I had a hot tub with a view of Bloomsbury.
View from the corner suite with turrets of the five-star hotel Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel I had a cheeky evening view above the winding paths and lime trees of the pleasantly square Russell Square garden.
I hope no one could see me because this bath wasn't hidden away – it's a roll top bath on a raised terrace with only fig leaf-like shutters to protect privacy.
That a bathtub takes center stage in a beautiful suite at this remarkable hotel has resonance with its life cycle, for when it opened as Hotel Russell in 1898 it was not only one of London's most opulent places to stay, but also the first of hotels in the capital where all bedrooms had their own bathroom.
Spotless and hopefully unseen, I set out to explore what remains one of London's most breathtaking hotels, with a ground floor so ornate that some say it is the origin of the phrase 'all dolled up'.
Carlton Reid checks into London's Kimpton Fitzroy, where he was treated to a bath with a view
The 334-room hotel was originally designed by Victorian star architect Charles Fitzroy Doll
That's because the eight-story hotel was designed by Victorian star architect Charles Fitzroy Doll, who was later commissioned by the White Star Line to replicate parts of his interior design for the Titanic's first-class dining room.
Doll's design for this corner of literary London is inspired by the Chateau de Madrid, a 16th-century Parisian palace that lay in ruins at the time of the French Revolution. Like this royal residence, famous for its exterior bas-reliefs, the exterior of the Kimpton Fitzroy is lavishly decorated. It is covered in soft brown Doulton terracotta, known as thé-au-lait, or 'tea with milk'.
The facade is also dotted with life-size statues of four queens: Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anne and Victoria, the work of monument sculptor Henry Charles Fehr, known for his sculptures next to the Supreme Court on Parliament Square.
Inside the hotel, the decorations are just as exquisite. Doll went all out and created a brown and cream marbled entrance hall that is dark, luxurious and almost literally enchanting.
Its mosaic floor features zodiac symbols, evoking the Victorian-era fascination with the occult.
The facade is studded with life-size statues of four queens: Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anne and Victoria, the work of monument sculptor Henry Charles Fehr, known for his sculptures next to the Supreme Court on Parliament Square
The brown and cream marbled entrance hall is “dark and luxurious,” says Carlton
Above is the hotel's mascot, “Lucky George,” a 30-inch bronze dragon guarding a stairwell on the hotel's second floor. It has a twin, which was attached to the stairs of the Titanic's first-class dining room
And tapping into today's New Age Wellness, the 334-room hotel now offers a tarot reading experience delivered in collaboration with occult expert Dr. Christina Oakley, founder of the nearby witchcraft bookstore Treadwell's.
The hotel has even started using its own tarot deck. The Emperor card is based on suffrage leader Emmeline Pankhurst, whose former home is now the Burr & Co brasserie in the hotel (where I had breakfast). The Wheel of Fortune card features the hotel's mascot, 'Lucky George'.
This is a 75 cm tall bronze dragon that guards a stairwell on the second floor of the hotel.
Doll commissioned two such dragons. The twin was attached to the stairs of the Titanic's first class dining room. Today, the unfortunate George finds himself at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Shortly after it reopened in 2018 following an expensive refurbishment, the hotel's name was changed to Kimpton Fitzroy. Fitzroy is of course a nod to Doll, while Kimpton is an American chain of characterful boutique hotels, founded in 1981 by Bill Kimpton.
This image shows Fitz's cocktail bar. Carlton describes the hotel's interior as 'exquisite'
Carlton explains that the hotel – designed by Victorian star architect Charles Fitzroy Doll – gave birth to the phrase 'all dolled up'
The hotel makeover included an interior refresh by Tara Bernerd & Partners, a London-based studio that designs for many of the world's most luxurious hotels.
Sensibly, much of Doll's design remains intact, including the tiled floor, long hidden under wall-to-wall carpeting.
Back in my corner suite, I lounged on the velvet sofa, propped up by Kit Miles-designed silk cushions featuring a stylized dragon. Next to the fireplace, Bloomsbury's literary ties were highlighted with a selection of highbrow books.
I chose one and settled in to read, surrounded by five-star luxury.
Happy George? Good thing, too.
Carlton can be found on Twitter @carltonreid and his videos can be found at www.youtube.com/@cyclingnews.