A staycation at The Hoxton Southwark with Trouva [ad – press trip]

[ad – press trip: I was invited to stay at The Hoxton Southwark by The Hoxton and Trouva]

A staycation in your own city? That’s exactly what I did last week – hopped on a train for 20 minutes and found myself as a tourist in my own city, staying at the smart new The Hoxton Southwark in London.

Living on the border of zones 2 in south London and working from home, I don’t often find myself in the centre of the capital. So as the train was pulling into London Blackfriars I got a twinge of excitement seeing the bubble-like carriages of the London Eye revealing themselves in glimpses through buildings and then the famous curves of the River Thames. Plus it was a Monday evening and if there’s any night that’s the best for a luxurious hotel stay it’s a Monday; when everyone else is in the humdrum of the beginning of the working week and the city is still a little bit sleepy.

I was invited for this Monday treat by The Hoxton and Trouva, an online curated marketplace that brings together the best bricks-and-mortar independent shops from across the country and further afield. What better place to learn more about the beautiful homewares they sell than in the effortlessly cool setting of The Hoxton Southwark. In the Hoxton’s event space The Apartment, we got creative and took part in a terrazzo coaster workshop with Katie Gillies, before heading down to The Albie for dinner and going our separate ways to enjoy our rooms and Trouva spoils!

The Hoxton Southwark opened in September this year. Sandwiched geographically between Tate Modern and Waterloo Station, the 17th storey, light grey brick building can be found a short stroll from the South Bank. With large Crittall-style windows and a cluster of verdant plants concealing a run of outdoor seating, it looks like you’ve stepped into a very hip scene from New York.

Inside, the designers have expertly balanced industrial features – exposed brick walls, a concrete ceiling and exposed ductwork – with more retro details and quirky finds. The lobby feels like a cool club lounge with plenty of quiet corners to hide away. Even though the architecture is grand and imposing, there’s a feeling of cosiness thanks to dimmed lighting and soft textures like velvet. There’s on-trend cane chairs and terrazzo tables, paired with vintage-style brass chandeliers and gallery walls to add a sense of uniqueness.

Even if you’re not staying but were in the area and fancied a coffee, it’s well worth a visit. Not to mention the two restaurants – you’ll find an all-day restaurant Albie with a French and Italian riviera inspired menu on the ground floor and chic seafood restaurant Seabird on the rooftop.

The Hoxton Southwark has 192 rooms varying in size from the compact Shoebox for solo trips (from £100) to the Biggy with double-aspect wall-to-wall windows that look out towards the river (from £240). I stayed in a Cosy room (from £155), which felt really generous for a London hotel room – there’s a small table and chairs, a queen size bed and plenty of room to move around without having to shuffle around the bed.

The bedrooms again combine elements of industrial city living with something cosier from the country. You wouldn’t think that a velvet head board and wooden panelling would work with a bare concrete ceiling but it does. The brass lighting and marble surfaces make it feel warm and luxurious.

I love the little touches that make it a bit more personal and nuanced than a stark hotel room – such as the artwork above the bed and the curated selection of books on the console table. There’s even a little map and guide with cool places to discover in the neighbourhood. Breakfast comes in the form of a paper bag hung on your door in the morning, or you can go down to the Albie for something more substantial.

My husband (still getting used to staying that word) and sausage dog Francis joined me for the night – they didn’t want to miss out on a stay at a fancy hotel! It’s so great to find a hotel in London that’s doggy-friendly – they provide a dog bed, bowl (made of marble don’t you know – Francis has never been so pampered!) and just like for the humans, a map of local haunts that welcome dogs. I don’t actually have any photos of Francis in situ in the room but he was here – Olivier took him off to the office so I could enjoy a slow morning and take some snaps of the hotel!

A selection of Trouva’s boutiques had kindly hand-picked us a few gifts to give us a taster of what they offer online and in store. I’ll be expanding on this and sharing my own favourite UK independent shops in a separate post, but for now I thought I’d highlight a few of the products.

In the morning, I enjoyed fragrant Earl Grey tea from Clerkenwell’s Good & Proper Tea, who brew in-house blends of artisanal tea (the cafe’s cute too), in a tactile beige stoneware mug from Islington boutique HAYGEN (I think you’ll love their mix of contemporary and Scandic-style homeware). I felt rejuvenated after a shower with products inspired by Japanese bathing from Earl of East, and put on a beautiful, new, minimalist pendant from North London-based jewellery studio A Weathered Penny.

I think Trouva’s a great place to find unique, handmade designs and personal presents with a story – it’ll definitely be my one-stop-shop for my Christmas list (for others and maybe a cheeky treat for myself)!

With late check-out at 12pm, I really didn’t want to leave this cosy setting and inviting bed. The room was so quiet and peaceful that you didn’t feel like you were in London at all. But back to reality I needed to go…

I’ll definitely be back to The Hoxton Southwark, whether it’s just for a coffee or another staycation to escape the world.