#travellinkup: A perfect London staycation at The Bloomsbury Hotel

London is sprinkled with gems that sparkle in rich history. Such is The Bloomsbury Hotel, a beautiful Georgian red brick at the heart of London’s literary district. Part of the Doyle Collection, it’s definitely the perfect place for a staycation in the city because it’s so central - in fact possibly the most central of hotels in the city.

Photo Credit: The Bloomsbury

The hotel sits in a Grade II listed neo-Georgian building designed in the 1930s by none other than Sir Edwin Lutyens.

After the The Bloomsbury’s restoration in 2009, many of Sir Lutyens’ original creations were retained. There’s the beautiful stone entrance, the old school glammed up lobby, to the on-site chapel with spider back chairs.

The Bloomsbury has 153 guestrooms and offers free in-room WiFi, a fitness center, and a rooftop terrace.

I stayed in one of The Bloomsbury’s Studio Suites. Decorated in a rich colour palette of reds and mauves, this 40 sq m. corner room is indulgently spacious.

There’s dark wooden furniture but the space is light and decadent. With velvet upholstered armchairs, an uber-comfy king-size bed, beautiful rugs (that remind me of Tory Burch patterns), the 40 sq m studio suites are indulgently spacious.

The room itself is impressive, but the Italian marbled bathroom screams opulence.

With separate shower rooms, double marble topped vanity sinks, and an additional flat screen, this toilet is definitely my idea of lush.

I mean, this gorgeous freestanding roll top bath was everything I ever wanted in a staycation. Talk about luxurious, indulgent, relaxed comfort.

Other amenities in The Bloomsbury’s studio suites include iPod docking stations, Nespresso coffee machines, 40″ flat screens with Sky Sports and BT Sports, and a good amount of reading material.

You almost wouldn’t want to leave the room.

Dinner at The Dalloway Terrace

I went downstairs for dinner at The Bloomsbury’s veranda restaurant, Dalloway Terrace. I know they have a pretty decent afternoon tea offering but I’ve not tried their actual food, so I was pretty excited.

Photo Credit: The Bloomsbury Hotel

It was a night of indulgence, so excuse me whilst I show you what I liked.

Seared scallops served with an beautifully cooked artichoke. The scallops were definitely tasty, if not ever so slightly undercooked. I think eight more seconds on the pan would’ve made this perfect.

The crispy soft shell crab was a winner. Served with a tangy dressing which I thought balanced the whole dish incredibly. I loved the small but pungent serving of greens and spring onions which gave the crab a good kick.

The 6-0z beef fillet was definitely juicy although I would have preferred a little bit more seasoning. The peppercorn sauce was rather thick, but delivered on flavour.

The mixed seafood grill was a delight and is definitely a bargain. It changes, depending on the daily catch. I managed to get a plate of salmon, seabass, dover sole and prawn. Each fillet was super fresh but as with the steak, I thought it could’ve done with a bit of salt and pepper.

A pot of French fries and a pot of aubergine “chips” rounded the meal. The fries were fresh (but again, needed salt) whereas the aubergine chips came battered and drizzled with honey. Definitely liked the latter more.

Oh, and Tommy’s Margarita was a good dinner cocktail. I dunno who Tommy is but darn, he knows how to work his tequila!

Punters at Dalloway during dinner time seemed to consist of date night rollers and travellers staying at the hotel. It’s a gorgeous space with the trellis lit with fairy lights and plush seating with blankets.

I was too full at this point so I decided to order my dessert for room service. I ordered a pretty tasty Valhrona choccy mousse cake with salted caramel ice cream. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of it…

…because I had other things in mind.

Brunch

Dalloway Terrace livened massively at brunch time. Tables are filled with groups of all ages and chit chat was fab. Also, you can see how beautiful the terrace is.

Definitely a fab place for brunch with friends and mates alike!

My lobster and mango salad was pretty tight. I would’ve hoped for a bit more leaves to soak up the rich dressing but it was decent for a light brunch. I’m so glad my allergies didn’t act up!

Coffee was spot on, too!

Before I left, there was just one thing to do… Seriously, long warm baths are the bomb!

Verdict

The Bloomsbury Hotel is absolutely fantastic and I’d recommend it for more than just a staycation as it ticks the boxes big time.

• Location is super central, which means you can have almost anything at your doorstep and a lot of London attractions are nearby.
• Service is freaking awesome. From personalised welcome packs and phone greetings, to bottled water each time you leave the hotel, to the warm hospitality of staff. I was really impressed.
• Dalloway Terrace is a beautiful place to wind down and eat with friends. It’s picturesque and the coffee game is strong! You MUST try their afternoon tea.
• You can enjoy libations at the beautiful bar. The bar is open til 2am so you can sip their beautiful cocktails before heading back to your room.
• The Italian marbled bathrooms. The separate bath (available from Deluxe Rooms) seriously made my stay a stellar one.

So if you are planning a London staycation or if you have buddies planning on visiting the capital, I’d highly recommend a fab stay at The Bloomsbury Hotel.

The Bloomsbury Hotel
16-22 Great Russell St, Fitzrovia, London WC1B
My stay was complimentary but as always, views are my own.

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