Journal
The latest discoveries in London Town
29 October 2019
The third Hoxton Hotel in London is now open in Southwark. The hotel has two restaurants, an amazing view from the 14th floor and inspiring art in every room.
The first Hoxton Hotel in Shoreditch opened in 2006 and it was a big success from the start. Ennismore, the company behind The Hoxton acquired the hotel in 2010 and since then they developed lots of inspiring properties in Europe and in the United States. You’ve probably been to The Hoxton in Amsterdam and Paris, their Holborn property in London or the more recent ones in Williamsburg, Portland or Chicago. Chances are you haven’t been to the latest hotel in London as it opened just a few weeks ago.
For this third hotel in London they crossed the river Thames for this strategic position. Southwark is full of great restaurants and art institutions like the Tate Modern. There’s a bike path running from the hotel to the center and you can take the tube to both Oxford Street via the Jubilee Line or Kings Cross via Blackfriars Station. In 2020 the finales for the European Football competition are being held at the Wembley Station which has a direct tube connection with Southwark Station.
The hotel has been build up from scratch but if you’re inside it has an industrial vibe as if you’re in New York. Visible bricks, wooden floors, lots of concrete and floor to ceiling windows. Ennismore has their own in-house design team to ensure the properties have the same atmosphere, but they never want to do something twice as all the hotels have their own unique style. In this hotel you’ll see lots of art – all by Jealous Gallery – in the staircase, in the lobby and in the rooms.
The rooms have different categories, and vary in size, but all have the same color palette and headboard. Above the bordeaux red headboard you’ll find a collection of great art. The pillows and duvets on the bed are amazing: so fluffy you wouldn’t want to leave your room anymore. That’s where the breakfast in a bag comes in handy. You just hang the breakfast bag outside of your door before going to bed and the next morning it’s filled with orange juice, a croissant by St John Bakery and an apple.
The hotel has two restaurants. An all day restaurant on the ground floor called Albie, where you can order dishes like burrata, pasta or an avocado toast. They also have a bar where the ‘no-to-low’ section is a big hit. This means they serve lots of drinks with no or with a low percentage of alcohol in it. The crew had to compare the non-alcoholic ones with the alcoholic ones and it was hard to notice the difference. Especially with the margarita.
On the 14th floor you’ll find sea food restaurant Seabird which has a terrace with amazing views over London. Inside the interior is very bohemian, with lots of plants, long curtains and rotan chairs. Staff wears all white clothing – cable knitted sweaters and white pants. There’s a huge sea food buffet and they are known for having the longest oyster list of London. Since we’re in the UK we’ve skipped the Dutch, France and Canary Islands oysters. Instead we went for a sweeter Cumbrae from Kilbride to a saltier Maldon no.3 Rocks from Essex. I’ve preferred the Cumbrae. Apart from the oysters we’ve ordered Devonshire Crab Bunuelos, Sea Bream Crudo and the famous Octopus Roll (order it and you’ll see for yourself what makes it so popular).
The Hoxton also organizes lots of events, be it a talk by an artist or a workshop ‘how to make a collage’. This usually is more popular by the locals, but you can also book an event when you’re staying there. It’s a lovely way to connect with the Londoners. Soon they will also open Working From, the new co-working space in Hoxton style. You can rent a desk for a day or for longer periods and they also have a ‘side hustle’ offer for those of you who work a 9-5 job and need the after hours to work on your dream job. Plus they will organize yoga and there’s a gym.
Check out: www.thehoxton.com
For more cool addresses, check out The London Guide
