Kimpton Fitzroy London Hotel
Corporate brand
UnclaimedKimpton Fitzroy London Hotel is a historic five-star hotel in London’s Bloomsbury district, operating in a landmark building that opened as the Hotel Russell in 1900.
Last updated August 24, 2026
Overview
Kimpton Fitzroy London Hotel is a luxury hotel on Russell Square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. The property occupies a landmark building designed by architect Charles Fitzroy Doll and opened in 1900 as the Hotel Russell. Its identity combines a highly ornamented late-Victorian exterior with contemporary hospitality interiors and the service style associated with the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand. The building is notable for its decorative terracotta façade, often described as a tea-with-milk color, and for architectural details connected with Doll’s work on the RMS Titanic. Its original restaurant, now known as Fitz’s, is associated with the Titanic’s dining room, which Doll also designed. Other distinctive elements include the grand Pyrenean marble staircase, a former interior sunken garden, sculpted figures of four British queens above the entrance, and heraldic emblems representing nations as they were understood in 1898. A bronze dragon known as Lucky George is displayed on the second-floor staircase; an identical figure was associated with the Titanic. The hotel was built during a period when major London hotels were expanding the expectations of urban accommodation. From its opening, each room had an en-suite bathroom, an important modern convenience for the period. The property survived the Second World War largely intact because it was not taken over by the War Office, although its rooftop dome was severely damaged in a 1941 air raid and was not rebuilt. Beyond hospitality, the Hotel Russell became connected with London’s institutional and cultural history. The first informal meetings associated with the Russell Group of research-intensive universities took place there, giving the group its name. In 1973, the transport advocacy organization later known as Campaign for Better Transport was launched at the hotel under its earlier name, Transport 2000. The building has also appeared in popular culture, including a reference in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats and use as a filming location for the 1981 miniseries Kessler. After an extensive renovation, the property reopened on 16 April 2018 as The Principal London. In July that year, its then-owner, the Principal Hotel Company, sold a portfolio of 12 hotels, including the London property, to Covivio Hotels. Management was subsequently licensed to InterContinental Hotels Group. On 24 October 2018, the hotel was renamed Kimpton Fitzroy London, placing the historic property within the Kimpton brand portfolio. The renovation retained and highlighted the building’s heritage while introducing contemporary design. Tara Bernerd & Partners led the interior design, and bedrooms incorporated work by British textile artist Kit Miles. The hotel’s current offer centers on guestrooms and suites, food and beverage venues including Fitz’s, event and meeting facilities, and the experience of staying in a restored historic landmark near Russell Square and central London attractions. The property has also appeared as accommodation for contestants on Top Chef: World All-Stars.
History
The building now known as Kimpton Fitzroy London was designed by Charles Fitzroy Doll and constructed in 1898. It opened in 1900 as the Hotel Russell on Russell Square, a prominent location in Bloomsbury. Doll used a richly decorative architectural language, including a distinctive terracotta exterior inspired by the Château de Madrid near Paris. The building’s design helped establish the hotel as one of London’s grand historic properties. Its interiors were conceived as a complete luxury environment rather than merely a collection of bedrooms. A grand Pyrenean marble staircase, an interior sunken garden, elaborate fittings, and a restaurant associated with Doll’s Titanic work were among its defining features. The building also incorporated practical modernity: every room had an en-suite bathroom, which was still an unusual feature when the hotel opened. Four life-size statues representing Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anne, and Victoria were placed above the main entrance. The façade also included coats of arms representing nations as understood at the end of the nineteenth century. The hotel’s connections with Doll’s design work extended to its restaurant, now called Fitz’s. The restaurant is described as closely resembling the dining room of the RMS Titanic, which Doll designed. A bronze dragon named Lucky George stands on the second-floor staircase, and an identical copy was associated with the Titanic. These details became part of the property’s heritage narrative. During the Second World War, the Hotel Russell was among the London hotels not taken over by the War Office. It survived largely intact, although an ornate dome on the roof was badly damaged during a 1941 air raid and was never replaced. The hotel later became associated with wider British public life. The informal meetings that led to the Russell Group of universities took place there, while Transport 2000, the organization later known as Campaign for Better Transport, was launched at the hotel in 1973. The Hotel Russell also entered popular culture. It is mentioned in the song “The Journey to the Heaviside Layer” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats and was used as a location in the 1981 television miniseries Kessler. These appearances added to the building’s recognition beyond the hotel sector. A major transition began in the 2010s. The property underwent an extensive renovation and reopened on 16 April 2018 as The Principal London. The refurbishment sought to update the hotel for contemporary luxury hospitality while retaining its architectural character. Tara Bernerd & Partners led the contemporary interior design, and British textile artist Kit Miles contributed bedroom designs. In July 2018, the Principal Hotel Company sold 12 hotels, including The Principal London, to Covivio Hotels. InterContinental Hotels Group subsequently licensed management of the properties. On 24 October 2018, the London property was renamed Kimpton Fitzroy London, bringing it into the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand. The hotel therefore represents several overlapping histories: a purpose-built Edwardian-era grand hotel, a London cultural landmark, a Principal-branded property, and a modern Kimpton luxury hotel.
