After something a bit different from your stay in the capital? From budget to boutique, these 16 exceptionally cool East London hotels are a good place to start.
It’s no secret that East London is famed for its edge – the place where tech startups and creative visionaries collide. Head there for art, culture and nightlife that feels decidedly fresh and current – there is always something new, surprising and exciting happening in this part of the city.
Want to see what all the fuss is about? Book a spot at one of the best hotels in East London.
Best Hotels in East London: At a Glance
| Best Hotels in East London – Top Picks | Hotel |
| Best Overall Hotel in East London | Town Hall Hotel |
| Best Fancy Hotel in London | Leman Locke |
| Best Luxurious Hotel in London | Mondrian |
| Best Friendly Hotel in London | Good Hotel |
Best Hotels in East London
Town Hall Hotel
Let’s start with Town Hall Hotel – a masterpiece of restoration. It was built as the borough’s town hall in 1910 with more building work done in the 1930s, hence it’s very Art Deco feel. Decommissioned in the 1970s, it became a film set – scenes from Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels were shot here.
The building was given a new lease of life by Singapore hotelier and restaurateur Loh Lik Peng. Unsurprising then that this hotel has a two-Michelin star restaurant – Da Terra, which blends the best of Latin American and Mediterranean cuisine. It also has The Corner Room, the more informal bistro-style restaurant.
Many of the rooms available to book are actually self-catered apartments which will make you feel right at home.
Interior design lovers will gush over the myriad of period details such as the lobby’s lavish marble flooring and majestic columns. And it’s not just the sense of style and spaciousness that makes this one of the best hotels in East London, there’s an indoor swimming pool to boot.
Situated in Bethnal Green, you’ll be less overrun by tourists but still close to the action of Shoreditch. Check out one of our favourite bars Coupette and Victoria Park is just a 10 min walk.
Leman Locke
If you fancy staying right in the heart of the metropolis, Leman Locke is a towering 22-floor 4-star skyscraper with 171 apartments. This is one of five London-based aparthotels by the Locke chain.
Situated at the edge of the City of London (nearest station Aldgate East Underground) Leman Locke aims to blend the convenience of self-catered apartments with the luxury feel of a hotel.
The rooms have Scandi streamlined design-led interiors in calming pastels – and each one has a signature pink sofa.
Highlights of staying here? Undoubtedly the floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views of London’s skyline, particularly if you book a Sky Level Locke Studio (19th floor and above).
There’s also Treves & Hyde, the very tastefully designed onsite restaurant, café and bar, a gym, co-working space and weekly yoga sessions which are free for guests.
Mondrian London Shoreditch
For a super indulgent five-star stay, right in the heart of the thriving hub of Shoreditch, Mondrian is one of the best luxury hotels in East London.
Previously The Curtain, it underwent a huge overhaul during the pandemic and became part of the Mondrian portfolio in July 2021.
New interiors by Goddard Littlefair are wild with pattern and bold in design with a playful energy that’s reflective of the area.
Christina’s all-day cafe and cocktail bar features large-scale artwork hand-painted onto concrete by Fred Coppin, a copper bar and oodles of plants. Bedrooms decorated in deep rich browns epitomize urban luxe and the Crittal style black windows feel quintessentially Shoreditch.
You can expect great food and drink from the Spanish kitchen and tapas BiBo restaurant by Michelin-awarded chef Dani García. Christina’s only sources food from local and independent farmers, suppliers and brands that make a social impact.
To top it off, guests get access to the outdoor pool and can take breakfast at the Altitude rooftop terrace which is otherwise only open to private members.
Batty Langleys
Bartholomew ‘Batty’ Langley was an 18th-century architect and landscape gardener who published handbooks on how to decorate Georgian houses and gardens ‘in the most Grand Taste.’
A tribute to Batty’s witty and eccentric interior style, this charming hotel (which also happens to be on our list of cool and quirky hotels in London) will feel like stepping back in time.
With just 29 rooms, Batty Langleys in Spitalfields is one of the smaller hotels around East London. It is, however, very in keeping with the cobblestones of Folgate Street, which is lined with beautiful Georgian terraced houses and street lamps.
Rooms are individually designed with Georgian antiques, original period features and roll-top baths. In stark contrast to the glassy skyscrapers nearby, you can expect heavy velvet drapes and four poster beds, with discreetly incorporated mod cons. There is no restaurant but good room service. What better excuse for breakfast in bed?
Explore the hotel’s Tapestry Room, a smart lounge and honesty bar with French doors that lead out onto a courtyard. You can also catch up on some classical literature in the wood-panelled library.
