Hoxton Shepherd’s Bush hotel review: A stylish west London pad for trendy travellers

In a nutshell: The Hoxton’s petite-but-chic crashpads are popping up all over Europe, but they specialise in an underrated neighbourhood – this new west London outpost puts you within strolling distance of Westfield, gig venues and Notting Hill.

The neighbourhood

Shepherd’s Bush (please don’t call it SheBu) has been a hub for gig-goers, shoppers and locals for years, but it hasn’t so far been deemed worthy of a hotel. Now The Hoxton has swept in with a new boutique pad, a travel industry stamp of approval looks imminent. Set on the main triangle of Shepherd’s Bush Green, The Hoxton is just a few steps from Westfield’s mega-mall, and five minutes from the tube, making it a nice, chilled base for visitors to London who want to stay out of the Zone 1 crush. While SB itself (outside of Westfield) is mainly convenience stores and chain restaurants, being in West London puts you within a 30-minute stroll of charismatic Portobello Road in Notting Hill, not to mention White City with its glam new developments, and Soho House.

The vibe

Smart, stylish and reasonably no-frills. The Hoxton is affordable because it doesn’t throw the budget at extras like living room areas in rooms or silver-plated room service: instead, it has a reliably buzzy lobby with a sceney restaurant. As you walk in, you’ll spy twenty- and thirtysomething professionals talking shop over drinks, tapping away on laptops or simply decompressing with a cocktail. But don’t mistake low-frills for low spend: the interiors here are gorgeous, with vintage references, plush velvet on seating and art on the walls. Being outside of central London and on the edge of a green, there’s also a mellow quality to the Shepherd’s Bush Hoxton – less traffic honking and practically no tour groups, and the ability to slip out into the local thrum without feeling overwhelmed. One of the best things about these hotels is their flexibility: you can even arrange to check in and out at any time you want on the day you arrive and leave (though you need to book directly for that perk).

Bed and bath

Rooms start from teeny tiny (“Snug”) to reasonable (“Roomy”) with just the bare essentials, but attractively done. A small desk with tea station, clothing rail, mirror and a chair to rest those Westfield…