The Curtain, London, hotel review, Scotland on Sunday travel

The five-star The Curtain opened in 2017, near the site of the former Curtain Theatre, venue for some of Shakespeare's plays. It has a heated rooftop pool, private members club, restaurants and gym

The Curtain, London

Emerging from the underground at Old Street, our first view of East London is one of the Capital’s booming technology hub, so-called Silicon Roundabout.

The muddled streetscape of down-at-heel red brick buildings and pristine towers of glass and steel seems to be mirrored in the incongruous mix of smart hipster galleries and graffiti-covered walls that speak to the district’s arty undertones.

One of the hote's 120 rooms and suites, designed to give guests a taste of New York warehouse living

We set off on the short walk to our five-star hotel, The Curtain, Shoreditch, ready to rub shoulders with some of the young creatives and trendsetters said to frequent the area’s fashionable bars and restaurants.

Owned by Michael Achenbaum, president of New York’s Gansevoort Hotel Group, it opened in 2017, a stone’s throw from the recently rediscovered site of the former Curtain Theatre, venue for some of Shakespeare’s early premieres.

The hotel’s heated rooftop pool, private members club, restaurants and gym, are centred around 120 rooms and suites, designed to give guests a taste of New York warehouse living.

Budget or boutique?

Don’t be misled by the unconcealed pipes and heating ducts. This is a stylish boutique establishment with its own brand of edgy, urban luxury.

Room service

Exposed brickwork, hardwood floors and a large wall-to-wall window give our junior loft suite a definite Manhattan vibe, with metallic wall coverings and trendy artwork to complete the look. If this is warehouse living, it’s obviously scaled down, but the room is airy, with a sprawling king-sized bed and comfy Chesterfield leather armchairs.

In keeping with the stateside theme, we select a smooth jazz playlist for the room’s bluetooth-enabled Marshall speaker and turn our attention to the minibar on wheels. More like an elaborate drinks trolley, it’s loaded with top brand spirits and everything we need to create our own cocktails.

There’s no bath, but our marble bathroom features a gleaming walk-in rainfall shower room that doubles as a steam room.

Wining and dining

Dinner at the hotel’s Red Rooster restaurant sees us transported from Manhattan to Harlem by the soul food menu of acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson, whose dishes bring a cosmopolitan twist to the traditional cuisine of the American South.

We start with grilled squid, scallop ceviche and a Brussels sprout salad (a real revelation). In contrast to the refinement of the starters, but equally satisfying, our sharing main is more of a roll your sleeves up and get stuck in affair. A giant sparkler heralds the arrival of the Bird Royale Feast – a crispy-coated chicken brought to the table whole, before being portioned and served with sides of mac n greens, waffles, southern biscuits, cabbage and a delicious gravy.

Menu and music go hand in hand courtesy of a live R&B band, and it’s not long before the hits of Al Green, Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross have diners up and dancing between tables.

Afternoon tea can be taken in the Green Room, The Curtain’s vibrant new

cocktail bar.

Worth getting out of bed for

Breakfast is served until 11am, catering for those who’ve enjoyed the neighbourhood’s nocturnal attractions, be it the pubs, independent cinemas or popular clubs, such as Cargo and XOYO.

A dip in the heated Moroccan-style pool will set you up for the day, providing you’re happy to strut your stuff in view of your fellow brunchers. Open until 10pm, it’s located beside the hotel’s private Lido bar and brasserie, with retractable glass roof and open views of the City.

The whole area is a shoppers’ paradise, full of vintage stores, quirky design shops and markets. Brick Lane street food market, Spitalfields and the famous Columbia Road flower market are all highly recommended.

We took a wander to nearby Boxpark. Billed as the world’s first pop-up mall, it’s a quirky shopping, eating and drinking destination, made entirely from sea containers.

Little extras

If you’re staying in one of the suites and fancy a work-out in situ, a state-of-the-art Peloton spinning bike can be brought to your room. Maybe next time.

Guest book comments

Seriously cool, this hotel is upmarket but unstuffy, laid back and yet dynamic.

Julie Douglas

Rooms from £145 a night. The starting rate for a junior loft suite, like ours, is £340, including breakfast. The Curtain, 45 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3PT (0203 146 4545, thecurtain.com)