The welcome
The main entrance to the hotel is on Adler Street, a fairly quiet street off Whitechapel Road in the East End. The five-storey building was previously an office block, opening as a hotel at the end of 2013. Its sister property is in Amsterdam, and more Qbics are planned for the United Kingdom. The nondescript exterior contrasts with colourful design pieces inside. I’m welcomed at the small reception area by two staff, who despite it being before check-in time, see if a room is available. It isn’t, so my bag is stored until later, and I have a coffee in the attractive lounge area, which doubles as the restaurant. After a strong cappuccino, I’m ready to go out and explore the local area, which happens to be where I grew up.
The neighbourhood
The hotel is beside a small park in Whitechapel, close to Aldgate East Underground station and Whitechapel Art Gallery. It’s a few minutes’ walk from Brick Lane, which hosts a huge Sunday market; its coffee shops, restaurants and small boutiques are open throughout the week.
The scene
Some 60 per cent of the clientele are business guests; the rest are a mixture of local and international holidaymakers. The playful design is down to the hotel concept’s Dutch owners and the London design firm Blacksheep. There’s an attractive wood floor and open-plan seating area downstairs. Because most visitors spend the majority of their time outside the hotel, this space is nicely uncrowded. Upbeat British classics play on the sound system.
The room
There are 171 rooms in total, which come in three categories – “no window”, “cosy” (averaging 17 square metres) and “fun” (averaging 25 square metres). My “fun” room, on the third floor, features wood-style laminate flooring, plus the company’s signature cube structure containing the bed, TV and lighting systems. There’s a small desk (annoyingly, without a plug socket nearby), a comfortable sofa and a wooden clothes rail. The TV can only be viewed from the bed. The bathroom is a compact structure behind the bed, and there’s no bath. There’s what turns out to be a glowing carbon monoxide detector under the bed, which creates an unfortunate glow on one side of the bed during the night, although heavy sleepers wouldn’t notice. The hotel is three-star; rooms don’t have telephones, there’s no 24-hour room service or gym/swimming pool. The room is quiet.
The service
Reception and room service staff are on-the-ball; service staff in the restaurant are more hit-and-miss.
The food
The hotel’s restaurant, Parts and Labour, is operated by a separate company. The lunch and dinner menu is mostly meat-based. I try the seared sea trout (£14.50 [Dh83]) with some vegetable side dishes, such as broccoli and spinach (£3.50 [Dh20]). The fish is well-cooked, but it all tastes a bit oily. I’m told the menu is due for an overhaul. The buffet breakfast (£9.95 [Dh57]) is a decent spread of croissants, toast and yogurt with granola and fruit, and fresh orange juice. The cappuccinos (£2.40 [Dh14]) are brilliantly strong.
Loved
The design, the peace and quiet, and the location. A small panel beside my sink provides this motivational statement: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Hated
The glowing light in the bedroom.
The verdict
A good no-frills base in an interesting part of London.
The bottom line
Double rooms at Qbic London City (www.qbichotels.com/london-city) cost from £69 (Dh395) per night, including taxes.
rbehan@thenational.ae
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