The Hoxton, Shoreditch

The Hoxton opened in Shoreditch in 2006 – before the neighbourhood had become shorthand for a certain kind of creative, slightly self-conscious London cool – and it deserves genuine credit for recognising what Great Eastern Street could be. Twenty years and a full refurbishment later, it remains one of the most copied and least successfully imitated hotels in London. 

The formula is deceptively straightforward: honest pricing, well-designed rooms, a ground floor that functions as a neighbourhood living room as much as a hotel lobby. Getting all three right simultaneously is harder than it looks.

The experience

The Hoxton has always traded on atmosphere over amenity, and the newly refurbished Shoreditch outpost delivers both in better measure than before. The lobby still buzzes with the kind of energy you don’t find in hotels that try too hard: a mix of guests, locals and people working from the bar that gives the whole place a lived-in quality most hotels spend a fortune failing to manufacture. 

Rooms are quieter than the ground floor suggests they might be, the service is warm without being overbearing, and the complimentary breakfast bag delivered to your room each morning – granola, banana, orange juice – is a small touch that consistently punches above its weight as a goodwill gesture.

The rooms

The 2025 refurbishment has given the Hoxton’s 210 rooms a genuine upgrade without losing what made them interesting in the first place. Parquet floors, mid-century furniture, large round mirrors and elegant tiled bathrooms replace what were admittedly beginning to feel like their age. 

Roberts radios remain – a signature touch that still works – and rooms range from Shoebox (compact but never cramped) to Roomy (genuinely spacious by London standards). The Cosy Up category, added as part of the refurbishment, adds a sofa and more wardrobe space for those who want to actually spend time in their room. Book Roomy if the budget allows – the extra space makes a meaningful difference.

Food and drink

The ground floor Il Bambini Club is a lively Italian trattoria serving pizza, pasta and antipasti alongside a strong cocktail list – it works as well for a quick dinner as for a long evening. Above it, Llama Inn brings a freewheeling approach to Peruvian cooking to the rooftop, with ceviche, sharing plates, natural wine and views across East London that on a clear evening are genuinely hard to beat. Both restaurants operate on a walk in basis. The rooftop gets busy – particularly at weekends – and booking ahead is strongly advised.

The neighbourhood

Great Eastern Street sits at the heart of Shoreditch’s most navigable stretch – walkable to Brick Lane, Old Street, Spitalfields and Hoxton Square without ever feeling like you’re commuting between neighbourhoods. The immediate area has some of London’s best independent restaurants and bars within a few minutes on foot, and the street art, vintage shops and creative businesses that define Shoreditch’s character are all around the hotel rather than requiring a taxi to find.