From the second you walk into L’oscar – a 39-room hotel in London’s Holborn neighbourhood – you can feel there’s something bold going on. Originally built in the early 1900s as the headquarters of the Baptist Church, the Grade-II listed building has been turned into an opulent (and highly decadent) stay under the eye of maximalist French interior designer Jacques Garcia (also of Hotel Costes in Paris and La Mamounia in Marrakech). It feels theatrical and sexy – royal purple velvet, gold everywhere, dimly lit corners – with travellers who are in town for London’s energy swishing up to their regular rooms, or seen sipping a negroni at the bar. It’s a splashy London pad but you just can’t beat the location, with Covent Garden and the West End only a quick walk away.