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Talk of the Town(house)
Town(house)
Five Georgian townhouses
and a mélange of intimate
spaces make up this boutique
hotel in London’s West End
Words ian Lee
Should you be in search of a charming, vintage-
inspired boutique hotel for your next stay in London,
there’s The Academy. Comprising five Georgian
townhouses on central London’s Gower Street, the
240-year-old space was refurbished by famed New
York-based designer Alexandra Champalimaud,
and the resulting new hotel is barely a year old.
Besides the 50 guest rooms, some of the beautifully
decorated spaces include the light-filled Alchemy
Bar, with its deep green velvet armchairs and
unmistakable Liberty wallpaper, an intimate library
(the Bloomsbury area is famous for its publishers
and booksellers after all), and a courtyard where
guests can indulge in The Academy’s Mr. Ma’s
Afternoon Tea – that thoughtfully includes egg tarts
and red bean-filled treats, for those who miss home.
You’ll also have the best of both worlds, when the
quaint hotel is just a short stroll from Oxford Street
and London’s Soho.