New Road Hotel, Whitechapel, London, Hotel Review – Recently we stayed a night in The New Road Hotel, a boutique hotel in Whitechapel as part of our Christmas trip to London. We had spent the day on the open top sightseeing bus and at the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and were absolutely exhausted. As soon as I got to the hotel I felt better – the staff were so friendly and the hotel itself was warm and welcoming.
There are lots of fabulous hotels in London but New Road Hotel ticked all the boxes for us. We had two adjoining rooms between the four of us (rooms 318 and 320). You entered the rooms through one door and then came into a large hallway with two more doors. The room on the right had a king size bed with a huge TV just above its footboard. There was also a dressing table and clothes storage area.
The bathroom was partitioned off with an opaque glass wall and was large and decadent feeling with a big shower head and some lovely smelling toiletries.
The other room was a twin room with the beds pushed together. We took this room as the twins made a super king size bed and we like lots of room! Both beds were very firm. Our bathroom was a little smaller but still as nice with its own shower and the same lovely toiletries.
We also had a massive Samsung TV. Both TVs had all the freeview channels including the kids channels, so that, and the free wi-fi throughout the hotel kept them occupied.
New Road Hotel, Whitechapel, London – Hotel Review
The decor at the New Road Hotel was very New York loft style chic in both rooms with some exposed brickwork, harking back to the building’s history as a textile factory. I absolutely loved the electric blinds that were operated by a switch by the bed. I would love these at home (bonus points if they could be operated by Alexa, you know, switches are such an effort…). I particularly liked the lovely wide corridors. You can’t really see from my picture but the wallpaper in between the doors were all different patterns and was wonderfully retro eclectic.
The rooms do not have tea and coffee making facilities but instead on every floor there is a vending machine that makes tea, coffee and hot chocolate and is free to use. You can imagine how much Master T loved this, and visited several times for hot chocolate! On our floor there was also an ironing station with several ironing boards and irons available to use.
It was brilliant to have a separate but joined bedroom for the kids. The only issue was that the doors are the heavy fire door type, and we needed to prop both doors open to be able to keep an eye on the children. This wouldn’t be a problem if you had older children though. We did notice some noise in the evening from the road outside (does everyone in London beep their horns?) but we live in the middle of nowhere and we are not used to it, so if you are, you will be fine. I think the children found it quite exciting!
On the second floor you will find a games room with a bright red pool table, another complimentary drinks machine, a snack vending machine and an arcade game with lots of retro games on it – that is absolutely free to use (brilliant!).
That evening we had dinner at Mr White’s English Chophouse, a restaurant by Marco Pierre White with a menu that centres around steaks, grills and chops. The restaurant had a vibrant atmosphere that fitted in well with the hotel. Good muted lighting and candles on the table set a nice relaxed tone. Our waiter greeted us and gave us a menu each, making recommendations as he did so.
Mr Wonders began the meal with Wheeler’s Crispy Calamari, served with sauce tartare and fresh lemon.
Whilst I indulged in the baked St Marcellin with a balsamic glaze and sourdough toast. In case you didn’t know (like me) this is similar to a baked Camembert, but I found it creamier and nuttier in taste. If you are a cheese lover like me then, be sure not to miss it.
The children chose from the kids’ menu. Miss H went for crispy fish bites which I could see myself eating!
Master T chose chicken crunch:
For our main course, our waiter recommended the Roast Chateaubriand to share. We requested medium and it was cooked perfectly. It was rich and tender and just delicious. It was served with roasted vine tomatoes and triple cooked chips. My mouth is watering at the memory!
The children, to my surprise chose cheese omelettes for their main courses. I thought Master T would go for a build your own burger and Miss H for fish and chips, but I was wrong. They ate everything though, so clearly enjoyed it.
Finally for dessert, Mr W went for the Sticky toffee pudding which he describes as ‘jolly nice’ which is a compliment indeed from him.
Master T chose the chocolate brownie sundae which came looking terribly elegant and grown up:
While Miss H went off menu and requested a bowl of fruit (and the staff very helpfully obliged!)
And me? I went for a double cheese extravaganza and ordered the cheese board. Oh my goodness, it was lovely, but I was so full at the end of it!
In the morning, after yet another visit to the vending machine, we popped downstairs for breakfast. We were invited to choose from six cooked items, like a full English, veggie full English or pancakes. Mr W and I went for the full English while the children went for pancakes! The full English was served hot in this cast iron skillet.
We were also offered tea or coffee and could visit the breakfast buffet area for pastries, bread rolls, juice and fruit. You could also help yourself to toast and jam.
The New Road Hotel is a great place to stay for families visiting London (it’d be great without kids too). It’s just three minutes from Whitechapel Tube station, so really easy to getting back to after a long day seeing the sights. There are some lovely touches, like the games room and the vending machines that give it a really contemporary and forward thinking feel. The decor is modern and sophisticated but comfortable and welcoming. We would definitely go back.
We were invited to stay and review New Road Hotel but as always all the opinions expressed are my own.