The Academy Hotel unveils new Alchemy Bar & Library

The Alchemy Bar at The Academy
800 537 Hamish Kilburn
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The chic new bar will house books from the famous Bloomsbury Set, and other iconic authors…

YTL Hotels’ elegant Gower Street property, The Academy, revealed to the press last week details of the new bar and library spaces. Paying homage to its location in an undeniably literary and cultural pocket of London, The Academy now offers a peaceful and sophisticated space dedicated to the writings and works of The Bloomsbury Set, the famous group of individuals who once lived and worked in the streets surrounding the property.

Situated close to the heart of London’s West End, The Academy’s recently re-opened 50 guestrooms are sheltered in a boutique hotel made up of five Georgian houses. The now sumptuous and chic interiors by the award-winning Champalimaud Design are inspired by the influential group of writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists that included Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes and E.M. Forster – have been part of the inspiration behind the multi-million-pound reconstruction of the property, its elegant interiors and its new library & refreshed Alchemy Bar.

The Bloomsbury area gained notoriety in the early 20th century with the ascent of The Bloomsbury Set, whose life objectives included love, the pursuit of knowledge and the creation and enjoyment of the aesthetic experience. The book-filled bar and library, at the centre of the Academy, is the focus of the hotel’s homage to The Bloomsbury set. Here, in beautifully decorated & intimate spaces, hotel guests will be able to immerse themselves in the lives of The Bloomsbury Set, whose works will line the walls.

Just some of the books available to guests at The Academy’s library will include Mrs Dalloway, To The Lighthouse, Orlando and A Room of One’s Own by Bloomsbury Group member Virginia Woolf; The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin; David Copperfield and Pickwick’s Papers by Charles Dickens; and Journey Through a Small Planet by Emanuel Litvinoff.

The Academy has also collaborated with a number of modern-day Bloomsbury-based figures who have carefully hand-picked a selection of books that they would like to see in the library. These will include, amongst others: Atonement and Enduring Love by Ian McEwan; A Passage to India by E.M.Forster; Mr Darcy’s Diary by Maya Slater; Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple; and The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer. The Bloomsbury area is famous for its quirky publishers & booksellers, and The Academy is proud to have worked with prolific bookseller, Nicola Beauman of Persephone Books, comedian Alexei Sayle, and playwright Polly Stenham, to name a few, when stocking their library.

Following the multi-million-pound interior refurbishment overseen by Champalimaud Design, The Academy is also part of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection. Just moments away from the British Museum, fine-dining restaurants and designer shops, The Academy is perfectly positioned for those travelling for business or pleasure.

Supplier list:

Fabrics: Kravet, Lee Jofa, Osborne & Little, and custom fabrics
Flooring: Ege Carpets (Guestrooms)
Furniture: Custom
Lighting: Royal Contract Lighting
Paint: Dulux/Glidden
Hardware: Sourced by client
Wallpaper: Liberty/Cole and Sons

Hamish Kilburn / 28.06.2018

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