Films
Inside a New London Hotel Rooted in the Stories of Fitzrovia
Featured Property The Newman Hotel
Opening 2026
Designed by Lind + Almond
Location Fitzrovia, London, United Kingdom
Featured Visionary Alex Drowne
Fitzrovia has always existed between London’s better-known districts. A neighbourhood shaped by writers, musicians, artists, doctors, and thinkers, it has long been passed through rather than arrived at. The Newman sits quietly within this fabric, created not to redefine Fitzrovia, but to reflect it.
The idea for the Newman began not with architecture, but with walking. Streets were traced again and again. Blue plaques were read. Pub signs noticed. Stories surfaced slowly. George Orwell drank nearby. Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix once lived around the corner. Across the road stood Middlesex Hospital, a place fundamental in tackling the AIDS crisis and visited frequently by Princess Diana. These histories were not treated as references to display, but as context to respect. Founded in Fitzrovia itself, the hotel was shaped by the belief that new hospitality in London carries a responsibility to serve the city and the people who live in it, otherwise it does not last.
Whilst we are new, whilst we’re shiny, whilst we’ve got all the mod cons in the hotel, you feel like this place could have been around a hundred years ago.
Alex Drowne - Director of Sales
That philosophy guided the design. Working with Linden-Armond, the hotel draws from Fitzrovia’s architecture and social history in subtle ways. Geometric motifs reference the avant-garde style of poet and socialite Nancy Cunard. Bathroom vanities echo the balconies of nearby Shropshire House, an early twentieth-century building woven into the streetscape. Artwork throughout the corridors introduces figures from the neighbourhood’s past and present. Nothing is literal. Everything is intentional. The result is a hotel that feels timeless rather than trend-led, familiar without being nostalgic.
Below ground, Gambit forms the social heart of the hotel. Entering the space marks a shift. Routine falls away. Time slows. Booth seating creates intimacy, and drinks are designed with inclusivity in mind, each cocktail mirrored by a non-alcoholic counterpart. The bar is not conceived as a spectacle, but as a place to step out of the day.
Gambit also exists for the neighbourhood. Partnerships with local businesses are built into its identity, including collaborations with Gibson to support emerging musicians from the area, offering them a stage and visibility. It becomes a place shaped by relationships rather than transactions, where locals and guests overlap naturally.
Luxury really means you feel like you don’t have to think about things yourself, because the hotel will think about it for you.
Alex Drowne - Owner
That idea runs through the entire hotel. Teams move fluidly between departments. Attention replaces formality. Luxury is defined not by decoration, but by care. Remembering preferences. Anticipating needs. Creating an environment where people feel recognised rather than managed. Guided by the idea Meet your new old friend, the Newman is positioned as a long-term presence in Fitzrovia, designed to evolve alongside the neighbourhood rather than sit apart from it. A place that arrives quietly, and stays.
Why We Choose to Film The Newman
We chose to film The Newman Hotel because it resists the idea that a hotel needs to perform as a brand. What stood out was its commitment to being part of everyday life in Fitzrovia rather than standing apart from it. The Newman doesn’t try to feel exclusive or polished for the sake of it. It’s built around familiarity, openness, and community. A place designed to welcome locals as naturally as visitors, where hospitality is about people first and atmosphere second. In a city where luxury can often feel distant or self-important, this felt refreshingly grounded and honest.
