ARRIVAL/CHECK-IN: Tucked along Great Russell Street and off busy Tottenham Court Road, The Bloomsbury’s historic brick façade and Georgian features offer an immediate and welcome respite from the city buzz. The hotel lobby, intimate and warm, features a small lounge across from the check-in desk to relax by the fireplace. The character of the building is embedded in the experience from the moment you step into the lobby.

GUEST QUARTERS: Recently attaining 5-star status, The Bloomsbury wowed with its studio suite. Bold and rich colors and patterns were woven into every detail of the space, from the vibrant, red upholstered headboard to the muted orange area rug and the deep blue and floral wallpapered walls.

© Aoife O’Riordan

Authentic Georgian windows peered down onto the streets below, and a marble bathroom with heated tile floors and a separate soaking tub and its own television marked a welcome but subtle departure into modernity. The bathroom’s Frederic Malle were an especially appreciated touch, as was the heated towel rack for the colder London nights. A desk faced another corner of the room, and the flat-screen television was adjustable to accommodate watching from the plush chairs in the middle of the room or from bed. We also played music from the Bluetooth speaker one morning to get ready for the day.

© Aoife O’Riordan

SERVICES/AMENITIES: One of the hotel’s most iconic spaces is The Coral Room, a 1920s-style cocktail bar designed by Martin Brudnizki, complete with coral-colored walls and Murano glass chandeliers. The menu alone was special, like a book designed in the shape of a hot-air balloon that travels to different destinations, each with a different cocktail inspired by its next journey. The Red Albion (inspired by London, of course) was particularly unique and refreshing. The hotel is also home to Dalloway Terrace, a beautiful indoor/outdoor space adorned with a floor-to-ceiling wall of flowers that changes seasonally. This adaptable space, open for lunch, dinner and afternoon tea, is perfect in any weather.

© Aoife O’Riordan

On the hotel’s lower level is the Bloomsbury Club Bar, a more intimate, wood-paneled space serving up Ancient Egypt- inspired concoctions. The Bloomsbury’s event spaces are just as special, such as the George V Hall, with wall panels depicting his worldly travels, and the Seamus Heaney Library, a room with book-lined walls filled with hundreds of first- edition books.

TOP TAKEAWAYS:

• The Coral Room is a can’t-miss. Its iconic interiors and craft cocktails make for a memorable evening, transporting you to a different decade entirely.
• The Bloomsbury Hotel embraces historicity while introducing contemporary details in guestrooms, removing bland and beige colors and unremarkable furniture for bolder hues and bespoke pieces.
• Dalloway Terrace is like a little secret garden where you can sip on handcrafted cocktails, indulge in afternoon tea, or enjoy a lunch or dinner amid endless flowers.

THE BLOOMSBURY
16-22 Great Russell St.
London WC1B 3NN
United Kingdom
tel 44 20 7347 1000