1. First Impressions
“Is it the actual Bloomsbury you’re going to?” asked my black cab driver when I arrived in London. There might be plenty of hotels in this stretch bordering Soho and Fitzrovia, but there is only one Bloomsbury—housed in a historic building designed by legendary British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1928.
Fresh from multimillion pound restoration, the Mr & Mrs Smith-approved hotel was imaginatively transformed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio. As a Grade-II listed building, there were sensitivities to consider but Brudnizki wasn’t afraid to create a bold statement. Case in point: The Coral Room (pictured) but more on that later. I entered via the original Portland stone staircase into a space that felt more like a luxurious manor-meets-members club than a city centre hotel. Upon arrival, I settled into a plush armchair at The Sitting Room—its walls decorated with portraits of the Bloomsbury Set—and would have lingered if only my suite didn't beckon.
(Related: Inside The Restoration Of Hotel Eden In Rome)