The Hoxton, Holborn

There was a time when a phenomenon like the Hoxton, Holborn would have been a comical mismatch of hotel and location. For as convenient as the Central London neighborhood of Holborn may be, it’s not nearly as colorful as the eccentric corner of East London that gave the Hoxton hotels their name. But Holborn has been in the ascendant for a few years now, and we’ll be the first to tell you that a well-conceived hotel can do wonders to help that process along.

The look, as in all the Hoxton hotels, is eclectic and a bit rough-edged, with industrial patina and late-modernist retro colliding in inspiring ways. The rooms don’t mince words; they range from Shoebox and Snug sizes all the way up to Roomy and even Biggy, and at all levels they’re comfortable without being ostentatious, furnished with handmade mattresses, rainfall showers, USB outlets, and mini-fridges stocked with water and milk (and more staples available at reception for supermarket, rather than minibar, prices).

Another thoughtful luxury is the Hoxton’s partnership with Soho House, who bring considerable expertise to the hotel’s food and beverage program. Hubbard & Bell, the all-day lobby restaurant, serves modern British classics at communal tables, while the basement Chicken Shop is exactly what it sounds like, only somehow stylish at the same time. And Holborn’s renaissance — and central location — means there’s no end to the options outside your door.