Known for properties that embrace bold design and personal service, San Francisco-born Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is widely credited with introducing the boutique hotel concept to the United States. Now, it's exporting its unique brand to the United Kingdom, where it has opened its first British hotel in London, parent company InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced yesterday.
The hotel, Kimpton Fitzroy London, is located in London's Bloomsbury neighborhood, which is known for as the intellectual and literary capital of London thanks to its large concentration of museums, educational institutions and bookshops. Housed in a historic building that dates back to 1898, the hotel has 334 guest rooms, four bars and restaurants, a fitness center and over 9,000 square feet of meeting space, including a ballroom for up to 400 guests.
"This hotel will bring a new luxury approach to the U.K. -- a more inclusive style of luxury as opposed to museum-like spaces so guests don't need to keep their voices down in the lobby, or wear a suit jacket to dinner," said General Manager Paul Walters. "A defining trait for the Kimpton brand is the focus on heartfelt human connections. We want guests to enjoy the glamor of a historic iconic building but still feel free to be themselves. It's an approach we're excited to bring to London, as we know it's what guests in this city are craving."
Four More Artsy Hotels in London
Kimpton Fitzroy London is named after the building's original architect, Charles Fitzroy Doll, who was a major figure in British architecture during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Its historic architecture isn't the only art on display at the hotel, however. Guest rooms, for instance, feature unique artwork selected by interior designer Tara Bernerd & Partners and floral cushions designed by British textile artist Kit Miles.
It's just a taste of the visual victuals that await creative spirits at London's many art-forward hotels. For an even bigger bite, check out these four properties:
• The London EDITION: Ian Schrager's London EDITION hotel opened in 2013 in Central London's Fitzrovia neighborhood. The property, which has 173 accommodations and 4,300 square feet of meeting space, is full of art, as each guest room is adorned with original art. Also, there's the hotel's destination restaurant, Berners Tavern, where there's not only a private dining room for up to 14 guests, but also towering walls that are plastered with a total of 185 paintings and photographs, each of which is framed in gold. It's neither a restaurant nor an art gallery; it's both rolled into one.
• The Mandrake: Located near The London EDITION is The Mandrake, an art-themed hotel that opened in 2017 with 34 guest rooms and suites, including a penthouse whose features include a steam room, a Jacuzzi that's located beneath a retractable roof and an extra large "emperor-sized" bed. The penthouse is available for private events, as is the private dining room at Serge, the hotel's restaurant; a red-lacquered salon whose walls were treated with 28 individual paint processes, it's a three-dimensional work of art in and of itself. There's also Jurema, an outdoor space with a cabana-style terrace and a greenhouse. Groups can even buy out the entire property. Along with curated artworks throughout the hotel -- each of which was acquired or commissioned specifically for the area it occupies -- guests can take advantage of the library, which contains a collection of art, photography, fashion, design and literature books, as well as the hotel's artist-in-residence program, which hosts artists who stay at the hotel for up to a week during which time they interact with guests as they work on original works.
• Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill: The Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill in London's West End was designed as a monument to British legend Sir Winston Churchill. Featuring 440 guest rooms inspired by Churchill's classic British style, it boasts nearly 7,000 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center, a Regency Club lounge, two restaurants and a cocktail bar. For art lovers, however, the highlight is the hotel's Saatchi Suite. Created in partnership with London's Saatchi art gallery, the suite is adorned with art by Saatchi artists whose work is for sale to hotel guests who see it and have to have it. Art also is on display and available for purchase throughout the hotel's public areas, which double as a gallery; just this month the hotel announced a new partnership with local art gallery Thompson's Galleries, through which it will exhibit a range of artworks from emerging and established British artists.
• 45 Park Lane: 45 Park Lane in London's Mayfair neighborhood aptly describes itself as "an invigorating blend of art and landmark architecture in the middle of classical London." Once home to London's Playboy Club, the hotel is small in size -- it has just 45 guest rooms -- but big on design. Along with a restaurant by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, there's a bar, an American-style teahouse and a function room for meetings or private dining. Guest rooms and public spaces alike showcase works by contemporary British artists, according to the hotel, which self-identifies as a "living gallery of exciting and groundbreaking British art."