FOLLOWING a major overhaul and complete redesign by award-winning London interior design studio Goddard Littlefair, the latest addition to the Accor group and east London’s corner of boutique luxury, the Mondrian Shoreditch, opened its doors in August 2021.
Since then, the hotel has been picking up the speed, approaching the hurdles of the remains of a pandemic with a restorative reassurance. Whether that is packaged in the form of its 120 spacious rooms and suites, the offer of a private members club in which queues for drinks or the toilet are none existent, or its latest CBD Sleep Experience in partnership with OTO CBD.
The Mondrian Shoreditch exterior
The Curtain Members’ Club
Despite my east end upbringing and living a mere four stops away on the central line, my stay at the hotel created an equal element of escapism that trips abroad secure. As we entered our superior king room, finished with floor to ceiling windows and brick walls reminiscent of a New York loft studio, a new appreciation for the city and area I had lived in for nearly three decades was overwhelming.
The skyscraper buildings, graffiti decorated car park, and the buzzing streets of Shoreditch transformed into glittering spectacles of beauty. Kitted out with a bath in the bedroom, a steam shower, and a lounge area to enjoy the surrounding views, having booked only one night, we felt more than spoilt.
The lounge area in the Superior King room
The lobby area
If you are a hotel visitor or simply interested in experiencing the hotel in some way, I could not recommend more the Spanish restaurant on the lower ground floor, BiBo, a dining experience that will promise new culinary heights and delights. It’s the kind of elevated experience that required a photo of each dish, a ‘you must eat here’ message to my WhatsApp groups, and finished with me eating my own ‘I don’t have a sweet tooth’ words when devouring almost all of the enormous chocolate mousse created for two people to share. Trust me, it’s like a bowl of deconstructed kinder bueno but better. The tapas style dishes that served as an entree to our whole lobster paella were strong in flavour but delicate in design with thin slivers of Octopus and melt-in-the-mouth porcini croquettes a thing of dreams. It figures that the menu was crafted by world renowned chef, Dani GarcÃa.
Take the elevator a level up and you can enjoy a night cap at the Christina’s Shoreditch, in which award-winning mixologist Marcis Dzelzaini has curated a supplier list of British artisans to build a menu of cocktails you won’t find anywhere else in Shoreditch. We opted for the Apple Blossom 75 and the Yuzu Negroni, both of which took clever spins on classic drinks with unique botanical ingredients and Japanese influence.
Our wonderful waiter, Kevin, opened our eyes to a new appreciation of the drinks when he encouraged us to eat the flowers that decorated the rim. The sweet subtlety of the drinks were quickly accentuated by sharp and sour flavourings from the flower, making for a sophisticated pairing.
Of course, therefore, it was no surprise to have found ourselves giggling over to the mirrored selfie pod in the lobby area, a room in which endless copies of your full belly and childlike grin were inescapable. It’s an unusual, yet strangely comforting touch to a hotel otherwise coated in cool.
Christina’s Shoreditch
The breakfast options echo that of the previous evening of decadence, in which crispy potatoes sprinkled with paprika accompanied eggs, and creamy coffees were enjoyed around the heated balcony overlooking the crisp winter’s day. A scene that was enjoyed as the heated rooftop pool steamed away behind us.
Checking out at 12pm that day was a struggle. Next time, we agreed, it would be for more nights than one.
The heated rooftop pool
Altitude at The Curtain. Where guests can enjoy breakfast.
by Lily Rimmer
Nightly rates at Mondrian Shoreditch London start from £299 inclusive of VAT and breakfast. For more information visit here.
Rates for the Ultimate CBD Sleep Experience start from £350 per night and can be booked via this link.