Mama Shelter London
The affordable Mama Shelter French boutique mini-chain is a great choice for a wild weekend in the city.
There is a signature style to Mama Shelter hotels which you’ll sense as soon as you enter the ground floor living room space. The decor is a maximalist riot of tassels and lampshades, a black scribbled ceiling by French artist Beniloys, clashing fabrics and an overall retro kitschy vibe.
Highlights include the courtyard with retractable roof – a great spot for a cocktail and a snack. There’s no gym in the basement, but something far more useful – soundproof karaoke rooms.
Throw in some pinball machines, retro video games and a location that sits among a string of cool bars and restaurants, Mama Shelter is all about having fun.
The Hoxton
This is the first of the Hoxton hotels before they branched out into other parts of London, and now also Paris and Amsterdam.
Having been on Great Eastern Street since 2006, The Hoxton has played quite a role in shaping Shoreditch’s hipster identity. The hotel is renowned for its American-style Hoxton Grill restaurant, but is also an old favourite for cocktail lovers and coworkers with laptops.
In the bedrooms you’ll find parquet wood flooring, black walls, tan leather Chesterfield armchairs, moody lighting and Roberts radios. Nine of the rooms have been designed by local artists.
New to The Hoxton is Maya, a rooftop restaurant with a mouth-watering Mexican-inspired menu.
Redchurch Townhouse
Another hotel with instant access to the hip and happening is Redchurch Townhouse. This 37-bedroom hotel is part of the Soho House group. However, unlike Shoreditch House around the corner which is for members only, Redchurch is open to non-members too.
As you’d expect from Soho House, rooms have been tastefully put together in a chic neutral palette with muted colours and design details inspired by the 1950s and 1970s.
Rooms come in a range of sizes. Even the 17-square-foot ‘tiny room’ has a king-size bed and makes for a comfortable sleep in between soaking up all that Shoreditch has to offer.
On the ground floor is Cecconi’s Italian restaurant where you can gorge on delicious Northern Italian cicchetti, pizza and pasta. But when it comes to bars and restaurants, in this location you’ll be really spoilt for choice.
Boundary
Boundary is a redbrick Victorian printing warehouse turned stylish hotel with rooms designed by Sir Terence and Vicki Conran.
It’s located in yet another Shoreditch hotspot, close to the boutiques of Redchurch Street. The hotel rooms are sandwiched between the fabulous Albion restaurant on the ground floor (where breakfast is served) and the popular buzzing rooftop bar which offers fabulous views of the city.
The Rooftop Bar & Grill is one of the best spots in Shoreditch. Sip champagne under the fairy lights and even if oysters aren’t your thing, there’s lots more on the menu to choose from.
Know your Eames from your Le Corbusier? Design geeks will love the fact that all 17 rooms are designed differently and each based on an iconic design movement or designer of the 20th Century.
An added bonus is the late Sunday checkout of 4pm (including tea and a slice of cake in the room) which gives you time to go and see the wonderful Columbia Road Flower Market just 10 mins away.
Good Hotel
Believe it or not, there’s a lot more to East London than Shoreditch. Furthering east to the historic Docklands area, for example, you’ll find a rather lovely floating hotel on the water.
Good Hotel is exactly that, because all their profits go to good causes. These include educating disadvantaged children in Guatemala and training unemployed people in London. The social enterprise originally started in Amsterdam and was literally towed to London by cargo barge to its new home on the River Thames.
Bedrooms have a simple minimalist Dutch aesthetic with a ship’s cabin feel. Grab a bite at the all-day restaurant The Living Room and when the weather’s fine, the rooftop terrace is a great spot to take in views of the Thames.
Further out from the centre, Good Hotel offers a peaceful waterfront setting. Yet with access to the DLR line (nearest station Royal Victoria), you can easily get around. It’s also very convenient for City Airport and The ExCel Centre.
Check out the Docklands Museum which tells you all about the fascinating history surrounding this part of London.
CitizenM Shoreditch
This is one of three CitizenM hotels in London. It’s a colourful and buzzing hotel surrounded by street art, with cool modern spaces that appeal to creative co-workers.
They keep it simple by only having one type of room, for up to two adults. All rooms have an XL king size bed. Food is available 24 hours at the CanteenM.
Located on Holywell Lane, you’ll be right in the heart of Shoreditch, close to Spitalfields and Brick Lane. With all the boutiques, vintage stores, great bars and eateries nearby, you’ll certainly get your fix of the East London scene.
The Culpeper
The Culpeper on bustling Commercial Road is a gastropub and restaurant with rooms across four floors – everything you need for a fun night out, in just one building.
