The Doyle Collection, the privately owned and managed group of luxury hotels in Ireland, the UK, and US, has embarked on a major redesign of The Bloomsbury, in collaboration with Martin Brudnizki Design Studio – the internationally acclaimed interior architecture and design studio. The famed 1928 Sir Edwin Lutyens, Grade-II listed building on Great Russell Street in London, will showcase a new reception area, guest lounge, and new bar – The Coral Room.

The Bloomsbury redesign will be completed in November 2017. The hotel will be transformed following a multimillion-pound investment program led by Bernie Gallagher, Chairman of The Doyle Collection.

The new interior will feature five bespoke Murano glass chandeliers, which will be specially created for the Coral Room. British illustrator Luke Edward Hall has been commissioned by Gallagher to create 36 original pieces of art inspired by the surrounding Bloomsbury area and the architecture of Lutyens. The bar itself will feature a Calacatta marble top with a high-gloss moulded timber front, and the back bar will feature antique mirror and brass detailing, to reflect the iconic heritage of the hotel and building.

Patrick King, CEO of The Doyle Collection comments, “Our aim for The Bloomsbury is to create a hotel that is a hub for locals and visitors, offering guests a vibrant and fun place to come and stay, relax, meet, and socialize. Having evaluated the kind of spaces that our customers like to use and live in, we are creating a hotel with a private club-like feel – informal yet luxurious, with the highest quality materials and design. As the Bloomsbury neighborhood continues its journey of redevelopment and rejuvenation, our hotel is poised to embrace and be part of these exciting changes within the cultural heart of London’s West End.”

The original entrance at the side of the property has been restored, incorporating a new glazed canopy to enhance the guest arrival experience. The original flight of Portland Stone steps leads guests into the new reception area, an intimate space which includes a Lutyens inspired Living Room for the exclusive use of guests to relax and unwind. The hotel will feel more akin to a private home than a traditional hotel. A color palette of muted greens and pinks will be accented with an electric mix of furnishings, artwork, and lighting. Heritage-inspired botanical wallpaper and a Lutyens’ designed fireplace will provide a focal point to the space. The Coral Room is located within a 2,100-sq. ft. double height space at the front of the hotel. Mindful of the original Lutyens design and the building’s listed status, this bar area is being sensitively reimagined. The original paneled walls will be retained and given a high-gloss lacquer finish in vivid coral – a color that Lutyens was fond of.

This refurbishment is the final chapter of the wider restoration of The Bloomsbury, following the launches of the award-winning Dalloway Terrace and The Bloomsbury Club Bar, which were added to the property in 2016. Dalloway Terrace quickly became one of London’s most sought after alfresco dining hotspots, while The Bloomsbury Club Bar brought an old school romance and the magic of bygone era of glamour to the hotel. The Bloomsbury continues to embrace its literary heritage with its wood-paneled Seamus Heaney Library, with a Poet in Residence to complement the facility.

• BLOOMSBURY THE BOROUGH

Coinciding with the refurbishment of the hotel, the Bloomsbury borough is itself experiencing a transformation, not seen since the heady days of ‘The Bloomsbury Set’ in the first half of the twentieth century.  A modern-day Bloomsbury set will emerge as access to the area rapidly increases with the arrival of Crossrail in 2018, making the journey to and from Heathrow and other parts of London even more accessible.

The neighboring British Museum will complete a refurbishment by the end of 2018, with plans to open three new galleries. The Bloomsbury is just a stone’s throw from Soho and Covent Garden and along with the rest of The Doyle Collection, is very much involved in the local area, which is highlighted via its ‘Slice of the City’ initiative and packages.