- 2018
Reopens as The Principal London
[1]Following an extensive renovation, the property reopened as The Principal London on 16 April.
- 2018
Ownership and management transition
[1]Covivio Hotels acquired the property in a portfolio transaction, after which management was licensed to InterContinental Hotels Group.
- 2018
Renamed Kimpton Fitzroy London
[1]The property adopted its current Kimpton Fitzroy London name on 24 October.
- 1973
Transport 2000 launched at the hotel
[1]The transport advocacy organization later known as Campaign for Better Transport was launched at the Hotel Russell.
- 1941
Rooftop dome damaged during wartime air raid
[1]An air raid damaged the hotel’s rooftop dome during the Second World War; the dome was not rebuilt.
- 1900
Hotel Russell opens
[1]The hotel opened on Russell Square with grand architecture, en-suite bathrooms, and elaborate public interiors.
- 1898
Hotel Russell building constructed
[1]Charles Fitzroy Doll designed and oversaw the construction of the building that would become Hotel Russell and later Kimpton Fitzroy London.
Products and positioning
A design-led luxury London hotel that combines a landmark 1900 building, preserved architectural heritage, contemporary interiors, and Kimpton’s boutique hospitality positioning.
Hotel accommodation
Guest rooms and suites
The hotel provides luxury guestrooms and suites within a restored historic building. The accommodation combines contemporary room design with the property’s architectural identity, including bedroom textiles created with the involvement of British textile artist Kit Miles.
Restaurant
Fitz’s
Fitz’s is the hotel’s restaurant and occupies a role formerly associated with the original Hotel Russell restaurant. Its heritage significance is linked to Charles Fitzroy Doll and the dining-room design of the RMS Titanic.
Hospitality services
Meetings and events
The property offers event and meeting accommodation within a large historic London hotel. Its public rooms and central Bloomsbury location support social, business, and hospitality functions.
Brand decisions
2018
Repositioning through renovation and rebrandingStrategyBackground
The historic Hotel Russell required a contemporary luxury-hospitality proposition while preserving its architectural heritage.
Action taken
The property underwent an extensive renovation, reopened as The Principal London, and later joined the Kimpton portfolio under the Kimpton Fitzroy London name.
Aftermath
The hotel continued operating as a luxury property under the Kimpton brand and retained its historic Bloomsbury identity.
2018
Portfolio sale to Covivio HotelsM&ABackground
The Principal Hotel Company sold a portfolio of 12 hotels during the property’s transition from Hotel Russell to The Principal London.
Action taken
Covivio Hotels acquired the portfolio, including the London hotel, while management was subsequently licensed to InterContinental Hotels Group.
Aftermath
The property was renamed Kimpton Fitzroy London later in 2018 and operated within the Kimpton brand structure.
Recent events
- 2018
Hotel Russell reopens as The Principal London after extensive renovation[1]
Product launch · Other
The historic Hotel Russell reopened on 16 April 2018 under the name The Principal London following a major renovation led in part by contemporary interior designers.
- 2018
Covivio Hotels acquires The Principal London in portfolio transaction[1]
M&A
Covivio Hotels acquired a portfolio of 12 Principal Hotel Company properties in July 2018, including the London hotel, with management later licensed to InterContinental Hotels Group.
- 2018
The Principal London becomes Kimpton Fitzroy London[1]
Product launch · Leadership change
The property adopted the Kimpton Fitzroy London name on 24 October 2018 after joining the Kimpton hotel portfolio under InterContinental Hotels Group management.
Kimpton Fitzroy London appears on Top Chef: World All-Stars[1]
Other
The hotel served as accommodation for contestants during Top Chef: World All-Stars.
Sources1 sources
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