You know what surprised me about Hello, Fitzrovia? The name actually makes perfect sense once you’re there – it’s got this genuinely welcoming vibe that feels more like staying at a friend’s incredibly stylish London flat than some corporate hotel chain. I mean, you’re right on Cleveland Street, which honestly isn’t the most glamorous address if you don’t know the area, but that’s kind of the point. You’re in proper Fitzrovia, not some tourist trap zone, walking distance from both the chaos of Oxford Street and the quieter Georgian squares that most visitors never discover.
The building itself has this lovely old London character – you can tell it’s been thoughtfully converted rather than gutted and rebuilt. When I checked in (which was refreshingly quick, by the way), the staff actually seemed to know the neighborhood. They pointed me toward Colville Place for coffee, which turned out to be this tiny mews that I would’ve walked right past otherwise. The rooms are what I’d call smart-sized rather than cramped – they’ve clearly thought about how people actually use hotel spaces. The bathroom was surprisingly spacious, and honestly, the bed was one of those where you sink in just enough without feeling like you’re being swallowed. What really got me was the attention to sound – you’d think being on Cleveland Street would mean traffic noise, but the windows actually work, and the rooms facing the back are genuinely quiet.
Here’s the thing about the location that took me a day to fully appreciate – you’re walking distance from Goodge Street tube, but also close enough to Great Portland Street that you’ve got options. More importantly, you’re in this little pocket where you can grab proper groceries at the Waitrose on Great Titchfield Street, find decent pubs that aren’t overrun with tourists (the Fitzroy Tavern is right there, but if you want something quieter, the social distancing-era discovery was all the little wine bars tucked into the side streets), and you’re genuinely close to both the British Museum and Regent’s Park without being in the thick of either tourist crowd. The 9.8 rating actually makes sense when you factor in that this isn’t trying to be everything to everyone – it’s just doing the boutique hotel thing really well, in a part of London that feels authentic rather than performed. If you’re the type who wants to explore London like you live there rather than tick boxes, this is your spot.