The Academy London

The Academy London

Five Georgian townhouses joined into one address in Bloomsbury, a few minutes' walk from the British Museum: that is the frame Alexandra Champalimaud worked with when YTL Hotels rebuilt The Academy from the inside out, mixing vintage furniture and modern lines with a nod to the Bloomsbury Set, the writers and thinkers who once lived on these streets. Fifty rooms and suites are spread across three floors, with reception staffed around the clock. Rooms carry air conditioning, blackout blinds, a safe, bathrobes and slippers as standard, and the Standard King and Standard Queen Townhouse rooms run to 226 square feet, the Single Townhouse to 151. What sets this address apart from the wider Small Luxury Hotels of the World roster is Mr Ma's Afternoon Tea, built around Lao She's novel about a father and son navigating 1920s London, served in a blend Jing Tea created only for this hotel and best booked a day ahead. There is a library for guests who want quiet, a garden and terrace for those who do not, and a business center and meeting rooms for anyone folding work into the trip. Staff speak English, Spanish and Italian, and a concierge, laundry and transfer service cover the practical end of a stay. None of this suits anyone who needs a pool or a full spa menu, since neither is on the amenity list here, and pets are not permitted either. It suits a traveler who wants central London on foot and a room with a story attached to the building rather than the brand. Check-in runs from 3pm, check-out at 11am. The tea is the reason to come back. Five Georgian townhouses in Bloomsbury, minutes from the British Museum, redone by Alexandra Champalimaud into fifty rooms with a literary streak. Mr Ma's Afternoon Tea, built on Lao She's novel and a tea blend made only here, is the one thing peers cannot copy. No pool, no spa, no pets.