A grand London hotel is reborn

In the heart of Bloomsbury, The Principal London restores an historic building to glamorous new heights

Many will have passed the glorious Grade II-listed Victorian building on London’s Russell Square – designed in 1898 by Charles Fitzroy Doll – and pondered why it had fallen into decline. But on Monday April 16, the renovated grande dame of Bloomsbury reopens as The Principal London, a hotel boasting 334 bedrooms, designed by Tara Bernerd to complement the building’s 19th-century heritage.

Named after Fitzroy Doll, Fitz’s cocktail bar will offer a thoroughly modern and glamorous cocktail list

At the heart of the hotel is the grand 120-seat restaurant, Neptune – the domain of head chef Brett Redman (a three-time Bib Gourmand winner) and his restaurant partner Margaret Crow, both formerly of Elliot’s in Borough Market and The Richmond in Hackney. The pair have created “Bloomsbury Salon” for the 21st century and, as its name implies, dishes will feature shellfish, sourced from small UK suppliers, alongside an oyster bar.

Gorgeous natural light floods the Corner Suites, which are situated on the corners of the building

The grande-dame hotel boasts 334 bedrooms and suites

The dark wood panelling and sumptuous interior of Fitz’s cocktail bar, named after Fitzroy Doll, is designed by Russell Sage Studios. A stuffy Victorian setting this is not, as its large fireplace and original stained-glass windows are offset by an enormous glitter ball hanging from the ceiling. The thoroughly modern cocktail list, created by bar manager Sean Fennelly, formerly Milk & Honey general manager, signals fun and timeless glamour into the small hours.

Back in the hub of the hotel, the Palm Court is the place to be for afternoon tea and in the evenings for a gin trolley that will circulate, offering herb-infused cocktails. With a winter garden at one end and a living wall of plants on an outdoor terrace, it will be a botanical oasis in bustling Bloomsbury.