Please Sir, Can I Have Some Morton?

I caught sight of the latest addition to the London boutique scene in summer and one glimpse of the stunning interior, I was swift to jump in to find a date to match my next hop to the city.

The Morton is the new, very chic, kid on the Bloomsbury block. Wonderfully located, a few steps to Russell Square and conveniently located to Euston Station, as well as Tube stop on its doorstep. 

It has fashioned its very being on the local history of the literary elite of early last century, The Bloomsbury Set, and pays homage to the likes of Virginia Wolf and Lytton Strachey in its decor and design. Room doors don mirror silhouettes of their floor namesake. Interiors share the same on cushions and stationery and there is a strong theme of literature on every shelf and wall print. Even the light fittings in the arrival hallway are made of literature classics.

Rooms are beautiful, as boutique hotel rooms should be. Eclectically decorated, warm and cosy with unexpectedly large bathrooms and ample 40" LCD flatscreens. Quality has not been spared, the right mix of retro to modern, perfectly appointed. 

The Library bar is the hub of the hotel. It's chic, beautifully designed to the Charleston style, and a wonderful oasis to escape the busy streets of a day in London. 

But is oddly quiet. Admittedly it's as a library should be, but the antithesis of what a hotel bar should be, for me.

I visited on arrival (the bar doubles as reception, in the basement), I popped down in the evening, I had breakfast the next morning. Each and every visit I almost felt the need to tiptoe, definitely whisper. There was a need for a little ambience music to break the silence, in favour of relaxation. 

My longest stop in the Library, as a result, was breakfast. It's wonderful. There is only a continental offering to choose from and it misses some luxe extras of eggs and salmon, or warm brioches but, what is there is beautifully presented and delicious.

Dining delight kind of stops and ends at breakfast, however. Unless you want a snack. There is no 'restaurant' as such in the hotel, a small menu offers sandwiches, cheese platters and the like, a choice that is exactly the same in the bar as in your room. It's a shortfall for the Morton, in my eyes, my Oliver Twist moment that left me wanting more, especially when it's rainy and cold outside. The style and chic of The Morton was made for exuberant and decadent cakes, comfort soups and stews, definitely would be great to have gourmet evenings for wine and cocktails. Instead I have cards of nearby restaurants, and the tiptoe challenge for a drink, if I feel the stealthy need.

Without this next level of decadence (decadence that is standard in most boutique hotels, certainly in London) it feels like gruel. Gruel served in luxury, yes, but gruel nonetheless, when compared to other great boutiques in the city like The Mandeville, The Ampersand or anything in the Doyle Collection. 

Alternative room options, apartment styled with kitchens, are available if you want to self cater and I recommend those if you don't want to wander and dine around town. I personally don't want to self cater in a boutique, and this fall-short made me feel I was in a hostel or B&B, not a full boutique experience in the city.

And with this gap, the hotel falls shy on the service. The Morton lacks flexibility and personality. Guest plans change but The Morton policy is immovable. I experienced it and have had similar feedback from more than a few others. On site, it's not a smiling hotel. It's a very efficiently run one, but maybe so efficient the guest experience is left to the guest, not interacted by staff.

New kids on new blocks need some time to grow into their own shoes. There is so much greatness going for the Morton that needs recognised, I'd love to see the gaps get filled and go back. Without them, the choice is too wide in London to miss out.

'Til next time, Pandora