You know what struck me first about Numa London Bloomsbury? It’s tucked away on this quiet Georgian street that feels completely removed from the tourist chaos, but you’re literally a three-minute walk from Russell Square tube station. I mean, you step out the door and you’re surrounded by these beautiful 18th-century townhouses around Bedford Square – it’s like stumbling into a film set, honestly.
The hotel itself has this interesting vibe where they’ve clearly put effort into making each room feel modern and tech-forward (everything’s app-controlled, which actually works better than you’d expect), but they haven’t stripped away the character of the building. The rooms are compact – this is London, after all – but smartly designed with these clever storage solutions that make the space feel bigger than it is. What I really appreciated was how quiet it stays at night, even though you’re right in the heart of Bloomsbury. The windows do their job, and Bayley Street doesn’t get the late-night foot traffic that some of the main drags do.
Here’s the thing about the location that most people don’t realize until they’re there – you’re positioned perfectly between two different sides of London. Walk south for five minutes and you hit Oxford Street and all that shopping madness. But head north or east and you’re in proper local territory, with these fantastic pubs tucked away on side streets and the kind of corner shops where the owners actually remember your face. The British Museum is so close you could pop over for an hour between meetings, and there’s this little park square right nearby where locals walk their dogs in the morning – it’s got that residential London feel that’s hard to find in hotels.
I’ll be honest, the reception area is pretty minimal, but check-in was smooth and the staff seemed to actually know the neighborhood when I asked about dinner recommendations. They pointed me toward Charlotte Street, which turned out to be spot-on advice. The 8.1 rating feels about right – it’s not going to blow you away with luxury, but everything works well, it’s genuinely comfortable, and the location delivers in ways that aren’t immediately obvious from just looking at a map. If you’re someone who wants to feel like you’re staying in a London neighborhood rather than a tourist bubble, this place gets it right.