The Bloomsbury

They call it the Bloomsbury, and they couldn’t be more right. This is, as the estate agents say, the very heart (or at least the belly) of Bloomsbury, within striking distance of many of London’s brainiest landmarks — the British Museum is one street away, the University of London scattered about nearby, and the London Review bookshop a short stroll to the east.

It’s a part of the Doyle Collection, known on both sides of the Atlantic for marrying traditional décor and classic hospitality with a boutique sensibility. This is by no means the most outré hotel you’ll ever experience, but it’s an intensely localized experience. Much of that is thanks to an extremely sensitive renovation, which leaves the building looking more or less as its architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens, must have left it — give or take the occasional fitness center or conference room.

The rooms and suites, of course, augment their Georgian character with all the necessary modern conveniences, from free wi-fi to Nespresso coffee makers to the spa-like bathrooms. Dalloway Terrace, the restaurant, serves upscale British fare made with suitably local and fresh British ingredients. And whether you’re prowling the British Museum or the shops at Covent Garden, you’ll want to make time to pop back to the hotel for afternoon tea.