Hotel of the Week: The Montague On The Gardens

Linsey McNeill tries out The Montague On the Garden’s pop-up vodka bar in Bloomsbury, London. It’ was a tough job, but someone had to do it.

A classic double room

I’m knocking back chilled vodkas in a ‘ski lodge’ and from where I’m sitting I can see several pairs of skis parked in a rack, illuminated pine trees and lots of white stuff swirling in the air outside. However, I’m not anywhere close to a ski resort. I’m sitting outside the back of The Montague On The Gardens hotel in London’s Bloomsbury on a dark, damp evening in early December.

This is the second winter that the townhouse hotel has transformed its decked garden into a ski lodge-themed pop-up vodka bar and, by all accounts, it was very popular last year, especially with office parties.

Tonight, I have only my partner and a polystyrene snowman for company but the chatty barman tells me that closer to Christmas the place will more than likely fill up. Certainly it’s a clever idea, to turn what would otherwise be an unused outdoor space in the winter into a Christmasy venue.  

There’s a makeshift roof to keep the rain off and overhead heaters to keep drinkers warm, fake snow (which the rain keeps washing away!) and a bar serving temptingly hot mulled wine as well as 12 different flavours of vodka.  My favourite was the Sherry Trifle, I’d pass on the chocolate which tasted 100% chemical, but my partner liked the mandarin.

The Ski Lodge is open till February.

The Montague, part of the Red Carnation group of hotels is in an historic Georgian terrace in the heart of literary London. We checked into a deluxe king room, which was plush and slightly funky. The mock reindeer bedspread, heavy drapes and velvet cushions added a luxurious touch.  I liked the fabric covered walls, which added warmth.

Our room also had a small living area with a sofa, chairs and coffee table, which partially separated from the bedroom with a dividing wall. It was just large enough for my partner to hold a business meeting with a couple of colleagues the following morning.

The marble bathroom with a walk-in, overhead rainmaker shower offered the sort of luxury you’d expect from a five-star hotel. Other room types available include classic singles, doubles, twins, two types of suite plus a rather opulent-looking two-bedroom Guv’nor’s Suite, which has its own entrance.

Situated in Bloomsbury, in the heart of literary London, the hotel is in a mainly residential area so it provides a much quieter base than many other centrally-located hotels. When we felt the need for some food to soak up the vodkas we went on the hunt for somewhere to eat and were surprised at how empty the streets were.

However, it is extremely convenient for the British Museum, just at the end of the street, and it is handily placed for St Pancras and the Eurostar. It’s only a short walk north of Covent Garden and just a bit further away are the theatres of the West End. The City is just to the east.

At  breakfast , there was a small choice at the hot and cold buffet and we could have ordered all manner of cooked eggs, if we’d been so inclined. In summer, breakfast is served al fresco on a private terrace.

What is especially pleasing about the Montague is that it’s nothing like the chain hotels of a similar standard, all of the bedroom types are different and the Georgian building and old prints on the walls give it a sense of history. Really though, it’s the friendliness of the staff who go that extra mile to make guests feel welcome that makes this the sort of place you want to come back to.

For more information, go to www.montaguehotel.com

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