Bed, breakfast and... tarot readings? What it’s like to stay at the London hotel with a side of fortune telling

If you climb the grand marble stairwell of London’s Kimpton Fitzroy hotel to the second floor, you’ll discover a remarkable chunk of world history in a city crammed with competing claims. A 75cm bronze dragon designed by the hotel’s architect, Charles Fitzroy Doll, perches on the handrail, jaws agape. While “Lucky George” remains in situ, his identical twin wasn’t so fortunate. Placed on the stairwell of the Titanic, he went down with the ship and currently resides somewhere on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Take a few steps more and you can peer over the banister to get a prime view of the foyer floor, which features a giant circular mosaic depicting zodiac symbols around a winking sun. Exquisitely preserved, it was designed and placed in the early 20th century, but was only uncovered when a carpet was removed during extensive renovations in 2018. It’s no exaggeration to say this feels like a place of magic.

I’m here to try out a new Time to Tarot package inspired by the hotel’s 19th-century heritage and the Victorian fascination with the occult. Launched in partnership with one of the world’s most renowned esoteric bookshops, Treadwell’s, guests can experience a one-to-one tarot reading with a night’s stay as part of a wellness initiative.

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“Wellness” continues to have a chokehold on the tourism sector, with burnt-out city-breakers seeking respite from the capitalist treadmill for some R&R. Gen Z is also at the vanguard of a major resurgence in astrology, which some see as a response to an increasingly turbulent political climate in which younger people’s mental health has tanked as a result of financial instability, climate anxiety and post-pandemic malaise. While the current trend might be a divisive subject, astrology is far from new; consulting the stars for guidance and insight dates back to the third millennium BC and ancient Babylon.

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The Kimpton Fitzroy is at least an apt setting in which to unravel mysteries from the beyond. In a hotel landscape of innocuous neutrals and beige minimalism, this magnificent 19th-century titan oozes both stature and sensuality. Occupying an entire block amid the literary heritage of Russell Square, it’s adorned with dramatic Victorian turrets as well as four life-size statues of British queens.

It’s this magnificent architecture and history that inspired queer artist Ari Wisner to create a bespoke 22-major-arcana-only tarot deck for guests to take home. Here, the Emperor has been reimagined as suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, who once lived on the site of the hotel with her daughters, while Virginia Woolf – a one-time resident of Bloomsbury – takes her rightful place as the High Priestess.

Moving through the multicoloured marble foyer, we pass stone pillars and statement chandeliers to reach Fitz’s Bar. Harking back to an era of unapologetic glamour and luxury, this chic space is all low lighting, plush furnishings and table service. We’re walked through a multisensory cocktail experience inspired by colour psychology, which aims to match guests with their perfect beverage based on colour and how this relates to qualities and personality traits. A booklet menu reveals 14 treatments of a 17th-century still-life painting of flowers which, when illuminated by a mini UV torch, reveals the hidden meaning behind our choice. It’s a fun addition to what’s already an unashamedly flamboyant experience.

The Titanic connection continues in the spacious Galvin Bar & Grill, a palatial restaurant space that inspired Doll’s design for the iconic ship’s dining room and is now helmed by Michelin-starred brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin. We gobble mouth-watering oysters and steak, watched over by alabaster cherubs.

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Corner turret suites on the sixth floor overlook the leafy square outside and feature freestanding baths and clothbound editions of Penguin Classics to browse. For such a centrally located hotel, the night-time peace comes as a surprise.

The next morning, it’s time for the main attraction: I meet with my diviner, Delphine, in the hotel’s reading room. I’ll admit to a degree of trepidation – I’ve never had a tarot reading before, and have mild anxiety about her being stricken with premonitions of horror and misery regarding my imminent future – but her vibe is extremely chill and her soothing and authoritative tone sets my mind at ease. She begins with “a general life reading”, which gives her an idea of what’s been going on during my past year, themes that are coming up in the forthcoming year, and “how your energy is moving right now”. After that, she “opens up the table for questions” and invites me to ask whatever I like: “People often ask about love, or career, or family,” she says.

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Some of her readings are more general, while others are surprisingly specific. The Seven of Pentacles repeatedly appears throughout the session, a card representing “the planting of seeds and waiting for a harvest”, leading her to surmise that my last year has focused on “laying down foundational work”. I’m certainly ready for changes in my career, so it’s possible – hopeful – that the work I’ve done prior to this will finally bear some fruit.

Next comes the Queen of Wands, “a woman that is going through a transformation. Are you in a relationship right now?” she asks. I explain that I’m married, prompting her to ask immediately if I am “trying to get pregnant”. Every day I remain child-free feels like a blessing, so I quickly shut this down. She follows up with: “Are you going to be doing any travelling?” As a journalist who focuses on travel, this is a resounding “Yes.” My immediate and sceptical first thought is that she already knows what job I do, but it isn’t until much later in the session that I declare this – and she is convincing in her obliviousness.

As two Yorkshirewomen living in London, my wife and I often revisit discussions about whether or not to return to the motherland. Having put a question to the tarot, it transpires that this is not to be. “You’re going to find other places that make you feel more fulfilled... there’s something about calling another place home that isn’t London or Yorkshire,” she says. Sorry, mum.

The Empress card also keeps appearing in my future. It’s the card of the mother – “which is also about beauty, creativity, grace and being pregnant with ideas”. Whimsically, she advises me to “just go home and rub body butter on yourself – it’s almost comical how we can lose sight of our relationship with ourselves.” Who am I to argue?

Overall, the experience is an interesting one, even if I’m not a total tarot convert – and any opportunity to pause, reflect and take stock is something to be embraced. Life moves fast.

While extracurricular events are now par for the course in many top hotels around the world – think wine-tasting, talks, and rooftop yoga – canny experiences that harness a property’s USP, be it heritage, legacy or location, can take a guest experience from distinctly average to an A+ event. And on this occasion? It’s safe to say I’ve fallen under the Kimpton Fitzroy’s spell.

The Time to Tarot package starts from £605 for two people, including B&B, one cocktail per person at Fitz’s, a 30-minute tarot reading by Treadwell’s, and a bespoke Kimpton Fitzroy London tarot card deck to take home.

Tarot curiosity well and truly tickled? Here’s some inspiration for more astrology-adjacent places to stay:

Located in the UK’s pre-eminent home of spirituality, The Covenstead has its own “temple room” and is currently ranked as the best B&B in Glastonbury on TripAdvisor. It literally has the word “coven” in its name.

Situated in a 16th-century building, the luxurious Witchery is gothic, glamorous and utterly beguiling. It’s also home to an award-winning restaurant – book ahead.

Perfect for kids, the very reasonably priced Wookey Hole Hotel has a Witch’s Hat suite complete with a roof shaped like a witch’s hat and swan towel art to boot.

Read more of our reviews of the best London hotels