The Most Budget-Friendly Hotels Near Shoreditch, London

When it opened in 2006 in a primarily industrial area, this spot wrote the rulebook on East London’s hotel scene. Its enormous lobby is still a favourite with local freelancers sipping coffee or cocktails while staring into their MacBooks, and the Chicago-inspired grill, complete with photo booth and scarlet banquettes, always has a convivial buzz. Bedrooms have parquet floors and wooden work/storage units concealing vintage Roberts radios. If value is high on your list, their shoebox rooms are very competitive for such a sleek finish.

The fourth London property in Hilton’s Curio Collection brand, this smart spot feels more like a boutique bolthole than a chain hotel. Its name was inspired by the building’s former owners, a family of cabinet makers in the 1800s. Interiors nod to the area’s industrial heritage with a sweeping wrought-iron staircase and mahogany accents. Tuck into a Levantine feast of sharing plates at Barboun before heading to Tavla for a barrel-aged nightcap to a soundtrack provided by East London DJs.

“Eclectic” is the best word to describe the vibe at this Dutch budget hotel chain. Up a whimsical spiral staircase, you’ll find an enormous lobby, filled with millennial guests on their laptops or flicking through the hotel’s vinyl collection. Check-in is via an iPad, and the tech theme continues in the rooms with an iPad controlling the lighting and blinds, so you don’t have to get out of your king-sized bed unnecessarily. There’s no gym on site, but guests have access to a Nuffield gym down the road, a good excuse to rub shoulders with locals.

Located within a commercial quarter called the Bower in Old Street, the Shoreditch branch of this hip-on-a-budget chain is set within a striking building that dates back to 1898. Once through the arched facade, however, it’s all industrial metal girders, tiles in varying shades of grey and pendant lighting. Rooms are small and cleverly designed, with underbed storage and hooks for hanging clothes. The windowless doubles will leave you with more money to spend on beautiful books at nearby Artwords, or on street food and beer at Boxpark.

The area around Redchurch Street is home to several of Shoreditch’s best restaurants (Brat, Smoking Goat), and it’s therefore appropriate that this sleek boutique option from the Soho House Group is essentially a restaurant with 37 rooms. Cecconi’s specialises in sharing bowls of honest Italian pasta and small plates inspired by Venice’s tradition of cicchetti. Once you’ve had your fill, stumble upstairs to rooms that are categorised by price from tiny to large. Even the snugger ones have Cowshed toiletries and a cocktail tray.

Perfect for business travellers or those only looking for a comfortable bed with few unnecessary fripperies, this hotel is within walking distance of Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane’s fragrant curry houses and the gleaming towers of the City. Scrupulously clean rooms boast Hypnos beds, power showers, 40-inch televisions and little else, while service is efficient and reliable. A surprisingly large, paved garden with a coffee shack is an added bonus, particularly for such a central location.

The thing that separates Qbic from other budget chains is its sustainability credentials, and their Whitechapel outpost is no exception. They’ve installed solar panels and motion sensor LED lighting, plus banished single-use plastic. Striking artwork in cheerfully painted bedrooms comes from Café Art, a charity that supports homeless photographers throughout London. If you forgo housekeeping, you’ll be rewarded with a free tipple in the bar. Although Whitechapel is still a little rough around the edges, you’re moments from Aldgate East tube and just a 10-minute walk from the Square Mile.

Given that it’s within five minutes’ walk of the street art and vintage markets of Brick Lane, this compact, functional hotel boasts a killer price point. From the wooden floorboards to the communal microwave and snowy bed linen, everything about it is clean and comfortable – perfect for night owls planning on making the most of East London’s music scene. The decor is industrial and functional, nodding to the building’s origins as a textile factory, while a continental breakfast is offered over the road at the Cosy Café.

On summer weekends, city workers queue for hours to sip cocktails on Boundary’s heated roof terrace, but guests are always given priority. Their rooftop restaurant, the Orangery, takes inspiration from the Mediterranean or Alps depending on the season; a night beneath its twinkling lights is a must. The 17 bedrooms were designed by Terence and Vicki Conran, and all refer to a different 20th-century designer. Have a think if you’re more David Tang decadence or Le Corbusier cool before you book.