Virgin’s London Shoreditch hotel blends 1970s grit with modern cool | Canada Voices

The Virgin brand is about as British as it gets. It was born in 1970s London when flower-power energy mixed with the era’s vibrant, punk, funk and disco movements. Richard Branson and Nik Powell were fresh-faced twentysomethings when they launched a mail-order record company that quickly grew into Virgin Records, signing seminal British acts including the Sex Pistols, The Rolling Stones and Genesis.

So, it was wonderfully on-brand when I arrived too early for check-in at the Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch and was steered toward Hidden Grooves, a cozy enclave off the lobby that is a music buff’s dream. The hi-fi cocktail lounge just opened in April and it’s filled with hundreds of classic LPs, vintage record players, and snapshots of Branson grinning outside the first Virgin megastore on Oxford Street.

I’m told by the bartender that Sir Richard – who was knighted in 2010 and sits atop a global brand that dabbles in everything from space travel to hospitality, telecom and health care – had a hand in curating many of the retro touches. Those touches include a cocktail menu that offers a Punk Punch, a spicy margarita inspired by the Sex Pistol’s 1977 album God Save the Queen, and a Gabriel’s Cloud, a frothy daiquiri that tips its hat to Peter Gabriel’s eponymous 1977 album.

When the front desk comes to tell me my “chamber” is ready (that’s Virgin-speak for room), I’m eager to see if the time-capsule décor carries through to the rest of the hotel.

Why you should visit

Virgin Hotels’ Shoreditch location is its eighth hotel – but I was surprised to learn this was the brand’s first London location, given the company’s deep connections to the city. General manager David Monson said Branson wanted a building and a neighbourhood that felt right. He found it on Curtain Road in Shoreditch, London’s scrappy hub of art, tech and fashion.

This building, which would look right at home in Manhattan’s Meatpacking district, hit all the right notes. Cool, industrial-style architecture? Check. A kitschy rooftop pool and restaurant/bar space? Yep. Forget Mayfair polish; here, Virgin fits right in with the cool kids.

My chamber was a junior suite terrace on the sixth floor, located just below Sir Richard’s Flat (a 1,025-square-foot penthouse that can be rented out with adjoining rooms to encompass the entire top floor). My room wasn’t palatial (few hotel rooms in London are) but it was charming. And, yes, the 1970s vibe carries through.

Over the past year, the rooms (including 14 suites) have all been upgraded with trademark Virgin touches – fire-engine red doors with big brass knockers, cherry-coloured Smeg fridges, retro Marshall Bluetooth speakers and Moroccan rugs handmade by artisans sponsored by the Eve Branson Foundation (Richard’s mom).

The best thing, though, was the terrace, which was bigger than my room, and had a jaw-dropping view over Shoreditch and Brick Lane, where you will want to spend a few hours rummaging through the vintage clothing shops.

Room for improvement

I’m a sucker for a good hotel robe. I didn’t get one in my room. No slippers, either, which is a major demerit for a hotel that bills itself as a five-star property.

And while the hotel is managed by the Virgin Group, some of the public spaces that guests have access to (such as a well-equipped gym, a private member’s club and the rooftop restaurant Marlin’s) are run by a third party. Perhaps because of that, Marlin’s, where I had breakfast, felt out of step with the rest of the hotel’s character. With its rattan flourishes and tropical vibe, it felt more in keeping with its former proprietor (Ibiza’s Blue Marlin) than its current one.

Since you’re in the neighbourhood

The hotel is within easy walking distance to markets such as Old Spitalfields (artisan vendors and food stalls), Brick Lane (vintage galore and an amazing chocolatier, Dark Sugars) and Box Park (a market made from shipping containers with independent boutiques). Sadly, I wasn’t in Shoreditch long enough to be able to enjoy the Columbia Road Flower Market, which is only open on Sundays.

Two food spots stood out and I can’t wait to go back: First is E Pellicci, a 100-year-old, family-run café on Bethnall Green Road. I snagged a chair at one of the six tables inside (there are an additional four outside), and was served the best hand-breaded chicken escalope sandwich by the founder’s granddaughter Anna. (The pesto, which Anna made fresh that morning, was, well, impeccable.)

Lively and boisterous, Anna and her brother – who now run their grandparents’ place – switch easily between English and Italian as their greet customers by name. It offers all-day breakfast and heaping plates of Italian classics such as lasagna with bechamel, spaghetti Bolognese and cannelloni. Bring cash, as the cafe doesn’t take debit or credit.

Next is Towpath Cafe. Years ago, I was given the Towpath cookbook and have always wanted to visit this open-air eatery on Regent’s Canal in Haggerston. A 25-minute walk from the hotel, it’s only open spring through fall. My son Dylan and I sat on benches with tables set with jam jars of pretty wildflowers, and ordered simple, seasonal dishes (an artichoke appetizer with a zingy vinaigrette, a confit of Marinda tomatoes and braised lentils and chicken Marbella). It’s a throwback to simpler times.

The takeaway

Shoreditch is where London’s past meets its future. It blends old-school grit with modern cool. Virgin’s hipster pedigree as a wild child of the seventies helps it fit right in. It feels like the brand has come home, back to its scrappy, culture-shaping roots.

Virgin Hotel London-Shoreditch, 45 Curtain Rd, London; Rooms start at £295 a night; my suite was £525, including taxes and fees. Espresso machines are in each room but breakfast is not included. For more details: virginhotels.com/london-shoreditch

The writer was a guest of the hotel. It did not review or approve the story before publication.