The five bedrooms are a far cry from the cookie-cutter hotel chain variety. Think high ceilings, oak doors, exposed walls and original fireplaces with homely touches.
You won’t want to miss the rooftop which has awesome views of the urban jungle. The garden up there grows the restaurant’s salad leaves and herbs as well as courgettes, beans, tomatoes, chillies and more.
Lots of events and workshops take place at The Culpeper. If you’re lucky, you can learn to make a Tinyjohn Terrarium or have a Rooftop Astronomy tour of the night sky.
They also have a pretty fantastic restaurant on the bottom floors that cooks up food grown on that roof garden.
New Road Hotel
Just south of Shoreditch, in the diverse and vibrant neighbourhood of Whitechapel, you’ll find New Road Hotel, a 79-bedroom boutique hotel built in a former 1950s textile factory.
The building was rescued in 2011 by three Bangladeshi brothers, Monsur, Masrur and Moksud Malik, whose father moved to Britain in the 1960s and had a factory job here.
The overall aesthetic celebrates the building’s original architecture with lobby walls clad in repurposed parquet factory flooring, old metal signs, exposed brickwork and industrial windows.
If you really fancy a treat, opt for one of the loft rooms which have their own private terrace and hot tub.
On the ground floor there’s Mr White’s Chophouse restaurant by Marco Pierre White. You’ll be minutes from Whitechapel Gallery, Tobacco Dock, Truman Brewery and one of our favourite luxury cinemas, Genesis.
Montcalm East
East London knows how to do cool and quirky but it can also do luxury too.
Between creative Shoreditch and the tech hub of Old Street, a stay at the 5-star Montcalm East will elevate you above the beating heart of a thriving metropolis.
You’ll first be struck by the perplexing diamond-shaped building which is deliberately designed to trick the eye.
Before (and after) a night on the town you might want to take a dip in the luxurious swimming pool or treat yourself to a massage.
Nighttime is really where you’ll get to admire the glittering city lights. Most rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, with the most impressive views from the sky-high bedrooms.
40 Winks
Forgive us for calling this a hotel when it sleeps just three people, but this glamorous guest house is one of East London’s hidden gems and couldn’t possibly be missed off the list.
The Queen Anne townhouse is situated on the Mile End Road close to Stepney Green underground and is a magical escape from the hustle and bustle.
It’s the dream-like interiors of 40 Winks that make it so special. The styling of antiques and curios blends influences from Marie Antoinette, Alice in Wonderland, Lady Gaga, Alexander Mcqueen and Vivienne Westwood. Conceived by the owner and designer David Carter, the curated rooms emanate fun, frivolity and decadence.
There is just one double and one single room on the top floor with a shared bathroom, so the whole top floor can be rented out if desired, for a truly luxurious stay.
Apex City Of London Hotel
If you want to be close to east London but have the bonus of being able to zip from place to place with ease, it’s worth considering a room in The City of London.
As an area, it certainly doesn’t have the down-to-earth charm that the East End does, but you’ll be ideally located to a major transportation hub at Liverpool Street which will make getting around easier. You’ll also only be a short walk or bus ride from the best bits of East London.
A good option here then, would be The Apex City of London Hotel. The draw with this spot is that although you’re still going to have to pay a fair whack to stay here, it won’t be as expensive as many of the other hotels in this business-first part of town.
Rooms are comfy and spacious too – many come with bathtubs rather than simply showers, and you’ll also have access to a gym as part of the amenities.
Leonardo Royal London Tower Bridge
Sometimes a stay at a nice hotel isn’t enough. Sometimes you need to push the boat out and hit those sky-high levels of comfort and pampering. When that time calls, you can’t do much better in east London for a spa hotel than the Leonardo Royal London Tower Bridge.
The Leonardo not only boasts spacious, modern rooms but a fully working spa available to its guests. They offer more beauty therapy than even a Hollywood actress could ask for, a selection of massages to really amp up the zen and a full-length pool that’s lit in purples and dark blue neons and looks seriously cool.
Being a place of relaxation you can guarantee that your stay will be one rich in luxury and comfort. Beds here are the type you can just sink into, amenities match every expectation and there’s a lovely cocktail bar on site for when you want to sip something delicious.
Practical Tips for Booking an East London Hotel
- Some East London hotels are in old historic buildings, which may mean stairs. It’s best to double-check accessibility ahead of time, just in case.
- Hotels in East London are largely geared towards adults but some do cater for children too, offering cot beds and children’s menus. Check before you book.
