The Kimpton Fitzroy London first came onto my radar not as a hotel, but as a pricing anomaly.
While looking at IHG award mechanics more broadly, I noticed that at this property, points pricing sometimes removed distinctions that were very real on the cash side. Rooms that clearly sat at different levels of the hierarchy were occasionally offered at the same award rate. That was the analytical hook.
The stay itself turned out to be about something else entirely.
We booked using an expiring IHG Free Night Certificate, expiring that very day, topped up with points as needed. On paper, it was a tidy redemption. In practice, it was one of those stays that quietly reminds you why certain hotels feel different almost immediately.
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A building that leads the brand
Before Kimpton enters the story, the building does.
The Fitzroy occupies a serious Edwardian structure in Bloomsbury, originally opened in 1900 as Hotel Russell. It was designed by Charles Fitzroy Doll, whose later work included the first-class dining room on the Titanic. The same sense of scale, symmetry, and institutional confidence is evident here. This is not decorative grandeur. It is structural.
Kimpton’s role is deliberately restrained. The brand layers warmth and softness onto something that already has authority. It does not try to compete with the building, and that restraint is the hotel’s greatest strength.
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Arrival and check-in
The vibe on arrival was excellent. Stylish without trying too hard. Relaxed without drifting into casual.
As IHG Platinums, we were offered the welcome choice: 600 points or a drink at the bar. The drink option came via a printed voucher, nominally valued at £18. Our drinks ran slightly over that amount and the difference was simply waived. It felt less like a strict credit and more like an informal understanding.
If we had arrived a little earlier, there were complimentary drinks during Kimpton’s social hour, typically from 5–6pm. We walked through the door just after six. Not a complaint, just a reminder that timing sometimes matters more than status.
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The bar
The bar works.
It is dark, contained, and genuinely lively in the evening, with a mix of hotel guests and locals. Drinks were well made, service attentive, and the energy stayed in the room rather than spilling elsewhere. Importantly, it feels clearly separated from the guest corridors. Noise does not travel.
The bar’s mood mirrors the hotel’s broader approach: sociable, but controlled.
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Dinner elsewhere, London-style
We did not dine in the hotel that evening. Instead, we walked around the corner to The Marquis Cornwallis, a busy local gastropub offering a three-course set menu with wine. Exactly the kind of place Bloomsbury does well.
On the way out, the doorman offered us umbrellas from a communal supply. A small thing, but a telling one. Rain is not an edge case in London, and the hotel behaves accordingly.
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The room
Our room was genuinely lovely.
The design language of the hotel carries through cleanly into the private spaces.
The lighting, proportions, and finishes all feel considered and consistent with the public areas. The door opens in a way that initially suggests a balcony, though it turns out to be a light-bringing recess rather than a space you can step onto.
There was a brief moment of domestic drama. Opening the wardrobe revealed no bathrobes. In my wife’s mental model, that is the line between a corporate hotel and a nice one. The concern lasted about thirty seconds, until the robes were discovered hanging discreetly behind the bathroom door. Crisis fully averted.
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Sleep, silence, and location
The bed was comfortable, the room quiet, and the location worked exactly as hoped. Bloomsbury is calm at night, well connected during the day, and walkable in multiple directions. We also have a son at university nearby, which added a layer of familiarity. This is a neighbourhood we already know and like.
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Breakfast and the non-upgrade decision
Breakfast was not included. As Platinums on a Chase-issued Free Night Certificate, that is expected. We had already decided, based on earlier analysis, not to pursue Diamond status purely for breakfast access.
Instead, the hotel offers a grab-and-go setup at reception with coffee and pastries. More than sufficient, especially if your internal clock does not line up with local meal times. There is also a supermarket immediately around the corner if needed.
For this stay, the decision to have not upgraded felt right.
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A return, finally
We had eaten at the hotel’s restaurant previously for a friend’s birthday when he was staying here. We enjoyed it then and had always meant to come back to see the rest of the property. This stay completed that loop.
The Kimpton Fitzroy is not trying to impress with perks or theatrics. It works because it understands restraint.
The pricing quirk got us in the door. The architecture, service, and quiet confidence are what linger.
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