London hotel review - The Bloomsbury

It’s home to the British Museum, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and was made famous by the likes of Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes and E M Forster et al, who were members of the fabled Bloomsbury Group.

They would no doubt have recognised this Grade-II listed building, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1928, now home to the plush Bloomsbury hotel, which has undergone a major redesign in the last couple of years.

Location: In a city with no shortage of impressive addresses, The Bloomsbury’s location on Great Russell Street is hard to beat. You’re in easy walking distance of Soho and Covent Garden, the British Museum is just around the corner and if you happen to have tickets for a show at the Dominion Theatre next door, then you can count your stroll home in a matter of seconds rather than minutes.

Ambience: From the minute you’re greeted by one of the smiling doormen and ushered into the Sitting Room, adorned with hand-painted wallpaper, you get a feeling of understated opulence. This is an upmarket hotel that manages to be both stylish and relaxed thanks in no small part to the warm and welcoming staff.

Accommodation: There are a number of different categories of rooms, including suites. We stayed in one of the immaculate new suites where the attention to detail and the sense of luxury – including a beautiful roll top bath in the enormous bathroom – was very welcome.

Food and drink: Here you’re spoilt for choice. There’s The Coral Room, a chic all-day bar and restaurant brilliantly designed by the acclaimed interior architect Martin Brudnizki. Here you can enjoy top notch small plates such as short rib sliders, Dorset crab on toast and seared tuna, and there’s an impressive list of English sparkling wines. As well as The Coral Room there’s the popular Dalloway Terrace restaurant and my personal favourite which is downstairs in the Bloomsbury Club Bar, which oozes jazz era glamour.

What to do: Where do you start? The British Museum is well worth a visit, as are both the London Film Museum (check out the Bond in Motion exhibition) and the London Transport Museum, both in Covent Garden. If you want to shop then Oxford Street is a short walk, as is Tottenham Court Road tube station. I would also recommend the London Walks – guided tours around the city.

Worth writing home about: The aforementioned Martin Brudnizki is one of the world’s most acclaimed interior designers and fans of his work travel from far and wide to admire his handiwork.

The Bloomsbury: 16-22 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3NN. Tel: 020 7347 1000. Website: www.doylecollection.com/hotels/the-bloomsbury-hotel

Rates for a Classic Room start from £306 per room, per night inclusive of VAT & breakfast.

The Bloomsbury has a Spring/Summer retreat offer over two nights with savings on accommodation including two signature cocktails. Rates from £222 per night