Guest Review by Christian
Shoreditch, loads of graf including this little squirrel beastie by Belgian artist Roa (Image by HWL)
The neighbourhood: Tell us about it.
Shoreditch – still killing it after all these years. The recent regeneration has only made it better and more approachable, if not a little more self-conscious. Natural home to the hipster (don’t wear socks if you want to blend in). Train carriages on top of warehouses, chalk stripe suits with pink shirts, the creative bourgeoise, a constant waft of sweet tandoori, with a layer of graffiti on top.
Hang it all at the Eames Room, at the Boundary Hotel in London.
The Hotel: What’s the concept?
Design hotel on the financial fringes, catering to media and creative industries and the odd discerning City exec. part of the Conran group it builds on the successful example set by Shoreditch House without all the bells and whistles. Good value when compared with the standard bearers of London hoteliery.
The Eileen Gray Room, the risk here is going out and coming home to find that Le Corbusier has decided to paint all over it. Not much of a risk, given the circs…
The crowd: What’s the vibe?
Relaxed and cool, maybe a touch Parisienne…
Tell us about the rooms:
Room was massive… It was one of the corner suites, the ‘Shaker’. Standard rooms are still pretty good… Bigger than normal.
Get back to your modernist roots in the Bauhaus Room at the Boundary Hotel.
The Hotel: What is it ideal for in the context of London?
Brilliant business hotel given proximity to the City. On your days off you have something more exciting than the West End to explore. Great little pubs close by like the Owl and Pussycat and the George & Dragon. Voluminous shopping opportunities at Boxpark, Spitalfields and Brick Lane… and just along Redchurch St there are some fun boutiques like APC, Catch & Release and Aubin & Wills.
The Hoxton branch of the White Cube gallery is within strolling-while-whistling distance….Here shown a previous exhibition by Marcus Harvey featuring a mohawked Churchill and a portrait of Thatcher constructed from an assortment of cast objects, including sex toys and corn cobs. (Image by HWL)
The clubs have become a little ‘bridge & tunnel’ (like the lower east side), so best avoided on weekends or stick to the pubs and bars. Oh, and have a beer with Tracey Emin at the Golden Heart… if she’s not there you can enjoy some of her original work in the loo.
Breakfast bacon bap at the Albion – they do a decent light supper and scrummy afternoon tea too.
Pluses: What did you love?
The food is incredible… the Albion caf is a great way to start the morning with porridge and prunes or a bacon bap. The formal French restaurant downstairs is simply awe inspiring… the lapin a la moutarde is still fresh in my memory. Not to be eaten every night as you will rue the lack of a gym, but don’t leave without venturing downstairs.
Mind your silver plates and go the chaud lapin at the Boundary…
Minuses: Where could it improve?
The reception and entrance are quite small and not that awe inspiring, although functional. I would say a gym, but there are plenty of Boris Bikes around…
Tips: do you have any?
Take the east London line down to Peckham Rye and visit the park and Lordship Lane.
Bookings: Contact the Boundary Hotel
Lullaby: Fall asleep to Golden Brown by the Stranglers
Christian: Employee of the Month
About Christian:
Corporate hostage with enthusiastic delusions of creative escape.
Explore the inner workings of his heinous mind on Tumblr Everything I do Is Wrong.
Or why not stalk him on Twitter: @legalotter.
