LUXE Serendipity magazine

By Donna Richardson

On Thursday evening, Hamish Bowles, the inimitable editor-at-large of British Vogue, welcomed London’s most dazzling constellation of fashion luminaries and screen icons to celebrate the opening of The Zetter Bloomsbury.

Tucked discreetly behind The British Museum, the 68-room boutique retreat served as the perfect backdrop for an evening of cultivated glamour.

Among the illustrious guests was Kim Cattrall, forever immortalised as the irrepressible Samantha Jones in Sex and the City. She was joined by a glittering assembly that included visionary designers Charles Jeffrey, Conner Ives and Patrick McDowell, alongside the celebrated lensman Juergen Teller and former Royal Ballet étoile Edward Watson.

The room I stayed in had an African and oriental vibe with carefully selected prints and antiques overlooking the garden. The bed was comfortable, and I took a long, luxurious shower with the Verden amenities before wrapping myself in a fluffy robe and pouring myself a cup of tea to enjoy while getting ready for the evening and turning on the Marshall radio. The evening unfolded with effortless decadence. Executive head chef Debjit Dass orchestrated a sumptuous procession of canapés, from delicately spiced curried steak to exceptional cheeses and fine wines. A live oyster station drew admirers throughout the night, while margaritas flowed freely beneath the glow of candlelight. Nearby, an opulent dessert tableau shimmered like a still life, inviting guests to linger a little longer.

Spread across six impeccably restored Georgian townhouses, the hotel is a masterclass in layered elegance. Each of its 68 rooms has been individually conceived by James Thurstan Waterworth, former design director of Soho House. Drawing inspiration from the British Museum’s extraordinary collections, the interiors weave together references from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, creating spaces that feel both scholarly and seductively eclectic. Rare artworks, distinguished antiques and museum-worthy curiosities lend every corner a sense of discovery.

Zack MacLoed Pinsent, a debonair tailor based in Brighton, specializes in crafting period clothing and arrived dressed in a Georgian ensemble complete with a plume. His focus on Regency attire perfectly matched the ambience of the hotel. He frequently hosts balls at the Brighton Pavilion, including an event with Sir Stephen Fry. During the evening, I spoke with Greta, the operations director, and Kevin, the managing director of the Zetter. They shared insights about the design concept behind the Zetter’s latest property. Having already stayed at their Clerkenwell Town House, I felt right at home.

Yet the hotel’s most enchanting feature lies beyond its richly appointed rooms: a 10,700-square-foot garden, a verdant sanctuary hidden in the heart of Bloomsbury. It was here, and throughout the candlelit drawing rooms, that London’s fashion elite transformed the opening into a sumptuous house party—an evening of wit, elegance and indulgence that felt less like a hotel launch and more like an invitation into one of the capital’s most exquisite private homes.