Hotels, Hotels - Design, London, Restaurants

The Backstage Tour at The Hoxton Holborn

November 27, 2014 by

The Hoxton Holborn is one of central London’s most exciting new hotel openings, bringing a welcome dose of cool to the area now coined as ‘Midtown’.

The Hoxton Shoreditch was a game-changer on the hotel scene when it opened in 2006 and The Hoxton Holborn takes it to the next level.  It feels very ‘now’ and more like a social hub than simply a hotel, yet there are still some familiar trademarks from the Hoxton brand.

The ‘affordable luxury’ 174-room hotel recently launched with the most spectacular opening event – The Backstage Tour.  The immersive theatre experience, devised by A&B Productions (artist Amy Gadney and producer Bella Macpherson), was the hottest ticket in town that night and gave a rare glimpse of the inner workings of the hotel.  I mean, who hasn’t ever wanted to snoop around a hotel?

On the day of the grand opening, we spent some time exploring our room and then headed down to the lobby in anticipation of what was in store.  After munching on patty melts and sliders, washed down with Champagne, our small group was led to the Cheeky Salon for the beginning of the tour.

As the story goes, we were the lucky viewers of a new play that was set to debut in the hotel in just one hour, however the script-writer and the cast were nowhere to be found.  The formidable Ronni Ancona flounced around as Anamaria Von Viti Obilaska as chaos loomed and runner Sam shepherded us around the hotel – not even the staff corridors were out of bounds.

On the way, we encountered a Champagne-addled famous actor still in his bathrobe, stressed out production managers, a luvvie director and jaded hacks in the ramshackle press conference.  To heighten the drama, some of the ‘guests’ among us were in fact actors propelling the storyline and improvisation.

At the end of the tour, we discovered that we were in fact the entertainment and took our bows on stage in front of an audience applauding with mouths full of rotisserie chicken.

And where better to end up than in in the middle of Chicken Shop – the rustic style Soho House Group restaurant in the basement.  Having performed for our supper (well, kind of), we were then treated to a slap up meal of rotisserie chicken and a side of crinkle cut fries while awaiting the next unsuspecting tour group to hit the stage.

The chicken was so juicy and tender with a sticky glaze and plenty of seasoning.  I loved the buzz of the restaurant, the tasty food and the cosy country-style interiors – perfect for a quick chicken fix.

As if that wasn’t enough, we were invited back upstairs for expertly-mixed cocktails, spicy mini shrimp burgers and desserts of key lime and lemon meringue tartlets.  To round off a perfectly decadent evening, we were happily within stumbling distance of our room – what could be better!

Our Cosy Room (they range from Shoebox to Roomy) was just the right size and had a comfortable, homely feel.  The design is retro and quirky with a posh college dorm feel.  Room features include a vintage-style writing bureau, a sleek Samsung flat screen TV, black Roberts radio, giant circular mirror on the wall, Penguin paperback and ornaments such as a vintage camera and chemistry bottles.

The furnishings are also well-considered and surprisingly plush with a gorgeous leather armchair, leather headboard, graphic cushions and the most amazing wallpaper illustrated with French bulldogs and pineapples by London artist Toby Triumph.

I was delighted to see a kettle with a selection of teas and ground coffee sachets and absolutely adored the Hoxton Holborn mugs and ‘dirty old bag’ china teabag tray.  Both Hoxton hotels have a thoughtful ‘no rip-off’ policy, so other cool extras include free wifi, a fridge with bottles of complimentary mineral water and fresh milk, one hour of free phone calls, free bicycle hire, a free breakfast bag and a lobby shop with items at regular shop prices.

The queen-size bed was nice and comfortable with a thick duvet and pillows that I found a little too thin.  We had a good night’s sleep, however some noise from the corridor and other rooms could be heard at times, not that we were bothered by it.

The small but perfectly formed bathroom has a cool New York feel with ceramic black and white tiles, a walk-in shower with fantastic pressure and a single sink.

The all-important bathroom products have been exclusively created for The Hoxton Holborn by Pen & Ink.  Not only do they look pretty, but they’re free from all chemical nasties and are a dream to use.

In the morning, we were treated to a healthy breakfast bag, which was ready outside our door at the requested time.  Inside was a bottle of freshly-squeezed orange juice, a blackberry and apple granola yoghurt pot and a banana – perfect for a light and tasty breakfast in bed.

For something more indulgent, head downstairs to the hotel’s Brooklyn-style grill Hubbard & Bell for Eggs Benny, Steak and Eggs or Avocado on Sourdough with an artisan coffee or cold-pressed juice.

The Hoxton Holborn is a fantastic, forward-thinking hotel that is sure to attract city break travellers just as much as Londoners popping by for a mani-pedi at Cheeky Salon or a flat white at Holborn Grind.  With fantastic restaurants, cool vibes, no big hotel mark-ups and a central location, it’s set to become a firm favourite.

Rooms at The Hoxton Holborn start from £89 per night.  For more information and booking, visit: www.thehoxton.com

Watch the antics of The Backstage Tour at The Hoxton Holborn here:

THE BACKSTAGE TOUR from The Hoxton on Vimeo.

Chérie City was a guest of The Hoxton Holborn

All photos by Chérie City

3 comments

3 Comments

  • Reply diana December 1, 2014 at 1:48 pm

    Hi!
    I love your blog! I was going to ask what’s your thoughts around lebanon? Did you like it and would you recommend it?

    • Reply cheriecity December 1, 2014 at 4:24 pm

      Hi Diana, thank you so much! I really enjoyed visiting Beirut, even if it was for a short time. It has a great energy, beautiful architecture, cool shops and some interesting design/luxe hotels.

      There was a high security presence when we were there but we had no problems. Ask one of the hotel desks at the airport to call you a taxi into the city, so you know it’s credible.

  • Reply laura December 9, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    it looks fab, really retro.

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