Image credit: Spudgun67 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). License: CC BY-SA 4.0.
London shoppers can book The Imperial on Russell Square again after a decade-long repositioning that turned the Bloomsbury landmark into Imperial London Hotels’ first lifestyle flagship.
The official Imperial property site is live with room categories, a booking engine, rooftop dining, and accessible rooms, while Boutique Hotel News reported the August 18, 2026 opening as the site’s third identity since 1905.
- Hotel: The Imperial, 61-66 Russell Square, Bloomsbury.
- Rooms: 357 rooms and suites after the repositioning.
- Status: Open and bookable on the operator site.
- Signature spaces: Arcus rooftop bar, Edit Bar and Lounge, Bell Room.
- Traveler job: Compare Russell Square categories before locking central London nights.
What reopened on Russell Square
Boutique Hotel News says Imperial London Hotels spent about ten years repositioning the property into The Imperial, a lifestyle hotel overlooking Russell Square. The site first opened in 1905 and has now entered its third identity.
Official copy frames the project as a mid-century modern refresh of restored Bloomsbury architecture, with 357 curated rooms, all-day dining, and a rooftop bar overlooking the city.
That is a different product from a soft-closed renovation rumor. Guests can open live room pages and check availability for August nights and beyond on the hotel’s own engine.
Room types and suite perks
Operator room pages currently list Accessible, Urban, Edge, Bay, City, Hideaway, Horizon, Beacon, Nest, and Bloomsbury Beacon categories.
Bay rooms are marketed for Russell Square views and angular windows. Hideaway suites add a private outdoor terrace with an outdoor bathtub.
Nest suites include a mezzanine lounge with a large screen. Beacon and Horizon rooms push high-floor views, while Bloomsbury Beacon connects Beacon and Horizon inventory for multi-room groups.
Boutique Hotel News highlights The Bell Room and Terrace as an indoor-outdoor lounge with complimentary snacks and drinks for guests in premium suites. That perk is suite-tier specific, so standard room bookings should not assume Bell Room access.
Dining, rooftop, and location math
Arcus, the tenth-floor rooftop bar and restaurant, is positioned as a 324-seat season-led venue with weather-inspired design and city views.
Edit Bar and Lounge handles ground-floor all-day dining. A gym and wellness terrace round out the public spaces.
The address puts guests on Russell Square within walking range of the British Museum and the wider Bloomsbury garden grid. King’s Cross and St Pancras remain a short Tube or walk hop for Eurostar and airport-train arrivals.
For day planning after the room is secured, Deep Arrival’s Tower of London guide and Westminster Abbey guide help sequence two of the city’s highest-demand historic tickets without treating the hotel as a museum substitute.
A related London lodging signal is Deep Arrival’s recent report that The Hari London is joining IHG’s Vignette Collection. That Belgravia story is a separate brand stream, useful only as city context when comparing central London luxury bases.
How this fits the Imperial London Hotels map
Boutique Hotel News places The Imperial beside the group’s existing Bloomsbury cluster, including the adjacent President Hotel and nearby Bedford Hotel, plus Tavistock, Morton, Royal National, City Sleeper, and Holiday Inn Bloomsbury.
That portfolio context matters for travelers who already hold a preference for the family’s other Russell Square addresses. The Imperial is framed as the lifestyle flagship rather than a like-for-like twin of the older neighboring hotels.
Check-in is listed from 3 p.m. and check-out at noon on the official FAQ strip. Early check-in and late check-out remain availability-based, so Eurostar morning arrivals should still plan a luggage hold or paid early entry rather than assuming an automatic noon room.
Who should book now
Couples and solo travelers who want a Bloomsbury garden-square base can price Bay or Edge rooms against other central London hotels for the same nights. Families needing connecting space should look at Bloomsbury Beacon before assuming two separate standard rooms will be cheaper or better.
Premium-suite shoppers who want Bell Room lounge access should confirm suite eligibility in writing at booking. Rooftop dinner plans should reserve Arcus separately on peak weekend nights rather than assuming walk-up seating for 324 covers.
Accessible travelers can open the Accessible room set first.
Official photography shows large-window accessible rooms with features intended for mobility comfort, but specific roll-in shower and doorway measurements still belong on a direct hotel confirmation.
A concrete booking scenario helps. A couple flying into St Pancras for a three-night British Museum weekend can price a Bay room overlooking Russell Square, reserve Arcus for one evening, and keep Tower of London and Westminster Abbey tickets on separate mornings when energy is highest.
A family needing two connecting sleep spaces should compare Bloomsbury Beacon against two Urban rooms before assuming the suite premium is wasted. The suite buys lounge access and a cleaner arrival experience when kids need to settle before a late dinner.
Keep one flexible evening free of hard museum tickets in case Eurostar delays push arrival past the 3 p.m. check-in window.
That buffer costs less than rebuilding a whole day when bags and kids arrive hungry at the same time.
What remains unknown
Opening rates and long-stay packages can change daily on the booking engine. Boutique Hotel News does not publish a single hard public opening-night timestamp beyond the August 18 launch report, so treat the live availability calendar as authority.
Exact spa or meeting-room packages beyond the published gym, Bell Room, and Arcus spaces are not fully spelled out in the launch coverage. Ask the hotel for current amenity hours before you build a tight museum-and-dinner schedule around them.
Image galleries can still mix renovation photography with live rooms. Confirm the exact category photos against your confirmation number if a specific window view or terrace bathtub is the reason you booked.
| If you | What to do |
|---|---|
| Want a Russell Square garden view | Price Bay rooms first and compare the same nights at nearby Bloomsbury hotels. |
| Want a private terrace bathtub | Look at Hideaway suites and confirm terrace access in the booking notes. |
| Need connecting high-floor space | Ask for Bloomsbury Beacon or a Beacon plus Horizon combination before splitting rooms. |
| Want Bell Room lounge access | Book a qualifying premium suite and confirm the lounge benefit in writing. |
| Need step-free lodging | Start with Accessible categories and verify doorway and shower details with the hotel. |
- Book: Use the live imperialhotels.co.uk engine for categories and rates.
- Compare: Treat this as a Bloomsbury lifestyle flagship, not a generic London hotel.
- Reserve extras: Hold Arcus separately on busy nights.
- Plan days: Pair the hotel pin with Tower of London and Westminster Abbey ticket timing.
- Confirm: Suite lounge access and accessible features still need direct hotel verification.
The practical next step is a same-night category compare. Open The Imperial’s live rooms, pick the view or suite feature you actually want, and only then stack it against other central London quotes.
A bookable Russell Square reopen with named suites and a rooftop bar is a clearer planning signal than another undated London renovation rumor without a rate engine.
Is The Imperial Bloomsbury open for guests?
Yes. The official site is accepting bookings, and Boutique Hotel News reported the August 18, 2026 opening after a decade-long repositioning.
How many rooms does The Imperial have?
Launch coverage and operator framing put the hotel at 357 rooms and suites, from accessible rooms to multi-room Beacon combinations.
What dining options are on site?
Edit Bar and Lounge handles ground-floor dining, and Arcus is the tenth-floor rooftop bar and restaurant. Premium-suite guests may also use The Bell Room lounge.
Where is the hotel located?
The published address is 61-66 Russell Square in Bloomsbury, London WC1B 5BB, overlooking the square and near central Tube and museum walks.
