The welcome
The hotel fronts onto Shoreditch High Street, with a plant-and-flower shop to the left of the entrance. I carry my suitcase up the few steps – there’s a lift for wheelchairs, but no ramp. Inside there’s a security guard, who’s not there to help with bags. I check in at reception, which looks and feels a bit like a record shop. The international staff all seem to be under 30 and trendier than their customers, but thankfully there isn’t the same level of “attitude” that a colleague reported at the New York property. It actually feels quite genuine.
The neighbourhood
The fast gentrifying Shoreditch is still one of London’s most exciting areas, sporting a high number of creative industries and many one-off coffee shops, restaurants and shops. The Brick Lane and Columbia Road Sunday markets are a major draw, it’s close to Shoreditch High Street and Liverpool Street stations, and not far from Spitalfields Market and the City of London, which is itself spreading east.
The scene
The industrial-chic lobby is an excellent spot for people-watching, especially at weekends when the basement nightclub Miranda is thumping. The large open area has concrete walls and ceilings and a wood floor, and several different functions. At the front, there’s a large, shared wooden desk with wooden seats for working on laptops, and behind that there’s a bar with some snug areas for privacy. To the front, there’s a cute coffee shop called the Bulldog Edition, which seems to be popular with walk-in customers, and behind that is the main restaurant, Hoi Polloi – another great place to people-watch, especially at weekend brunch time, which runs from noon to 6pm and features a string quartet.
The room
Most of the rooms are rectangular and fairly spacious, though the bathrooms feel a bit small. Mine is a deluxe double on the fifth floor at the front, but happily I can’t hear any road noise. There’s a decent view of the city, and it feels like a studio flat, with a nice, long daybed under the window, a circular table and a low bed. The ceilings, blinds and bedspread are graphite-coloured, while the rest is white apart from a grey carpet, and there are some industrial-style shelving units and an acoustic guitar hanging on the wall.
The service
A flickering light above the table in the bedroom takes some time to sort out. After checking out, I realise I’ve left some clothes and a charger in the room. It takes several calls to verify that they have the clothes, but the charger isn’t found. They do hold a package for me that is delivered late. Even on a busy night, a kindly staff member in the Bulldog Edition gives me some hot water with lemon free of charge when I’m suffering from a cold. At Hoi Polloi, service is a bit sluggish.
The food
At brunch, Hoi Polloi is out of the goat’s cheese churros with lavender honey (£4 [Dh22]) that I really want. I have the fish and chips (£17 [Dh95]) with a side order of kale with spiced yogurt, almonds and seeds (£4 [Dh22]). Everything on the menu looks attractive, which it needs to, because there are many other good restaurants in the vicinity.
Loved
The location and the silver teapots in Hoi Polloi.
Hated
Finding that some of the stationery in the room has to be paid for.
The verdict
A fun, functional hotel with a sense of place.
The bottom line
Double rooms at the Ace Hotel Shoreditch (www.acehotel.com/london) cost from £150 (Dh836) per night, including taxes.
rbehan@thenational.ae
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