Why book?
Not only because this is the latest address from London’s swishest hotel group, but because it might just put Shepherd’s Bush—until now, a concrete jungle of Sainsbury’s Locals and kebab shops wedged between Notting Hill and Chiswick—on the map. Speaking of maps, each room is stocked with The Hoxton’s guide to the area, which makes a song and dance about its easy-to-reach location, but also spotlights a cluster of local haunts, from Notting Hill’s Buns at Home to Shepherd’s Bush Market. This is not a hotel putting on a glossy front in spite of its location—it’s a spot that’s putting down roots.
Set the scene
Overlooking Shepherd’s Bush Green, a blotch of grass carving through the busy roads here, the purpose-built Hoxton, with theatre-style signage splashed across the enormous glassy façade, looks more suited to Brooklyn than this scrappy slice of West London. Inside, you’re greeted first by the bar, plonked directly opposite the entrance, where punters scoot up on pink leather barstools for a late-afternoon lychee Martini. The lobby—as huge as the expansive front suggests—seems to stretch on for miles; flecked with squishy mustard chairs and pine green sofas where a North Face and signet ring-wearing crowd tap on laptop keyboards and murmur into AirPods, framed by seven-foot cheese plants. It’s a work-from-anywhere generation’s fantasy.
The backstory
The first Hoxton opened in 2006 in—you guessed it—Hoxton, Shoreditch, set in a former car park. For eight years, it was one of a kind. Then, in 2012, Indian-born Sharan Pasricha’s Ennismore snapped up the property, deftly turning it into a blueprint for the urban-cool neighborhood hangout that so many hotels now try to emulate. Expansion soon followed: down the road in Holborn and Southwark, in Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, and Rome, before taking off across the pond in Brooklyn, LA, and Portland. Now, the team is back on home turf, conjuring up a clever new stay out west. To create the space of their dreams, Ennismore bought and demolished a brutish 1960s-built office block, replacing it with a modern yet discreet hotel that marks a change in the tide for this under-the-radar borough.
The rooms
Outshine the other—really very gorgeous in their own right—London sister spots. And there are tons of them: 237 that range from cozy (read: tiny) to roomy (read: big enough, but by no means palatial). All embody the midcentury vibe that The Hoxton arguably gave legs to in the first place; all curvy lines that soften things out—a low chair by the window with timber semi-circle legs, a squiggly upholstered headboard, a wavy full-length mirror framed by a green metal rail that follows the glass’s scalloped edges. The vintage radio croons softly on arrival, the rattan lamp glows dimly, and that map we mentioned earlier is placed just so on the terrazzo table for your perusal.
Food and drink
Kris Yenbamroong, of James Beard-nominated Night + Market in LA, is behind Thai-Americana diner Chet’s. The concept befuddled my boyfriend before we arrived. “Thai American,” he kept repeating, as though I had told him we would be getting a meal deal from across the street and eating it in the just-fallen snow. Once we were settled in a booth—metal tables, leather banquette seats, ginormous mirrors, cute curtains separating each space—and crispy chicken wings and buttery roti started to arrive from the open kitchen, he was on board. Plates are fiery and fresh, leaning heavily on Thai flavors, but the cooks are unafraid to wrangle Asian ingredients into classically American dishes. Wedge salad comes with candied pork jowl and garlicky nam jim, the burger is doused in chilli and pickle. At breakfast, the smoked salmon plate—Secret Smokehouse salmon, fresh rye, a dollop of cream cheese—comes with coriander and cucumber pickle, and the stack of buttermilk pancakes is dusted in chili powder and served with cultured butter. Even without knowing any of the backstory, you would be hard-pressed to eat here and leave unsatisfied; food is warming and soulful, service is cheery, and the atmosphere is almost horizontally relaxed. The bar—the center point of the hotel’s first floor—is wrapped with stools filled by pre- or post-supper drinkers sipping on carefully crafted cocktails that pull South Asian flavors out of the kitchen and into the liquor cabinet.
The service
You might be fooled by the simple sweater-jeans-and-sneakers uniform into thinking that this is just a rag-tag group of pals running a hotel, were it not for the fact that things run incredibly smoothly from the reception to the bar.
The neighborhood/area
There’s no beating around the literal bush—this is an odd place for a smart hotel. There are no iconic landmarks to gawp at, no rows of cute houses to lust over, and very few restaurants worth booking. It is very well connected—you could just about walk to Notting Hill, the central line will deposit you in central or east London in no time, and the overground could whisk you off to Richmond or Hampstead Heath for a gasp of fresh air. The Hoxton, clearly, are betting big on regeneration being on the cards for the area, and are enough of a name to spearhead the movement. Now we wait.
Who comes here?
Curious locals thrilled to finally have a smart space to work, grab a cocktail, or arrange dinner with friends in their own backyard. Design lovers who have reasons to stay in West London. Out-of-towners who simply want somewhere gorgeous to rest their head.
For families and pets
Dogs and little ones fit in with the chilled-out atmosphere, although we can’t imagine kids being suitably impressed with the little touches that made us swoon—the Transport for London-inspired pattern on the chairs that throwback to the Transport Museum nearby; the Wes Anderson-style curved reception area; the quality of the orange wine served in the lobby bar. Still, they’ll be well looked after by cheery staff.
Eco effort
There’s a cute gift shop attached to the lobby, also accessible from the street, which sells refills for skincare products, and the team is arranging sustainably minded events with the likes of Plastic Freedom.
Accessibility
There are three lifts, wheelchair-accessible rooms, and all of the lobby is on one level, making it easier for those with mobility challenges to navigate.
Anything else to mention?
We visited during the winter’s first snowfall, but we spied a courtyard out back that will be a great little suntrap when warmer days roll around.
Is it worth it?
The Hoxton brand gets sweeter with age, and this latest opening fits right into the 12-strong portfolio. The location is convenient, if not yet achingly cool, and having a chic address up your sleeve in West London feels like a win for everyone.
65 Shepherd’s Bush Green, London, W12 8QE
England
https://thehoxton.com/london/shepherds-bush/
+44 20 3540 3140