As the self-confessed queen of bespoke on a budget, I was VERY excited to see whether Kimpton Fitzroy would live up to the hype so here’s my Kimpton Fitzroy London review… We stayed here during the hottest day of the year so far, in the middle of a London heatwave with temperatures soaring past 30 degrees, and from the moment we walked up the grand marble steps outside the hotel, it felt like we’d escaped into another world.
I booked this stay as part of our wedding anniversary celebrations, but there was another reason this hotel had already been on my radar for a long time. The Kimpton Fitzroy is where the ufurnish.com Home Awards are hosted each year, and having won awards there both years (eek!), I’d seen a tiny bit of the hotel and was desperate to come and explore the whole thing. And I’m happy to report, it exceeded every expectation and was the best hotel we’ve stayed at.
First impressions of the Kimpton Fitzroy London
The entrance alone is breathtaking. The building itself is enormous, historic and has so much wow factor, with amazing marble steps leading into one of the most atmospheric hotel lobbies I have ever seen.
Everything feels dark, dramatic and opulent in the best possible way. Stone, chandeliers, rich textures, layered lighting and architectural detail everywhere you look. It immediately feels luxurious yet so classic and timeless this is not flashiness for the sake of it but painstakingly curated – i was in love!
The reception staff were also fantastic from the moment we arrived. Friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable and genuinely helpful.
I had attempted to use the online check-in before arrival so that I could add the room key to my Apple Wallet, but it had not worked initially (we later found out that was because the room was not yet ready). The receptionist sorted everything out quickly and explained the process clearly.
Once it was activated, I could unlock the room directly from my phone, which was such a cool feature and very modern inside such a historic building. I had never done that before in a hotel and absolutely loved it. Realistically, you are far less likely to lose your phone than a tiny room key card while exploring London.
Because we were staying for our anniversary, the receptionist also gave us complimentary drinks vouchers and told us about the free social hour taking place later in Fitz’s Parlour between 5pm and 6pm. That ended up becoming one of the best money-saving discoveries of the entire stay and the key to successfully doing a luxury London hotel on a budget.
The lifts and corridors but mainly the staircase!!
Even the lifts deserve a mention. They were dark, moody and incredibly atmospheric with this really intriguing almost cinematic feel to them and THE most amazing chandelier (below)…
Then when the doors opened onto our floor, we walked down a beautifully presented corridor with the most unusual hanging rope decorations outside each room.
It sounds like such a small detail, but it perfectly summed up this hotel for me. Nothing felt generic.
But, the staircase is one of the most insane features of this luxury london hotel on a budget trip because it’s mind-blowing.
See a few pics I snapped below including the largest mirrors ive ever seen which were at the top on each floor…
Our room at the Kimpton Fitzroy
We stayed on one of the upper floors and had a fantastic London view stretching across the rooftops.
In the distance, I could even see St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, which instantly reminded me of the exact same view, (but much closer up! )I had recently while staying at The Standard.
The room itself was not enormous, but it was absolutely perfect for what we needed. Because we were near the top of the building, the room had lovely sloping ceilings which made it feel more like an elegant London apartment than a standard hotel room. That apartment feeling carried throughout the entire design.
The bed itself was only a standard double rather than an enormous oversized hotel bed, but it looked beautiful with this amazing canopy-style curtain detail overhead made from thick natural cotton fabric. The styling throughout the room was exceptional.
Velvet-backed cushions with colourful floral detailing, antique brass switches and sockets, marble detailing on the bedside tables, interesting artwork, rich textures and layered lighting everywhere.
I especially loved the old-fashioned red telephone which felt like a lovely nod to classic British design.
The room managed to feel luxurious, cosy, stylish and practical all at the same time.
And unlike some luxury hotels that prioritise aesthetics over functionality, everything here genuinely worked well too.
Lighting and interior styling details
As somebody obsessed with interiors, I notice hotel lighting immediately. Bad hotel lighting can ruin even a beautiful room. But this room got it exactly right.
There were flexible reading lights built into the headboard, bedside table lamps, a floor lamp, spotlights and overhead lighting, meaning the room could shift between practical and atmospheric depending on what we needed. It genuinely felt like somebody had thought about how real people actually use a room.
The curtains were thick and good quality, the materials all felt expensive and tactile, and the fittings had this lovely solid heavy feel to them that immediately makes a space feel more luxe.
The lighting all round the hotel was mind-blowing below are a few of the highlights…
Air conditioning during the London heatwave
One thing I was genuinely nervous about before arriving was the temperature.
We stayed during a massive heatwave and London was absolutely sweltering.
Because the hotel is such a historic old building, I had read a few reviews mentioning temperature concerns and worried the upper floors might become unbearably hot.
Thankfully, the air conditioning was brilliant.
Even though we were right up in the roof space during one of the hottest nights of the year, the room stayed perfectly comfortable at around 19 degrees all night long… winning!!
Sleep quality
The bed was absolutely fantastic.
Soft, comfortable and genuinely difficult to get out of the next morning.
The pillows were perfect, the quilt felt high quality and luxurious, and everything felt beautifully clean and fresh.
I genuinely could not fault it.
Complimentary snacks and thoughtful touches
One of my favourite details was the little complimentary tuck box waiting in the room. There were crisps, popcorn, biscuits and bottled water included, which immediately felt welcoming and thoughtful. And then I opened the fridge and discovered something that weirdly made me disproportionately happy.
Proper fresh milk in bottles. Not those horrible little UHT sachets that so many hotels still insist on using. It is such a tiny detail, but made for the best cup of tea in the morning – these are the details im on about that make you feel like you’re getting amazing value for money.
