Opening its doors shortly before the fall, hipster hotel chain Ace Hotel made its long awaited debut in London last September. Arriving with a stellar reputation thanks to already iconic residences in Portland and New York, Ace are known for their trendsetting style and even trendier clientele.
Location
Situated on Shoreditch High Street, Ace Hotel London is at the heart of East London’s Shoreditch. Known as a nightlife hotspot with some of the best restaurants, bars and clubs London has to offer, Shoreditch is also home to great shopping streets and walking distance to tourist spot, Brick Lane.
In between a number of Underground and Overground stations, getting around from the Ace Hotel London couldn’t be easier. Barely a 10 minute walk to either Old Street or Liverpool Street Tube stops and the equally well connected Shoreditch High Street Overground, when you want to venture out of E1, you’ll be able to get where you want to go in no time.
Rooms
The hip and modern design of the rooms will feel at home for anyone who has stayed at an Ace before. With a huge, comfy bed in the middle the rooms, the minimal style keeps the rooms feeling spacious and airy. The inviting blue patchwork APC bedspreads are an exclusive for Ace Hotel London and make you want to tear back the covers and jump right in.
A feature at Ace Hotels worldwide, alongside room service and mini bar menus is a price list for all the items in the room, and if you fancy the waffle robes, aforementioned bedspread or even the record player, just pack them up when you leave and charge the fee to your room. It’s a little strange at first, but when you think about it, it’s actually quite a clever idea. I couldn’t count on one hand the number of times I’ve wished I was able to take something from a plush hotel room back with me.
Elsewhere in the rooms, comfy sofas mean you can crash in front of the TV without having to get into bed, while swish tables are perfect for your own mini office or eating breakfast in your room.
Bathroom
There’s no doubt Ace Hotel London spent a lot of money refurbishing the bathrooms, and it shows. With the floors in a sleek black tile, all en suites feature a bath and copious amounts of Ace-branded products from a bottle on the wall.
The bathrooms feel pleasantly serious and complement the style of the rooms and rest of the hotel perfectly.
Amenities
The hotel offers free WiFi throughout the hotel, including in your room, and though it isn’t spectacularly fast, it’s enough for browsing the internet and catching up on emails. There’s a wonderfully long work bar in the lobby too, if you want to plug in your laptop or whip out a newspaper.
The common space throughout the hotel is a dream. Expansive and relaxing, the lobby in particular is perfect if you’re meeting a friend or need a space for a meeting. If you want to kick things up a notch, the hotel offers a 24-hour gym in the basement. Boasting a rowing machine, two treadmills, two cycling machines and a sauna, it might not be the biggest space but it is certainly well equipped. There is also a florist on the ground floor.
Restaurants and bars
Hotel restaurant, Hoi Polloi, is the brainchild of the team behind Bistroteque and located on the lower ground floor. Serving a fashionably British menu with some modern American additions, Hoi Polloi has something of a party atmosphere with large groups all around sharing plates and having fun. The dishes have touches of experimental fine dining but are, on the whole, homely and rich with flavour. We’d recommend the deserts too, with dishes like Poached Rhubarb and Rum and Raison Rice Pudding proving too tempting to ignore.
Hoi Polloi also offer a fantastic midnight supper menu, open until 1am from Thursdays through Saturdays, and 24-hour room service for hotel guests. Return for breakfast for the sweet or savoury ricotta pancakes and their energising juices.
On the ground floor of the hotel is a cafe and bar, making great use of the communal and gallery spaces, while the (thoroughly sound-proofed) basement bar is a bit more lively with DJs until late.
Verdict
There’s no doubt Ace Hotel London hangs it hat on its style, but the hotel is also extremely comfortable and welcoming, with helpful concierge staff, an excellent restaurant and happening bars. There’s no doubt the hotel caters for a more cosmopolitan crowd, but that’s Ace through and through, and in the heart of Shoredtich, they shouldn’t do it any other way.
For reservations and more, please visit: www.acehotel.com/london
Ace Hotel London, 100 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JQ