Following enormous success with his chain of sandwich shops, one of the founders of Prêt a Manger, along with partners from the luxury hotel sector, plan a chain of ‘luxury budget’ hotels of which the Hoxton will be the flagship.

The Hotel will include a bar and restaurant, to be run by Room restaurants, and a business centre, with 7 meeting rooms available for private hire. Set in trendy Hoxton, the bar/restaurant will become a destination in itself, adding to the area’s vibrant club and bar scene.

Following a lengthy feasibility stage, during which a number of options and sites were considered and rejected, work started in earnest to develop budgets and procurement routes in 2003. Design and build tenders were sought late in 2004, and a contract signed in May 2005, due for completion in July 2006.

The building itself is 205 bedrooms arranged in two wings over 6 floors. The ground floor space will house the bar/restaurant, with funky zinc bar and open plan kitchen, and when the weather is good enough, diners and drinkers can make the most of the glazed central courtyard, complete with olive tree!

The Hotel entrance lobby is one of the key features that will make the Hoxton stand out from other budget hotels in the London market. With a 4 metre high frameless glass entrance lobby, reclaimed brick cladding and ‘monumental’ stone fireplaces at each end, the lobby quirkily combines the feel of a country manor and an industrial building. There are even eagles soaring across the double height space (made from papier mâche of course!).

Hotel guests will enjoy excellent soundproofing to their bedrooms, and in the morning, can either enjoy a breakfast in the restaurant, or find a Prêt a Manger breakfast bag hanging on a convenient hook outside their room.