The Mondrian Hotel, previously home at the Sea Containers, has moved hotel houses! After a 2 year hiatus they are back moving across to sassy Shoreditch! Occupying the former Curtain hotel… which not only continues their rooftop reputation, from their infamous Southbank rooftop, they have gone a step further. They are now boasting inheriting a rare London rooftop with a pool, known as Altitude.
Most rooftop pools in London are at the exclusive use of members of the likes of Soho House. And this is too, for Curtain members who have retained some rights on this rooftop. But there is an exciting twist! Stay at this fabulous hotel and take your breakfast on the roof and in the mornings this pool is exclusively for guests. So naturally I had to!
There are some caveats. You can’t sneak up before morning (well am sure some might manage it but unlikely). You have till 12 to splash around but then you must be gone! Check out is also 12, so I requested an extra hour so we had time after to shower, change etc or would be even shorter.
Breakfast is in itself is worth the effort rather than room service – no matter how much tequila you drank downstairs the night before. (I can neither confirm nor deny that happened.) But let’s just say sipping your caffeine of choice in the fresh air then plunging in to that pool washing away the night before just can’t be beaten.
The service was a little slow but wrapped up in our robes, sitting out in (almost) autumn sunshine it felt like a mini holiday, just at home! The pool is small, don’t think this is your time to burn off that tequila with laps – this is a dip time pool. Perfectly picturesque and a temperature that tequila hangover will disappear in.
But it would be remiss not to work backwards and share the whole adventure so you too could be as hungover and appreciate this pool as much as I did. I’ll start with dinner below the rooftop. As the hotel is now home to the famous Michelin chef, Dani Garcia and the newly opened, Bibo restaurant.
Spanish tapas from the very affordable to the absolute not. All was delicious – kale and prawns my personal favourite but the theatrical flamed sausages are worth it for the drama! The atmosphere was electric. It was a Saturday in Shoreditch at its finest: bustling and busy! So book if you are staying as you won’t want to miss this experience.
After dinner then stay for a drink at the restaurant bar if you can’t tear yourself away from the vibe. Or there is a bar in the lobby where craftsmen in their cocktails making my glass of fizz flamboyant. There’s also organic and biodynamic wines available or if all else defaults you… there’s always tequila!
There is even a mirrored instillation room as a homage to artist Yayoi Kusama, for guests to feel like buzz light year – infinity and beyond! (I made up the bit about buzz!) But it’s definitely fun at cinderella o’clock with new friends you may or may not have made in the bar!
And then to bed. The Mondrian Hotel honours the Shoreditch vibe with the exposed brick and electric decorated rooms, coffee machine and and delicious toiletries.
But the mark of a good hotel room for me is cleanliness and the comfiness of the beds – both excelled and if it wasn’t for a rooftop pool calling me in the morning, room service would have won!
And if can’t face getting dressed pop on your swimmers and your robe and head to that rooftop pool… sunglasses & your phone is all you need for the rest of the morning.
