Inside Guild Hotels: Axiom Hospitality’s London Launch

Axiom Hospitality has launched Guild Hotels, a new London brand uniting three properties in Fitzrovia, Bloomsbury and Marble Arch. The hotels, previously operating under the Radisson Blu name, now carry the Guild Hotels identity, with a focus on crafted details and a guest experience rooted in British tradition. All three remain available through the Radisson network and continue as part of Radisson Rewards.

The transformation draws on the history of London’s guilds and skilled tradespeople. This theme is present throughout the hotels, from embossed guest directories to vegan leather coasters and exclusive bone china mugs depicting London skylines, designed by East London Prints. The rebrand is supported by more than £20 million in investment across Guild Hotel Fitzrovia and Guild Hotel Bloomsbury. Both have completed extensive refurbishments: 186 bedrooms at Bloomsbury and 330 bedrooms and suites at Fitzrovia have received new Italian joinery and updated interiors. Further work is scheduled for the coming years, including Bloomsbury’s public spaces and Fitzrovia’s conference facilities.

Guild Hotels describes its approach as Crafted Hospitality, a concept intended to balance the reliable standards of a hotel group with the individuality and warmth of an independent property. Ashish Arora, area general manager for Guild Hotels, said, “There’s a real opportunity in London’s four-star market for hotels that deliver consistently high standards but still have personality.” He added, “For us, Crafted Hospitality means putting real care into how a stay feels. It’s in the room, the welcome and the way our teams look after people. Those details make a difference, and we want guests to feel that.”

The brand’s identity is further expressed in a specially commissioned linocut by illustrator Sarah Kirby, which celebrates the people behind the hotel experience, from bartenders to housekeeping. The artwork features on key cards and guest materials across the properties. A scent developed for the hotels combines amber and cedar wood with citrus and clove, intended to greet guests on arrival. Other details include hand-tied door hangers and guest directories marked with a blind emboss. Uniforms for the team are modeled on British tailoring, with wool-mix waistcoats, aprons trimmed in leather, and brown brogues.

Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, Fitzrovia, London — Photo: Spudgun67 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

Food and beverage offerings are set to evolve across all three hotels. New restaurant concepts are planned for Guild Hotel Fitzrovia and Guild Hotel Marble Arch, while Guild Hotel Bloomsbury will introduce a new lounge menu. All restaurants will focus on British cuisine, and the bars will serve craft London gins and house cocktails.

The three properties are owned by Starwood Capital. Ashish Arora said, “We’re investing significantly in three hotels in great central London locations, and that investment goes beyond the physical changes,” and added, “Guild gives us the opportunity to create a hotel experience with its own identity and give our teams the freedom to make it feel personal.”

The hotels are transitioning from Radisson Blu branding to a new identity as Guild Hotels. The Crafted Hospitality approach, according to the hotel, encourages teams to shape the guest experience themselves and use their familiarity with London as part of each stay, rather than following a set corporate playbook.

The design language of Guild Hotels is visible in small touches throughout the properties. The hallmark, inspired by a traditional maker’s stamp, appears on guest materials, and the interiors feature Italian joinery as part of the recent renovations. The hotels also use vegan leather for coasters and directories, and the signature mugs are exclusive to the brand. The uniforms, with their nod to classic tailoring, are intended to reinforce the connection to British craft.

The magazine has also looked at the debut of Park Hyatt London River Thames Residences, which brought a new approach to interior design in London hospitality.

Further work is planned for the public areas at Guild Hotel Bloomsbury and the conference facilities at Guild Hotel Fitzrovia.