London is a great city for visiting historic hotels. These are the places we enjoy staying in the most; they’re older locations with plenty of history. During my recent trip to the UK, I spent one last night in London before heading back to Florida. I was looking for a place that was convenient to Euston Station, where I was arriving after my couple of days in Wales, and also provided easy access to London Gatwick.
I found a hotel that checked all the boxes—it was historic and located within walking distance of Euston and St. Pancras stations. It was also on my bucket list of London hotels I wanted to visit.
The Kimpton Fitzroy London
Originally the Hotel Russell, it opened in 1900 across from Russell Square. In 2018, after a massive restoration, it reopened as the Kimpton Fitzroy London.
Making a Reservation
For my one-night stay, I could have booked a single room for 57,000 IHG One Rewards points. This would get me a base room Single City Single.
While I like to use points to pay for hotels, sometimes it makes more sense to pay for your room. I was able to book the same room for $321 and stack a 10% back Chase Offer for IHG hotels. This brought the price down to $289, which is almost the same as if I used points. I also earned IHG points for the stay, which reduced the cost even more.
Arriving at the Kimpton Fitzroy
Occasionally you arrive at a hotel where the service is so attentive, it’s almost embarrassing. I walked from the train station with my suitcase and arrived at the front door, which has about 6 steps you need to climb. The doorman insisted on carrying my bags up the stairs. Once inside, I was welcomed to the hotel. My bags were attended to and I was walked to the check-in desk area.
Both agents were helping guests, so I had to wait. The hotel staff stayed with me and asked what my plans were for my stay. I was reminded about the Kimpton Social Hour, which would start shortly and asked if I needed arrangements to the airport the next day.
At this point, the front desk opened, and I started to check in to the hotel. I was thanked for being an IHG Platinum member and informed that my room had been upgraded to a larger one. However, it was an accessible room, and they asked if that would be acceptable. I appreciated that they asked, as some wheelchair-accessible rooms are not well-suited for people who are not in wheelchairs.
The Room
My room was on the 5th floor, just behind the elevators.
The hotel’s hallways have a classic look. It’s hard to achieve luxury without being ostentatious, and this hotel has managed to do it.
My room was quite large. I’m not sure of the exact category, but it was much bigger than the one I paid for. Entering the room, the bathroom was straight ahead. There was a large dresser on the left, and the bedroom was to the right.
The room had an extra nook with a couch. The extra space was nice, but all you could see was the bed.
The bathroom was large, which is what you’d expect from an accessible room. The toilet rails folded out from the wall, which was an elegant solution and not really noticeable unless you’re looking. The only negative was a lack of space for your personal toiletries.
Restaurants & Happy Hour
Before heading out for the evening, I stopped by the sunken garden lounge for the Kimpton Social Hour. It resembles the garden lounges found in many buildings from the early 1900s.
When I returned later in the evening, the restaurant was already closed. However, I stopped by Fitz’s Bar to use my drink voucher. By far, this was the best Old Fashioned I’ve ever had in London.
The Hotel Public Spaces
The hotel entry is one of those spaces you have to see to believe. From the arches to the chandelier, it evokes an earlier time.
To be sure, if there’s a grand staircase, I’m going to walk upstairs.
From upstairs, you get a better view of the chandelier and the tile work underneath, which I didn’t see when downstairs.
The hallways on the 1st floor were also amazing to look at, with marble all around and ornate ceilings. There were also pictures and information about the hotel’s history.
Final Thought
I can’t help but compare the Kimpton Fitzroy London to the St. Pancras Renaissance. Both hotels have the same charm, and it’d be hard to decide between them. While I love the St. Pancras, you only get the full experience if you’re staying in the Chambers Wing. Most guests are in a regular hotel at the back of the station.
Everyone at the Kimpton gets the full experience, from a Single City room to a suite. I only stayed for a night, so I didn’t get to experience all of the hotel. From what I saw, it’s a place I can see us visiting again.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
