a lower price than Mayfair's five-stars.