A minimal but cosy space handily located in creative, cool and foodie-friendly Shoreditch
Whitewashed walls, pine fittings and bold statement art from London’s Jan Hendzel Studio give One Hundred Shoreditch a sleek, Scandi feel. Formerly home to the hipster haven the Ace Hotel, this landmark east London building’s new guise offers a far more chilled atmosphere. Full of homely, hygge details, you’ll find woven blankets on corridor walls as well as sage waffle robes and cult DS & Durga toiletries in every room. The gentle, neutral tones used throughout make it feel more like your artsy friend’s chic apartment than a seven-storey hotel on the hectic A10 thoroughfare. It could conceivably be accused of trying a touch too hard: Patti Smith and Joan Didion books were knowingly placed on a shelf next to my super-king-size bed. It’s the grand rooftop terrace however, with its terrazzo table tops and panoramic skyline views, that sets One Hundred Shoreditch apart. Overall, this is a surprisingly relaxed spot for such a centrally located hotel.
Neighbourhood
The prime Shoreditch location means you’re in the heart of the capital’s creative hub – hence all the twentysomething freelancers in the lobby sucking up the free wifi to work on their pitch decks. You’re also surrounded by historic London, with Dickensian-era cobblestone streets, and a Palladian church with a spooky crypt filled with Tudor-era actors nearby.
Nearby
Brat: For fabulous fish and seafood dishes, Brat is one of London’s finest restaurants.
Columbia Road Flower Market: For London’s most glorious blooms, plants and foliage, at this traditional street market which takes place every Sunday.
The Royal Oak: For perfect pints and Sunday roasts at a stone-cold classic East End pub.
Time Out tip
There’s no restaurant on site, but there is a world-class cocktail bar. The Seed Library is a dark, wood-panelled underground lair complete with a vinyl-only DJ and creative cocktails devised by Mr Lyan. If you’re peckish, a small-plates menu offers enough to tide you over. I destroyed a salty slab of anchovies on toast.
