A converted Edwardian town hall in Bethnal Green — the council chamber, the marble staircases, the civic grandeur of a building that was designed to give dignity to a poor borough — transformed into a hotel that retains every bit of that civic ambition while replacing the municipal function with something more luxurious. The De Beauvoir swimming pool in the basement is a blue-tiled room of municipal beauty. The apartments are enormous — many are converted from former council meeting rooms — with the ceiling heights and proportions that modern architecture cannot justify. The location is Bethnal Green, which means Victoria Park, Columbia Road flower market (Sundays), and the particular energy of East London that exists nowhere else in the city.
Location
Bethnal Green, London
Insider Intel
An apartment rather than a standard room — the converted council chambers have ceilings and proportions that make standard hotel rooms feel like a concession. The De Beauvoir pool is free to guests. Request a corner apartment facing Patriot Square for the best light.
Sunday, when Columbia Road flower market (a 15-minute walk) fills with flowers and East London fills with energy. Any season — the building's Edwardian solidity makes it a year-round destination.
8 Patriot Square, Bethnal Green. Bethnal Green tube. The building is a converted 1910 town hall — the civic architecture is the attraction. The De Beauvoir pool is in the basement. Apartments from £200 (larger than most London hotel rooms). Columbia Road flower market is a 15-minute walk (Sundays). Victoria Park is nearby. The Corner Room restaurant serves modern British food. Wifi included.