UNPRETENTIOUS EAST LONDON??

Sara Darling discovers the delights of the newest hotel on the block.

Sometimes you don’t need frills to make a memorable stay, you just need crisp white cotton sheets, a giant TV and fluffy towels- which East London Hotel in Bethnal Green has that and more!

A hop skip and short shimmy up Cambridge Heath Road, the Bethnal Green station is almost as close as an Uber can get. The latest addition to the Shoreditch scene is perfectly situated for nightlife and day activities, with rooms overlooking the park and The Museum of Childhood. The former Balls Brothers wine warehouse has been transformed into a chic, no frills crash pad for urbanites and business types who need a stylish place to lay their head.

The rooms are compact, but luxuriously so, and the modern design means all space is utilised. A large double nestles next to the wall, with suitcase storage space underneath the bed, and there a plenty of plug points, a Krups coffee machine, Rituals bathroom products and safe, which tick all the necessity boxes. The bathroom on the other hand is perfectly proportioned, with room enough for two to do their ablutions at once, at a push. 

Considering that this is a city hotel, on a busy main road, traffic noises are pretty much non-existent. There could be screeching fire engines or 4am boy racers, but thankfully the main road and train tracks are diffused by soundproof glass, so you get the view without any sound. 

However, the amount of time you will spend in your room is negligible. You are in the best city in the world after all! The Due East bar and restaurant on the ground floor is the perfect place to start your night with the signature cocktail. Utilise the hotel-wide free wifi, and plan your night. It would be rude not to pop to the pretty much adjacent bars in Paradise Row (which give discounts to guests) and there are plenty more which the friendly staff can advise on. Just ask. 

Start the night in the bar, and sample the house specialty, the Paradise Rose if you like it strong and fizzy, this will start your night off with a bang! But it would be rude not to venture out to explore the neighbourhood, if not further afield; Good luck if you make it past the Experimental Cocktail Bar on the adjacent, Paradise Row.

In the daytime, the hotel restaurant, Due East focuses on locally sourced East End products: smoked salmon from Forman’s in Hackney, beers from Redchurch Brewery and gin from the East London Liquor Co. It is also a great spot for people-watching, and you could stay there all day chewing the fat! Breakfast is a la carte, and offers a range healthy options such as porridge with berries, a range of fresh juices, but I plumped for the most delicious avocado bagel I have had this week! I forgot to ask if it came from the local bagel bakeries on Brick Lane, but as the rest of the produce is sourced locally, I can only presume it is.

If you’re looking for all the essentials at a competitive price, this hotel does exactly what it should. You even check yourself in and activate your own key card- you can’t get much more Shoreditch than that! ​

Check out the site for more information and booking.
The East London Hotel 
309-317 Cambridge Heath Rd, London E2 9LH