He pays his way and tells it like it is . . .

WHEN Hotel Russell opened in 1898, it must have caused a stir. Some would have seen it as a late Victorian monstrosity, a blight on leafy Russell Square; others would have sung its praises, rejoicing in architect Charles Fitzroy Doll’s elaborate design.

There have been several twists and turns since then. Complicated ones, too. Following an £85 million refurbishment last year, the hotel was under the Principal brand but then IHG (which owns the Holiday Inn chain) and Covivio came along to manage it under the Kimpton name.

The dust might settle, but for now it doesn’t know what it is. Except expensive. Entry level rooms, which are small, cost £299 without breakfast, and yet no one offers to carry our bags or engage in a way that doesn’t smack of corporate going through the motions.

There are 334 rooms — but it regards itself as ‘boutique luxury’. The main restaurant, Neptune, is overly lit, with dreadful muzak, sloppy service (I get up at one point and wander around with my empty wine glass in the hope of finding a member of staff) but the food is surprisingly good.

At the hotel’s heart is the Palm Court, but it’s closed when we arrive on a Sunday evening. So, too, is Burr & Co, an all-day coffee shop that normally sells small plates of this and that, with various wines on tap.

You can’t boast about three different eating options and then have only one in action. Not at these prices.

It just doesn’t feel like a five-star hotel. Yes, there’s a concierge desk, a slinky cocktail bar called Fitz’s and some original art work, but there’s nothing in the way of atmosphere. The young French woman on reception says the hotel is far from full but, of course, her computer could never contemplate the idea of an upgrade, and when I ask if there is any free parking after 6pm nearby she has no idea.

Thank goodness, we opt for breakfast in the coffee shop rather than pricey Neptune. The croissants are perfect, the mood buzzy and there’s a table full of newspapers. This part of London is packed with hotels, but not many are in this price bracket.

Kimpton has got a huge group behind it — which is just as well. It might buy the hotel time to sort itself out. Kimpton Fitzroy London 1-8 Russell Square London WC1B 5BE Tel: 020 7123 5000, kimptonfitzroylondon.co.uk Doubles from £299 room only