Those are the kinds of touches people remember.
The bathroom
The bathroom was compact, but absolutely beautiful.
And unlike some older luxury London hotels where the bathrooms can feel tired or badly maintained, this one was immaculate.
There was marble everywhere, even down to the marble skirting!
The shower was gorgeous with a very traditional old-fashioned British metal design featuring both a rainfall shower and handheld shower attachment, which felt perfectly in keeping with the historic character of the hotel.
Even though the bathroom was relatively small, it never felt cramped because the finishes, lighting and detailing were all done so beautifully.
Like the rest of the room, it felt stylish, practical and genuinely well cared for.
Fitz’s Parlour social hour: one of the best money-saving hotel perks I’ve seen
Now onto one of the BEST parts of the stay if you are trying to do luxury London on a budget.
Every day between 5pm and 6pm, guests can attend the complimentary social hour in Fitz’s Parlour.
This includes free drinks. Guests could choose rosé, white wine, red wine or bottles of Peroni beer while relaxing in this gorgeous luxurious lounge space with lovely music, attentive waitstaff and a genuinely relaxed atmosphere.
I had the rosé and it was absolutely delicious. For central London, this is a seriously valuable perk.
A glass of wine and a beer in a luxury London hotel could easily cost £20 or more, so this genuinely felt like a meaningful saving rather than a token gesture. And despite being available to all guests, it never felt overcrowded or chaotic. It was so lovely.
This is exactly the sort of hidden value that makes a luxury hotel feel worthwhile.
Fitz’s Bar cocktails and anniversary drinks
After social hour, we moved into Fitz’s Bar for cocktails. And wow. The interiors in here are incredible. Dark, opulent, atmospheric and beautifully layered with panelling, mirrors, moody lighting and rich textures everywhere. I mean what more could you want than an enormous disco ball and feathers??!!
There were multiple cocktail menus to choose from, the staff were brilliant fun and genuinely friendly, and the whole place felt luxurious without being intimidating.
Because we had mentioned at check-in that we were celebrating our wedding anniversary, the hotel had also given us complimentary drinks vouchers.
My cocktail alone would have cost £17 and Mr D’s beer was around £9.
Combined with the social hour drinks, we ended up saving a really significant amount during the stay simply by making the most of the perks included with the booking.
The Kimpton Fitzroy London review: How we made this luxury London stay more affordable
This stay fitted perfectly into my whole “bespoke on a budget” approach because we layered savings throughout the booking process.
That layering savings concept is something I talk about a lot in interiors through layered lighting, textures and styling, and I realised during this stay that the exact same approach works brilliantly for travel too.
Rather than relying on one huge discount, we combined multiple smaller savings together to make the stay feel much more affordable overall.
Here is exactly what we did:
1. We shopped around extensively for the best room rate
Prices varied massively depending on where we looked.
2. We joined the IHG Hotels rewards scheme
Because IHG Hotels & Resorts owns the Kimpton Fitzroy, joining the rewards programme meant we earned points towards future stays.
3. We used cashback
We booked through TopCashback and received a cashback payment afterwards (around £20), which reduced the overall cost of the stay even further. Use my link to get £10 free cashback when you open an account…
4. We maximised included extras
The complimentary social hour, anniversary drinks vouchers and included breakfast all saved so much money. When you layer all of those together, a luxury London hotel becomes far more attainable.
Breakfast at the Kimpton Fitzroy London
Breakfast was absolutely spectacular. And I do not say that lightly as for me breakfast is one of the most important (& most looked forward to) parts of a hotel stay!
The breakfast room itself was one of the most beautiful hotel dining spaces I have ever seen.
Everywhere you looked there were incredible architectural details, carvings, mirrors, sculptures, panelling, ornate cornicing, architraves and the most spectacular chandeliers overhead.
Even before the food arrived, the room itself already felt like part of the experience. The breakfast spread was fantastic too.
There were cooked breakfasts, eggs made to order, porridge, incredible breads, pastries, cakes, cereals, granola, cheeses, meats, fresh fruit, juices and beautiful coffees that were actually made properly rather than dispensed from one of those disappointing machines.
There was even fresh honeycomb in the breakfast area.
Everything felt high quality, beautifully presented and genuinely luxurious. Compared to my experience at The Dilly, it was honestly night and day.
I genuinely think this was one of the best hotel breakfasts I have ever had.
And I think the surroundings elevated the entire experience even further.
Kimpton Fitzroy London review – is it worth it?
Absolutely yes.
Nothing felt tired or neglected like so many of the older properties in the capital. There wasnt a speck of dust anywhere. Every inch felt considered and well cared for. It’s AMAZING.
Every detail, from the marble skirting boards to the lighting choices to the complimentary drinks and fresh milk in the fridge, felt like the guests were top priority.
If you love interiors, boutique luxury, historic London buildings and finding ways to experience luxury more affordably, I genuinely think you would love this hotel.
And for us, the combination of:
- cashback
- loyalty points
- included breakfast
- complimentary drinks
- social hour perks
- and careful booking timing
made this feel like a genuinely worthwhile luxury London stay rather than an eye-wateringly expensive splurge.
If you are looking for free things to do in the area to get extra value out of your trip, then I recommend visiting Covent Garden for a nose around, pop into the courtyard at St Paul’s church in Covent Garden for a sit down and then swing back to Charing Cross Station via Somerset House (read my Somerset House review here) and Victoria Embankment Gardens.
Where next?
Looking for more travel inspo? Check out my main travel page here my Rome on a budget page, my London travel posts and more hotel reviews.
