Z Shoreditch

Z Hotels doesn’t shout about itself, which is part of why it works. The brand has spent fifteen years building compact, well-designed hotels in central London locations that more glamorous competitors charge twice as much to be near. 

Housed in the Victorian Alexandra Trust Dining Rooms, which were built in 1898 to provide affordable meals to East End workers, the building gives Z Shoreditch a heritage story that most budget hotels can only envy.

It sits within The Bower development on Old Street, seconds from the tube, surrounded by the cafes and bars of Silicon Roundabout, and delivers on the Z formula with the consistency that has made the brand quietly essential to anyone who visits London regularly and knows what they’re doing.

The experience

The lobby and cafe operate as a genuine all-day space: coffee and breakfast in the morning, a calm working environment throughout the day and drinks in the evening. Z Club membership, free to sign up before arrival, unlocks complimentary cheese and wine in the evenings, early check-in when available and room upgrades where possible. 

Rooms are compact but never cramped, with hand-crafted beds, 48-inch Samsung televisions with Sky Sports and Movies, and en-suite shower rooms with decent toiletries. 

The quality of the basics punches well above the price point, which is ultimately the Z Hotels proposition in its entirety. Service is warm and notably responsive, which is not always a given at this price bracket.

The rooms

111 rooms are arranged across lower ground, ground and three upper floors, ranging from Z Double and Z Inside Double through to Queen and Family configurations. 

The inside rooms (Z Inside Double and Z Inside Queen) have no windows and are priced accordingly, making them particularly well suited to guests whose days will be spent out in the neighbourhood. 

External rooms have soundproofed windows overlooking The Bower’s communal spaces. All rooms come with under-bed storage, hanging space and blackout blinds as standard. 

Breakfast is included in the rate and it’s a surprisingly expansive one: fresh croissants, pastries, cereals, fruit salad, bacon rolls and unlimited freshly ground coffee – at London hotel prices that  represents genuinely significant added value.

Food and drink

The ground-floor cafe operates all day and into the evening. It is not a destination restaurant, that’s not what Z Hotels are for, but it is a reliable, well-run space that covers everything from a working breakfast to an early evening drink. 

For dinner, the immediate area around The Bower has enough independent restaurants and bars to keep most guests occupied for several nights without needing to stray far.

The neighbourhood

Old Street station is seconds from the front door, putting the Northern and Elizabeth lines immediately to hand. Kiss The Hippo, immediately across the road, is worth knowing about for coffee. 

The Bower itself is a well-designed mixed-use development that sits comfortably in the neighbourhood. Hoxton Square is a short walk north, Brick Lane ten minutes east, Shoreditch High Street and its restaurants and bars five minutes south. For a budget stay in East London, this is about as well positioned as it gets.