The venue itself was very nice. Great atmosphere, decor was lovely and the rooms were smartly furnished with modern utilities which were placed creatively. Location is great also, but not central Shoreditch like the name suggests. The room was clean, large, and check-in process was seamless. Moving onto the negative parts starting with the minor issues; only one lift was working which meant long waits at busy times in the hotel. It was London Marathon day and in my running kit at 7am I just wanted a cup of tea (which I can make in my room complimentary) and one slice of toast (I’m not expecting miracles but charging £19 for buffet breakfast when it was only me in there and all I wanted was one slice of toast is crazy (£500 for 2 nights)) Sadly what ruined our stay was the restaurant. The staff in general seemed moody, disinterested and gave the feeling that they didn’t want to be there. The bar staff were friendly enough but drinks service seemed to be very slow waiting 40mins for two cocktails on friday night (but given a complimentary shot to say sorry) - Even the Bouncer checked we had been served as we sat there waiting for ages for 2 drinks (I think he thought we were up to something). We booked the quirky restaurant on Saturday as an early night was on the cards before the London Marathon, heading down at 7pm. Our waiter was new (hesitation and misinformation) but drinks were quicker than Friday night. He sadly informed us no cider for sale and took our food order (as we needed a GF option he had to double check with the kitchen twice what we wanted to order) and sadly when the food came the beef burger was rare (we weren’t informed how it would be cooked or how we wanted it cooking) and my starter arrived after my main. The chicken burger was nice but my french fries were overcooked and had zero potato inside them. No checkback was made at all and a different waiter asked if we had finished, the restaurant manager was walking around so I politely informed her of our issues she refunded the beef burger as it wasn’t eaten at all and gave us two complimentary drinks (sadly they do have cider and I drink it very slowly knowing it was free) she was very helpful after raising our concerns and apologetic on behalf of the waiter but no final apology or checkback was given as we paid the bill or left for our room (another waiter), and at check-out I’m sure our issue must of been mentioned on the account but no follow up was made. We expected seamless service due to this being a 4* hotel and £250/night price tag but unfortunately wasn’t…
“Welcoming venue” Had a double room, very well appointed. Check-in was easy and friendly. The location of the place is a bit of a hike from two local railway stations but you can get a bus to a nearby stop unless a taxi takes your fancy. The ground floor includes a large restaurant/bar area while the decor throughout the building is chic/hyper-trendy/funky/branding. Yep, branding. Everything is branding in this place, "Mama says ...", Mama hopes ...", "Mama thinks this ...", "Mama does that ..." It does get a little tiring. And the fun decor extends to cartoon masks hanging in your room that you can purchase for twelve quid or go to a toy store and get for a third of that. All that said, this is a great venue, well run, good food, clean and welcoming from the moment you enter the building. This is a great hotel for a short stay and probably a longer one. Hackney is not in the centre of London but is an area under rejuvenation for anyone who can afford to fix up the old buildings. So, I stayed twice. My stay was extended due to one of London's transport strikes. The extra day was easily managed by staff even if it was a holiday period, special mention to reception who had it done in a couple of minutes. Nearby, you will find a few reasonable pubs, a good main street not too far off, and a good running or walking path along the canal. Overall? Comfortable and modern room; Good layout; Laundry rooms available; and decor somewhere between Trader Vic's and Branding Hell.
Such a fantastic place to stay. Came for a Valentine's night away from kids and had such a nice time. The room was big, clean, and had all the expected amenities like soap, shampoo, coffee, tea etc. Place has so many quirky features including our room that had a skylight that looks up to the pavement in the street! It was still private, but just a sight idea of naughtiness makes it fun. Highly recommend.
I like this place. I came for a meal here with friends and children and the large space and excellent entertainment is great for children. The food is average, which is rather expected given the menu. It is glorified pub food and not expensive. The exciting part is the arcade machines with games from a generation ago as well as a baby football table. There are, I believe karaoke rooms too but didn't get to test them or know if they were open to everyone. Recommend it if you have children. Mine loved it.
