The London hotel in the heart of hip, creative east
Bethnal Green’s town hall opened in 1910, and one hundred years later, the building was turned into the eponymous Town Hotel Hotel. Edwardian meets Art Deco architecture at this striking London property, celebrating its 15th anniversary. Modern art and proximity to creative East attracts an international cultural crowd.
WHAT’S THE VIBE? Surprisingly low-key for a building as big and stately as this. The hotel is within walking distance of some of East London’s coolest cultural venues, like Moth Club, The Seabright Arms and Village Underground, and attracts an equally artsy crowd. The people who stay here probably already know they’re staying in the capital’s coolest neighbourhood, and probably visit often, but perhaps not quite often enough to own a place.
This Grade II-Listed former town hall’s main attraction is its original fixtures and fittings. Imagine when buildings came with marble staircases, oak panelling and stained glass as standard. The boards on the wall detail all the deceased men who used to lord about these corridors until the 1970s when it ceased functioning as a town hall.
As well as the 1910s architecture, there are Art Deco fixtures and contemporary art dotted around the corridors bringing the building into the modern day. Some of it is strange: a giant bear made of pieces of carpet stands guard in one corridor and wood carvings on the walls depict graphic sex scenes and appear to be original. Contemporary artwork from London College of Fashion students is placed next to mid-century furniture and antique safes I assume are from the building’s past lives. It’s a full-on hodge-podge of styles.
The imposingly handsome Portland stone facade stands in contrast to DROO and NAME Architecture’s striking 2010-added roof and rear extension containing many of the rooms.
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The London hotel with a compelling past
THE ROOMS: 97 rooms comprise standard doubles, studios, suites and apartments. Mine was a comfortable studio with a plump super king and a generous bathtub. The interiors are muted in tone. My room felt a little tired, with a few paint touch-ups and scuffs needing repair. They are spacious, which makes sense, given the hotel’s other amenities are paired back.
THE FOOD & DRINK: Brazilian chef Rafael Cagali runs both the relaxed and the fancy restaurant. The high ceilings and coffered walls at all-day restaurant Elis create a sense of majesty, and it’s in here you’ll find the hotel’s energy. Dishes are European with South American influences, such as crab linguine and picanha skewers. Twice Michelin-starred restaurant De Terra is within the building and serves some of the most critically-acclaimed South American food in the capital during the latter part of the week.
Elis is closed on Sundays, and so is the adjacent lounge bar, so depending on when you check in, experiences vary. The De Terra Michelin starred restaurant is open Wednesday to Saturdays. It’s understandable that the fancy restaurant is only open on busy days, but having nowhere to get a glass of wine or a cup of coffee on a Sunday feels like an oversight.
ACTIVITIES: A 14-metre pool in the basement of the conjoining building connects the old town hall to a newer extension that houses many of the rooms. The pool is open until midnight, a treat given most arbitrarily and rather boringly close around 9pm.
OVERALL: Perfectly located for the arts and culture institutions of the East End (there are drag bars, art galleries, cocktail places, markets and restaurants within a ten-minute walk) the Town Hall Hotel is ideal if you’re looking for location, location, location. The public spaces are also spectacular, but without a focal point, the hotel can feel eerily quiet and in need of an injection of life.
TOP TIP: Book between Wednesday to Saturday to get the full experience.
Go to townhallhotel.com
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