Ace hotel Shoreditch Hotel

Shoreditch

Whether you’re in town for the weekend or in need of a staycation, this is one bona fide city crash pad to have up your sleeve. Ace has got the kind of sanded-down edge you’d expect from an east London postcode: welcoming, comfortable and with a big slice of cool, but not so trendy it’s off-putting. More to the point, it feels part of the city – the bloom-stocked entrance comes courtesy of the neighbouring florist, while the low-slung, low-lit communal spaces are used as a local hangout for coffee-and- laptop-touting creatives and business meetings. Form follows function in the design of the rooms: think a greyscale palette, modern spot lighting poised exactly where you need it and bulldog clips on the wall holding notebooks and menus. Modern art, monochrome bathrooms and beds made for slumping complete the look. Try restaurant Hoi Polloi’s excellent modern European dishes, and don’t miss drinks on the rooftop for superb views across the capital. Doubles from £203.