The hotel on the corner of Curtain Road in Shoreditch has lived several lives in the last decade. First as the chic Curtain Boutique, then The Mondrian and now – as of August 2024 – Richard Branson’s first London property.
Great care has been taken to gradually transition from hotels of old to Virgin new. Exposed brickwork, lifts drenched in deep red light, pops of colour everywhere and even a small flower filled room just off the check-in desk for either snapping some content or judging other people snapping some content. This new Virgin outpost is Shoreditch through and through.
The rooms
With segmented floor to ceiling windows and industrial brickwork, you can look forward to bedding down in your own luxury East London warehouse in any of the hotel’s 120 rooms.
As with Virgin properties worldwide, the rooms are divided into chambers and suites. The suites are perfect if you’re looking for a touch more space for entertaining or kicking back. The beds are sensational, with the signature Virgin corner nooks for added lounge-ability.
The bathrooms all come equipped with steam showers and clear instructions for use, offering an in-room spa experience without the added expense or journey down to the Blue Marlin treatment rooms tucked down in the basement. All of the sixth floor rooms come with a private outdoor terrace, with great views of iconic, graffiti-splashed Shoreditch.
The chambers are slightly smaller than the suites, but no less luxurious. They each come furnished with the same statement Smeg fridges, steam showers, those divine beds and the Marshall speaker that has become something of a mainstay on London’s luxury hotel scene.
The penthouse – or Sir Richard’s flat to use the hotel’s parlance – is the funkily-decorated creme de la creme. At 1025 ft², the bedroom (featuring a roll top bath just feet from the double-nooked kingsize bed) interconnects with the main area which contains a sprawling living room and full kitchen.
Being in the heart of ever-lively/lovely East London, I arrived expecting hustle and bustle, but was pleasantly surprised by just how little noise actually passed through those warehouse-esque window. Travellers looking for total silence, however, should look elsewhere.
Eating & Drinking
Back down on the ground floor, Hidden Grooves has so much of what makes a London bar great- Mid-century flair, actually comfortable velvet bar stools (red, of course), a fantastic cocktail and bar-food menu, and a rotation of vinyl-only DJs who borrow from the bar’s own extensive collection to provide the soundtrack for your visit. The signature cocktails, too, have been created in conversation with records from the same collection.
Standouts include Gabriel’s Cloud (a “reimagined daiquiri” and a nod to Peter Gabriel’s first solo effort which is made with white rum, citrus, sugar, and a hint of Cointreau and arrives under a mint bubbly cloud which gradually “rains” down into the glass), The Medusa’s Kiss (a botanical twist on a Gimlet, served in a delicate jellyfish glass and requires a bubble gun to complete) and Black Groove (a twist on the reliable espresso martini featuring banana infused vodka and rum, peanut butter fatwash and espresso).
The food on the menu is similarly solid and when navigated wisely can add up to a filling dinner. We ordered the Korean Fried Cauliflower (divine), the cheese selection (not too much, not too little) and the crispy squid with almond crumb and lime mayo (you’ll want to order more). The staff in the bar mirror its vibe- warm, welcoming and full of charm.
The other in-hotel dining and drinking option is the Mediterranean style member’s club Blue Marlin, which you’ll find up on the seventh floor and is accessible to both hotel guests and club members. Floor 7 is also where you’ll find the hotel’s small rooftop pool. You won’t be practicing your butterfly stroke (at least not without collecting a few enemies and getting water in everyone’s rose) but during often muggy London summers, it’s bliss.
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5 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT; Virgin Hotel Shoreditch
