As the Shoreditchification of London continues unabated, it may be time to return to the original - and you can’t get closer to the heart of Shoreditch than the Courthouse Hotel, situated directly opposite the old town hall.
The building, formerly the Old Street Magistrates’ Court, is in Edwardian Baroque style with a Grade II listed foyer creating a simple but effective contrast with the modern design of the rooms.
In fact on the face of it, there is a lot to admire about the way the hotel has been fitted around the design of the old court buildings. Prison cells are pleasingly repurposed into booths for one of the hotel’s three bars and the spacious lobby area really does create a sense of imposing authority. The prison theme takes hold all the way down to the drinks menu as the in-house mixologists create cocktails with names like “Ball and Chain” or “Liquid Cosh”.
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The hotel itself features 128 rooms and suites. All of them come with the high-spec you’d expect from a premium venture, including flat-screen TV and complimentary bathrobes and slippers in the en-suite bathroom. The Hoxton Suite that we stayed in also featured a separate seating area complete with another huge TV.
Beds are supremely comfortable and despite being on a main road the rooms appear to be very well soundproofed. The gym area as well as the pool and sauna are open from 6am every day while the rooftop bar promises to be one of London’s most desirable spots come summer.
Sadly despite all the trappings, some aspects of our stay at the Courthouse hotel left us feeling a little cold. The rooms, while certainly sizeable, lack for character - with huge, empty bookshelves giving the feeling of an unfurnished new-build rather than five-star opulence.
On the Tuesday evening we visited, the restaurant was deserted and thus felt rather soulless. While the food was perfectly well cooked and the experience decent overall, we couldn’t blame the couple that walked in, sat down and then quickly left. Breakfast was a much busier affair with an impressive offering in both the continental and cooked range.
We also had an issue with a non-flushing toilet and a problem - indeed that most first-world of ones - with the bathroom television. And while they were quickly and seemingly easily fixed by conscientious and eager-to-please staff, added together these faults undermined our enjoyment.
Hopefully, this was just a one-off, as the hotel itself is perfectly positioned among the cafés, restaurants and galleries of bustling Shoreditch.
For further information about Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch, 335-337 Old Street London EC1V 9LL, or to book your stay call 020 3310 5555 or visit here.
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