From Donuts to Delirium

Every year, the Hoxton Hotel does a special rate on the internet, and Moi was lucky enough to snag it. On the appointed day, Hoxton offers a limited number of £1 per night rates (only one allowed per person). As you can imagine, the website is very hard to  access to at the time because there is so much Internet traffic. Luckily I have a super fast connection though, and I was very persistent. Nothing can stop the Housewife when she really wants something .

(Images from the Hoxton’s website)

The Hoxton is well located. It’s in London’s Zone 2, in a very trendy location called Shoreditch. It’s about a 5 minute walk from the nearest London Underground station. While not smack dab in the centre of London, all of London’s best attractions are still extremely accessible.

When you check in, they give you a little paper baggie. When you go to sleep, you hang the baggie by your door handle, and while you are sleeping, magical little elves come and fill it with a Pret a Manger breakfast! Hubby and I woke up earlier than we expected and kept checking to see if our brekfast had arrived. We get so excited at the prospect of food LOL. Our ears turned into little sonars, trying to detect movement outside our door. I thought maybe I could catch one of the elves and take it home, but alas, that was not to be.

Included in the breakfast is an orange juice, a banana, and a Pret pot (which is a berry compote topped with greek yogurt and some crunchy granola). It was so cool. Still, if you’d rather have a hot breakfast, they have the Hoxton Grill downstairs (where we also went and sampled some tea and toast… you know daaaaahlings, research). I am happy to report that nothing on the menu was rediculously overpriced, as is often the case in most hotels. In fact, the candy bars and sodas for sale in the lounge were cheaper than at the local convenience store! That is just unheard of!!!

We nibbled on our toast and marmalade in the lounge. The lounge was just so comfy, with overstuffed leather sofas and velvet arm chairs. The fires were burning in the fire place, and there were free newspapers available. It kind of reminded me of the cozy Barnes & Nobles that I miss so much from America. If you are not in hurry, this is  the perfect area to soak up some atmosphere or use the hotel’s free wi-fi. Mr P and I hung around here for a good hour or so.

So, what about the rooms? The rooms were a good size and had a great big window, which allowed us a lot of light (though the view was the back of some local offices). Mr P was spying into the windows across the street telling the plebs to “get to work” LOL.  Boy does he love to give orders, even when nobody can hear him. Maybe now you get an idea of what I have to deal with. The room was bright, clean, modern and had everything you could pretty much want. There are free waters and milk in the fridge, and coffee and tea stuff. Our bed was super comfy.

The shower was particularly lovely… but, let me tell you a little story. After we checked in, I told Mr P that I was really looking forward to a nice shower. Mr P insisted, however, that he must take a little walk. He wanted to see the lounge and stuff. Guess what Mr P did daaaaaaaaaahlings? He took the key card which also happens to control the lighting. So there I was, in the shower, I just started washing my hair, and all of the sudden it was pitch dark! “Nooooooooo!” I  yelled, but I knew Mr P(ea brain) could not hear me. So I spent the next twenty minutes showering in complete and utter darkness.  I’d like to tell you that it was a sensual experience, but no, it was just freaking weird. Bad Mr P, bad!!  When he came back into the room and brought me some Diet Cokes  (which I hadn’t even asked him for), I just couldn’t be angry at him. I just love him too much.  Oh, and in case you are wondering, because I always like to know, the hotel gives you Aveda shampoo and shower gel (but no conditioner!) and a nice full-size Pears soap. It was much nicer than getting one of those teeny hotel soaps that always slip out of your hands when you are showing (…in the dark).

Overall, I think the Hoxton is amazing value for a stylish budget hotel. If you are looking for a place to stay in London without totally breaking the bank, the Hoxton is fabulous. Great room, great price, great service! We thought it was so good that we booked another weekend for next month (at the full price rate, which came out to about £250 for 3 days, 2 nights–excellent for London prices).

Alright guys, want a little weekend get away of your own? I’ve partnered up with DiscountCoder.com to host a giveaway for a £25 voucher from Lastminute.com that you can use towards a stay in cool hotel, or a number of other awesome treats. If you are a UK resident (let me know if you are), just leave a comment and you will automatically be entered into a give away. The winner will be announced next week. Good luck!

Do check out the DiscountCoder website for some fab printable UK restaurant vouchers and other great deals.