Holborn has seen something of a resurgence of late. Based between the idle pleasures of the West End and the spectacular wealth of the City, with the literary history of Bloomsbury on its doorstep, it has seen a slew of new, exciting hotels open.
The latest in that stellar line-up is L’oscar.
Formerly a Grade II listed chapel, it has been extravagantly restored into a boutique hotel that’s as theatrical as nearby Soho and Covent Garden.
The interiors are by Jacques Garcia, the French architect behind some of the world’s most beautifully designed hotels from New York’s NoMad to La Mamounia in Marrakech.
Inspired by the Victorian era, in particular Oscar Wilde (after whom the hotel is named), Garcia kept and restored the many sculpted, elaborate elements of the building and added in 21st-century modern notes — think strokeable velvet-and-leather walls, sensual splashes of scarlet, violet, and cobalt and aviaries of faux birds. The result is irreverent, decadent and seriously sexy.
That theme continues in the bedrooms, where beds are adorned with plump goose down pillows and Icelandic Eiderdown duvets that all but guarantee the best night’s sleep ever. Walls are painted in deep hues and often accompanied by printed wallpapers of butterflies and birds.
Bathrooms feature underfloor heating, rainforest showers, bathtubs edged in gold plus tailor-made his/hers Roja Dove bath products. All come with 24 hour butler service (naturally) and some even boast panoramic views of the City of London. So beautiful, you may not want to leave, they have everything you could want — save tea-making facilities.
If you did want to venture out, you’re also a stone’s throw away from London’s top restaurants, although when the restaurant in your hotel is London’s hottest ticket, why book elsewhere?
The Baptist Grill is housed in the domed chapel and run by renowned Executive Chef Tony Fleming, with heartwarming dishes like coal roasted beetroot salad followed by heavenly puddings like blackcurrant soufflé with liquorice ice cream.
After dinner, slink downstairs to The Baptist bar for live music and, continuing the religious theme, a ‘Saint and Sinner’ cocktail menu, based around the seven virtues and deadly sins — from Charity to Greed; Patience to Wrath.
L’oscar will not appeal to those who like all things in moderation. It is bold, sometimes brash, and unapologetically seductive, but if you’re someone who’s Wilde at heart, it offers a sense of drama in spades.
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