Übercool hipster hotel in East London
Ace Hotel / London / UK
Out of all the hotels I have written about so far in this blog and probably also out of all the ones I will feature in the future, this is the one I have stayed at the most amount of times. We have had the opportunity to come quite frequently to London and this hotel has been the one we have chosen to stay at (almost) every time since it opened in 2013 (ok, since I started this blog I started to book other hotels to be able to have some variation among my London hotels). So what is it that is so great about Ace Hotel in London?
The first thing that comes to mind is the buzz. As soon as you step through the entrance you can sense it. You can tell that this is a place people want to hang out at. Not only us visitors from out of town but the lobby area is full of creative locals working (or maybe just pretending to) at the communal tables, drinking coffee, lounging or just reading the paper. I love this when staying at a city hotel. When you get a taste of local life.
Like all other Ace Hotels, the design is on point. It is like it has been created by someone that doesn’t care, if you know what I mean. It almost looks like it is all just thrown together but of course it takes an extreme fingerspitzgefühl to put something this unique together, taking an old Crowne Plaza Hotel and turning it into a 258-room contemporary, edgy, urban meeting place. The masterminds behind this transformation are Universal Design Studio. The hotel is located in Shoreditch, within walking distance from excellent restaurants, bars, shops and clubs.
I’ve said it before and will say it again, I love Ace Hotels! The way they have disrupted the hotel industry and moved it into the future I think is so inspiring.
Ace Hotels has a collaboration with Tokyo Bikes so if you are brave (or suicidal) rent one and head out to explore this crazy city. I would recommend wearing a helmet…
This to me is all very Ace Hotels. The use of geometry to create different shapes and all the tactile material such as cork. And you’ve got to love that there is a classic pencil sharpener in the room.
The view from our room. Feels very busy and typical for London.
The in-house cafe has excellent coffee and baked goods. Perfect start of the day or if you just want a quick energizing break between shopping-/sightseeing rounds.
I have my coffee, my paper and I am ready to sit down and pretend I am one of the locals just sipping away minding my own business (while I am actually people watching like there is no tomorrow).
A place nearby worth visiting is the Barbican. Not only for the cultural centre but also for the architecture. This brutalist city block from the late sixties/early seventies is really impressive.
One of the local restaurants I can really recommend is Breakfast Club. A short 10 min walk from the hotel. Their breakfasts are to die for.
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…want to hang with the locals while staying at a great city hotel in the middle of one of the best areas of the British capital.
My favorite thing about this place…
…is that typical Ace energy that is so alluring. Where you just want to quite your job and start some creative one-man business so I can also sit with my laptop, drinking soy cappuccinos at the communal office table in the Ace lobby. Or maybe I will just settle for pretending to be one of those people.
What not to miss when staying here…
…My God! This is London after all. The list would be endless. But to go with something local, there is a side street around the corner from the hotel, Redchurch Street that has excellent shopping, restaurants and bars.
If you like this place you might also like…
Hoxton Southwark, London, UK
Ace Hotel, Downtown LA, California, US
Michelberger, Berlin, Germany
