The Hotel: The Kingsley – formerly known as the Thistle Bloomsbury – is located in central London, a five-minute walk from Holborn tube station. It underwent a £10million refurbishment last year and has 129 guest rooms in four categories.
The Check-In: A short wait in reception until a member of staff appeared at the second check-in desk and quickly completed the paperwork. Welcomed with a warm smile and what felt like a somewhat scripted run-down of the hotel and its facilities.
The Room: A Junior Suite Double, the room was spacious and, with its shades of browns and reds and chunky black furnishings, quite masculine. A wall-mounted flatscreen TV was opposite the double bed and large wardrobe, while there was also a decent-sized desk. A sofa, glass-topped coffee table, dining table and four chairs were in an odd-shaped offshoot of the bedroom. Moody – but not unattractive – images of London adorned the walls. There were also hot drinks facilities and a laptop-size safe. The bright bathroom had a full-sized bath and good overhead shower, but a very slow draining plughole!
The Facilities: The Kingsley Two Brasserie has not missed out during the renovation and is pleasing to the eye with plenty of space between tables. A lunch and dinner menu features British and European choices, while a buffet breakfast is also served here. Lighter meals and drinks are served in the bar and lounge area by the hotel entrance.
The Business: There's seven air-conditioned meeting rooms and six additional syndicate rooms. The largest meeting room can seat 100 delegates theatre-style and all come with use of LCD projectors, flip charts and wifi internet.
The Verdict: A great renovation job, preserving the best of this impressive grade II-listed Edwardian building and simultaneously bringing its rooms and facilities bang up to date with a stylish palette of colours and sleek designs. The refurbishment is part of a group-wide project to raise service and quality standards.
The Details: Rates from around £129 per night for a standard twin; £199 for a junior suite. Tel: 0871 376 9006; www.thistle.com. Andy Hoskins
