• Rating: 8/10
• Rooms at Hoxton Southwark start from $213 (£179) a night
• Check current rates and availability
After a brilliant stay at France's hippest bolthole, The Hoxton Paris hotel, I decided to try one of the Hoxton hotels a little closer to home and seeing as one the latest London ventures just turned one, it seemed the perfect time to pack my overnight bag and drop into Southwalk for a sophisticated city sleepover.
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| My room at The Hoxton, Southwark |
The hotel's location on Blackfriars Road, moments from the Thames, Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe, ensure The Hoxton Southwark is a great choice for anyone planning a weekend in London—even much loved Borough Market is just a short walk away. Industrial style windows (similar to the Nobu Shoreditch hotel) with striped canopies punctuate the front of the building, while potted plants and trees separate outdoor street seating from the rest of the sidewalk. The building doesn’t look all too impressive from the outside when compared to its Parisian counterpart, but the location more than makes up for it.
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What’s the vibe at The Hoxton, Southwark?
As you enter through sliding mirrored doors, a plush deep crimson sofa sits bang in the centre of the reception, surrounded by shelves of vases, books and yet more plants. The check-in desk is set back, over to the left, while lifts are to the right. Like most of the Hoxton’s spaces, there are dining and drinking spaces spread across the ground floor, but there didn’t seem to be many people milling around when I arrived. A tier two lockdown had just been announced in London so I attributed that to the fact the hotel was pretty quiet, but it was quite nice feeling like I had the place all to myself.
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| The Hoxton, Southwark lobby |
How are the rooms?
The Hoxton hotel chain divides its rooms by size ranging from ‘shoebox’ to ‘biggy’. At the Hoxton Southwark I booked a ‘cosy’ room which was plenty big enough for one person but would also suit a couple. The room had a modern feel with wooden flooring, concrete ceiling and huge window plus small table and chairs and full-length mirror. I especially loved the gold light fittings retro style phone and artwork above the bed, which seemed to be unique for each and every one of the 192 rooms.
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| My 'cosy' room |
The bathroom was fitted out in pale green tiles, a generous rainfall shower and the usual Blank products used throughout all Hoxton properties.
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| The bathroom |
What is there to eat and drink?
While I can’t fault the rooms, the food and drink offerings at The Hoxton Southwark did let the place down. On the ground floor of the hotel, you’ll find the all-day restaurant, Albie, and it’s here you can order from a selection of menus all offering a different style of cuisine. For breakfast, there's Eggbreak from where I ordered a ‘spicy piggy bun’ which was satisfactory but kind of like a glorified McDonald McMuffin, rather than breakfast here I'd recommend hitting one of London's luxury breakfast spots instead. For lunch and dinner, there are three different menus which make for a confusing ordering experience. Pecking Order offers fried chicken dishes, Tandoor Tacos has five taco options while Tandoor Chop House serves Indian dishes. My orders got mixed up and I ended up eating something which I didn't want with no apologies or offer of removing it from the check. The food was pretty mediocre and definitely overpriced, if I were to stay in the hotel again I’d instead opt to eat out, heading to Padella for incredible pasta or nearby Flat Iron Square for food that’s ten times better but half the price. For cocktails and seafood, Seabird, the hotel’s rooftop bar and restaurant has a brilliant outdoor seating area with heaters, comfy sofas and great views. I didn’t eat here during my stay but did pop up for a cocktail which was pleasant enough.
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| Drinks with a view on Seabird's terrace |
Any highlights?
The roof terrace is pretty special, even in winter, but there wasn’t much of an atmosphere during my stay, maybe due to lockdown restrictions, but I imagine that come summer this will be the place to be. The bedrooms are definitely beautiful and for the price, The Hoxton Southwark is worth a stay.
Anything they could improve on?
Wait staff can be obnoxious and the restaurants on the ground floor leave little to be desired.
***2023 update—I have since returned to the Hoxton Southwark for a three-night stay and found the rooms and reception service just as good. I did however find the staff at Seabird a little abrupt and unfriendly. Bedroom prices have also increased significantly since my first stay***
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