A stylish staycation at... The Hoxton Hotel in London
From a cutting edge city break to the chicest country escape, you don't have to travel far to find the perfect weekend destination right here in the UK. Becky Conway mingles with the hipsters in Hoxton...
Stepping into The Hoxton Hotel after a slightly stressful journey, my partner and I were greeted by a bustling lobby, packed with guests and locals alike, sipping on drinks and enjoying their Friday night. Despite being in the epicentre of London’s coolest district, I instantly felt relaxed and at home.
Outside, the streets were fast filling with creative types who’d just clocked off work but in our room, things were cosy and quiet. So much so, that we opted to spend a couple of hours chilling with the well-thumbed paperbacks and vintage radio before heading back downstairs into the mileu of The Hoxton Grill for dinner.
Potent after-dinner cocktails fast taking effect, we squeezed into the hotel’s photobooth to strike a pose and capture some memories (just in case we couldn’t remember it the next day). Fortunately, the pounding heads were slightly eased in the morning with the welcome arrival of the hotel’s breakfast bag. The light bite and a cup of coffee were enough fuel to get us up and out the door to explore.
Right in the heart of Shoreditch, The Hoxton is the perfect base to discover the area. The streets are lined with art galleries, cool bars and quirky shops – and brightened up with street art almost everywhere you look. Keen to get my shopping fix, our first stop was Boxpark where concept stores and stylish boutiques occupy a stack of repurposed shipping containers.
After pondering a few purchases, we popped upstairs to the cool cafes and restaurants that occupy the upper level where I had my first taste of coffee made with oat milk (so healthy, it’s hip) before giving into temptation and feasting on the fried chicken at Coqfighter.The afternoon was spent indulging in a little pampering on nearby Redchurch Street – a manicure at The Cheeky Parlour for me, and a quick tidy up at Murdock London barbershop for him. Then it was onto Merchants Tavern, a former apothecary and Victorian warehouse converted into what is now arguably East London’s edgiest eatery.
Having given into the cocktails once more, we needed some serious sustenance the next day so headed round the corner to The Diner on Curtain Road for a stack of syrupy pancakes before jumping in a cab to Kings Cross and the train home. We’d enjoyed our weekend in hipsterville and I’d like to think we’ll be back at The Hoxton soon - if not in London then maybe one of their sister hotels in Paris, Amsterdam or the soon-to-open Brooklyn hotel, located in Williamsburg, New York’s most happening neighbourhood... obviously.
Rooms from £99/night. The Hoxton Hotel, 81 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3HU, Tel: 020 7550 1000, thehoxton.com