Z Shoreditch

The fourth London outlet of the recommended design-aware budget Z chain opened here at the gateway to Shoreditch/Hoxton (and the rest of happening east London) in March 2015. The rules are the same, with prices, room sizes and facilities all kept to a minimum, but with a guaranteed flair for detail. The foyer of this converted office building, located just north of the Old Street roundabout (and tube station) in the newfangled Bower retail development, has an cleaned-up industrial feel. Only about half of the rooms come with windows, with prices reflecting with or without. A designer budget hotel with 85 compact rooms and prices to match, located just off Cambridge Circus, at the entrance to Soho. What it lacks in frills it compensates in attention to detail and location location location. Enclosed but airy courtyard and expanded rooftop terrace are also a bonus. World Pride slept here in 2012 as its official 'preferred hotel'. Opened in November 2011, with a second similarly conceived and designed sibling in Victoria since 2012. A third hotel, Z Piccadilly [see entry], opened not far from Leicester Square in June 2014. Other Z outlets: Z Soho, Gloucester Place, Holborn (trafficky Kingsway), Covent Garden (Bedford St), the City (Fleet St), Strand, Tottenham Court Rd (Poland St, also in Soho) and Trafalgar (Chandos Place, also in Covent Garden).