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Hotel of the Week: A Row of Georgian Townhomes Near London’s British Museum Is Reborn as a Stylish Boutique Hotel

At newly opened The Zetter Bloomsbury, interior designer James Thurstan Waterworth spent four years curating gallery-worthy art and antiques to create the feeling of stepping into a well-traveled collector’s home

By Lane Nieset
Cozy living room with vintage furniture, abstract artwork, and large window with red shade.
The Zetter Bloomsbury in London. Photo: Courtesy of The Zetter Bloomsbury

When mapping out the design philosophy for The Zetter Bloomsbury, London-based interior designer James Thurstan Waterworth drew inspiration from the Grand Tour and what aristocratic Brits may have collected on their European travels in the Georgian era.

Here, Thurstan embraced Georgian elements to cultivate an interior with the vibe of a lived-in private residence. It’s a marked departure from the previous duo of Zetter townhouse hotels in London, which exude a Victorian feel, draped in plush, patterned fabrics and taxidermy.

Exterior of a classic multi-story brick building with large windows and a central entrance flanked by black railings.
The Zetter Bloomsbury in London. Photo: Courtesy of The Zetter Bloomsbury
Stylish living room with vintage furniture, mirror, artwork, and cozy seating in a warm, inviting atmosphere.
The Zetter Bloomsbury in London. Photo: Courtesy of The Zetter Bloomsbury

Housed in a series of six restored Georgian townhouses around the corner from the British Museum, the 68-room hotel nods to its neighbor through a curation of antiques layered with African and Turkish textiles, Asian pottery, and 20th-century British artwork by abstract pioneers Sandra Blow and Roger Hilton. Thurstan also spotlights another prominent British painter and printmaker, the late Howard Hodgkin, whose Bloomsbury studio sits nearby. “If we’re doing this amazing mix of art and antiques from hundreds of years ago from around the world, why not use who is, to me, one of the greatest British artists from the 20th century,” he says, adding that he attended a number of the artist’s lectures at his studio.

Cozy living room with armchairs, a sofa, a fireplace, and large windows with striped curtains under a decorative chandelier.
The Zetter Bloomsbury in London. Photo: Courtesy of The Zetter Bloomsbury

Over the course of the four-year project, the designer scrolled online auctions late into the evening, traveled to markets across France and the United Kingdom, and sourced artisan-crafted frames and signage—not to mention 2,000-year-old Egyptian artifacts. Antique dealer Robert Kime helped secure pieces from private collections and major auctions, while Turkish weaves, vintage French linens, and South American fabrics were given new life as cushions, and rugs were repurposed as ottomans.

“The great thing about having a bit of time sourcing was the breadth of eclecticism,” says Thurstan, the former European design director of Soho House, whose namesake studio was behind Soho House Istanbul and Épi 1959 in Saint-Tropez. “We always wanted to make sure that, over a long period of time, we were always harking back to the original concept.”

Cozy restaurant interior with wooden furniture, lush plants, and natural light from a large skylight.
The Orangery at The Zetter Bloomsbury. Photo: Courtesy of The Zetter Bloomsbury

While the amalgamation of African, Oceanic, Asian, American, and European antiques and art echo the British Museum’s eclectic collection, which ranges from objects unearthed in Egyptian archeological digs to 12th-century Chinese handscrolls, Thurstan places a heavy spotlight on British design and artists. One of the highlights: the hotel’s reconstructed, centerpiece Orangery, where days start with farm-fresh English breakfasts and continue with afternoon tea and silver tiers piled with homemade vanilla and buttermilk scones and coconut and mango cheesecake. Modeled after traditional English conservatories, the wicker-clad winter garden opens to one of central London’s largest private green spaces, complete with a yoga terrace.

Luxurious bedroom with a canopy bed, warm lighting, and elegant decor.
Guest suite at The Zetter Bloomsbury in London. Photo: Courtesy of The Zetter Bloomsbury
Cozy living room corner with yellow armchair, patterned wall decor, striped curtains, and a wooden side table with decor.
Guest suite at The Zetter Bloomsbury in London. Photo: Courtesy of The Zetter Bloomsbury

Each of the rooms and suites—enveloped wooden floors and handmade wall coverings—follow a similar design thread, but none are identical. Junior Suites are outfitted with four-poster beds and standing tubs, with floor-to-ceiling windows showing off garden views, while the signature terrace suite is Zetter’s equivalent of a penthouse, whose pièce de résistance is an expansive outdoor area hovering over the Japanese-inflected garden designed by the Rich brothers (known for the walled garden at Stockholm’s Ett Hem and the Chanel-themed garden at Saatchi Gallery’s “Mademoiselle Privé” exhibition).

Cozy living room with wooden floor, armchairs, art on walls, and a dark cabinet filled with books and decorative items.
The Zetter Bloomsbury. Photo: Courtesy of The Zetter Bloomsbury
Cozy bar interior with dark wood counter, glassware, armchairs, and open doors leading to a patio with greenery.
The Zetter Bloomsbury. Photo: Courtesy of The Zetter Bloomsbury
Cozy bedroom with a four-poster bed, decorative pillows, a chair, window with curtains, and art on the walls.
The Zetter Bloomsbury. Photo: Courtesy of The Zetter Bloomsbury
Freestanding bathtub with gold faucet and geometric art on the wall, in a warmly lit room with brown and white decor.
The Zetter Bloomsbury. Photo: Courtesy of The Zetter Bloomsbury

When the antiques first arrived at the hotel, the designer and his team hadn’t mapped out where the 2,500–plus pieces would sit, apart from one or two sofas. “We wanted it to feel like a home, and the best way to do that was to layer instinctively rather than pre-plan it,” he says, explaining how they would hang one piece at a time and allow a space to settle for a few days before adding other items. “We tried to make it feel like it’s been lived in by families for years, but everything was done in around two weeks.”