Insider
Everything we know about The Newman, opening this winter
Fitzrovia's first proper hotel in years promises Art Deco glamour and a hidden cocktail den
Fitzrovia has always been London's slightly eccentric middle child - too intellectual for Soho, too bohemian for Mayfair. This winter, it's getting the hotel it deserves.
The Newman, the debut property from hospitality management company Kinsfolk & Co, is the kind of opening that makes you wonder why nobody thought to do this before. With 81 rooms designed by Lind + Almond, a brasserie that actually wants locals to show up and an intriguing backstory, here's what we've pieced together so far.
1. You'll actually want to know about the design
Lind + Almond, the duo behind Hotel Sanders in Copenhagen and the Bob & Cloche salon at Gleneagles, have taken their brief seriously. Rather than dropping a generic luxury template into W1, they've mined Fitzrovia's golden years (think 1920s-50s) for inspiration.
Nancy Cunard, the area's original bohemian icon, appears throughout via her signature bangles and polka dots in prints and sketches. Bedrooms lean into burnt reds, deep greens and rich timber, with custom-made tiles and stone-carved vanities. The Penthouse Suite comes with a private terrace overlooking the city, naturally. Art Deco touches feel particularly timely given the movement's 100th anniversary this year.
2. Its brasserie is built for regulars
The ground-floor brasserie takes its monochrome palette from writer and heiress Nancy Cunard and nods to furniture designer Gerald Summers, whose plywood workshop once sat around the corner on Charlotte Street. Open from breakfast until the late evening, it's been conceived as somewhere the surrounding residential community might actually use. Touches of Victorian craftsmanship and glass detailing nod to Fitzrovia's past, but the overall atmosphere is unmistakenly modern.
3. The bar sounds properly interesting
Forget another standard hotel bar. Gambit, located downstairs, takes Fitzrovia's hidden creative spirit as its starting point. This is the neighbourhood where bohemian writers and activists plotted behind restrained façades, after all. Design references include Percy Wyndham Lewis' Vorticist movement (sharp edges, fractured forms) and, rather brilliantly, occultist Aleister Crowley, who claimed angelic and demonic visitations in the area. The coffered ceiling channels post-WWI angular design, while the overall vibe aims for intimate den rather than passing-trade hotel bar. It's the kind of place that could develop a real following if they get it right.
4. The wellness floor avoids spa blandness
Inspired by the Swedish Grace movement and textile designer Märta Måås-Fjetterström, the wellness floor is anything but the average stark, impersonal aesthetic. Warm oak, bronze, leather, textured coloured glass, antique brass and walnut create what sounds like a really inviting space. Expect an entire floor dedicated to wellness, with hot and cold experience cabins, a salt therapy room, a hydrotherapy pool and more.
5. They've actually done something meaningful
Here's where The Newman distinguishes itself beyond design credentials. The hotel partnered with Saira Hospitality, a non-profit that creates pop-up hospitality schools, to run a month-long training programme inside the unopened hotel. Students from the local community with barriers to employment rotated through every department, from kitchen to housekeeping, and received behind-the-scenes access at leading London hotels.
The August graduation saw The Newman hire 40 per cent more graduates than originally planned, recruiting them as guest service agents, bar staff, chefs and more. Candidate referral partners included Breaking Barriers, St Mungo's, and BEAM, alongside Camden and Westminster borough careers services. Kinsfolk & Co plans to repeat the partnership as it expands.
Contact us at bookings@littlemperors.com to book a room at The Newman when it opens this winter.