Tuesday, June 02, 2015

The Ace Hotel, Shoreditch ~ Review!



I mentioned last week in our Smashbox Fireball Matte review that we'd taken a little Press sojourn to London town with the brand for its reveal. Well since Corrina is still on cloud 9 after our Ballina trip this weekend, I thought I'd take this Travel Tuesday as an opportunity to tell you about our seriously cool digs in the English capital. The Ace Hotel in Shoreditch. 


The Ace Hotel is located in one of the trendiest areas of East London, Shoreditch, a hive of pubs, clubs, eateries & culture that you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere. There's an unmistakable vibe in this district with Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane and BoxPark all within strolling distance. Liverpool Station is about 20 minutes walk from the hotel, so you're well connected should you want to see the bigger, brighter smoke of London City Centre. 

London's Shoreditch

Visitors to Dublin's newest boutique hotel, The Dean, will feel a sense of deja vu as they step into the urban/Scandi noir styled foyer. It's said the Harcourt St venue has modelled itself on the Ace Group (of which you'll find versions in NYC, LA, Palm Springs & Seattle) and the similarities are obvious. 

Exposed brick, retro lighting and a buzzing atmosphere mean The Ace is foremost in Shoreditch hotel offerings. The foyer throngs with activity, no matter the hour. During day time with tech savvy creatives, mostly there, it seems, to make use of the incredibly fast & free wifi and/or socialise with like minded Londoners. 

Night time shows The Ace as more than just a hotel, with organised 'Lobby Events' free to the public, which make this place a hive of activity. There's a warehouse feel as the music pumps & revellers dance between the seats. Truly I thought, after a long days work that it would be too much but, thankfully, once I'd made it to my room on the second floor (ice bucket under oxter) all was blissfully silent again. 

Virtual Tour of The Ace Hotel Rooms (Full VID HERE) - Shoreditch (Weeeeeeeee)

Rooms are large and extremely well equipped with everything you might need for a working stay. It felt more like an urban apartment than a hotel room, I couldn't help but think the lads would happily live the rest of their naturals in those confines. Truth be told, having seen that pretty much everything, including the turntable could be bought from a price list in the well stocked mini bar, I felt very like one of those smug IKEA advert people before I drifted off in the low lying bed, though with less pillow fighting, obviously. 

Breakfast in the locally renowned Hoi Polloi restaurant is a notoriously busy affair, with Pals confirming if I hadn't a table booked then it'd be tough to have my brekkie on time. This meant ordering to the room and enjoying the sneaky peeks into residential buildings & Londoners' lives nearby. (If you see me reported on the UK's Crimecall, you never read this..)


Avocado/Chilli Toast w Perfectly Poached Eggs from The Ace Hotel - The perfect set up for a busy London Day

The Ace Hotel is truly the first I've visited that felt more like an experience than just a stay. With rooms starting at £219 per night, it's certainly not budget but it's easy to see how they justify the price. You're paying for the package. I'll be happily paying for that package when I pop back over to the bigger smoke this Summer with the Gorgebags in tow. There's plenty of room in a Standard offering for all three of us & -I know they'll love it as much as I do. 

You'll find info on The Ace, Hoi Polloi restaurant & free Lobby Events here. 

Have you stayed in An Ace Hotel before? Have you another London favourite you think we should check out? 






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