The Vibe
The Curtain is the brainchild Michael Achenbaum, one of the co-founders of the swanky Gansevoort portfolio of hotels. With its fashionable warehouse-style decor, the Curtain channels the original Gansevoort location in New York’s Meatpacking District. Artwork comes from iconic rock-and-roll photographer Mick Rock, while Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson oversees the main restaurant.
The hotel was named after the Elizabethan-era Curtain Theatre that was once found in the neighbourhood, but it’s also an appropriate metaphor for the hotel’s secretive atmosphere. Certain areas of the nine-storey building are accessible to the public, others are reserved accessible by hotel guests, and the most exclusive spaces are available only to members of the hotel’s private club.
The Rooms
Rooms have a handsome, industrial feel, decked out with exposed brickwork, hardwood floors and chesterfield chairs. Emerald green and tartan print accents bring a hint of playfulness to the dark, moody colour palette, while dreamy beds are fitted with soft, white linens. Stylish bar carts come stocked with crystal glassware and choice selection of liquor that includes Portobello Road gin and Casamigos tequila. Techie features include Bluetooth-enabled Marshall speakers, wall-mounted flat-screen TVs and fast, strong Wi-Fi. Beautiful white marble bathrooms have glass-walled steam showers and bath products from Bish Bash Bosh.
The Features
The jewel in the Curtain’s crown is Red Rooster, the only other location of chef Marcus Samuelsson’s famed Harlem soul-food restaurant. Regular live jazz, soul and reggae performances provide the soundtrack for diners as they tuck into Southern comfort foods like chicken ‘n’ waffles with hot Bourbon maple syrup. Samuelsson also heads up the hotel’s main level casual taco joint, Tienda Roosteria. Rounding out the dining options is Lido, a chilled out rooftop restaurant specializing in Mediterranean fare.
The rooftop is also home to petit pool with picturesque views over the surrounding Shoreditch neighbourhood. Down in the basement, there’s a swish spa and ultra-modern 24-hour gym with daily spin classes, yoga and circuit training. There’s also 6,000 square feet of event space, plus a private members-only club.
The Location
The Curtain is set in London’s trendy Shoreditch neighbourhood, within walking distance of hip bars, restaurants, and galleries. Dinerama, a collection of street food stalls set in a former truck depot is just a block away. It’s a 10-minute walk to Old Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane Market, while the Columbia Road Flower Market is a slightly longer 15-minute walk away. The nearest tube station is Old Street underground station, which is 10 minutes away by foot. It's a prime base for exploring London's artsy East End.
Rooms start at $254 per night
45 Curtain Rd, London, England, +44 20 3146 4545, thecurtain.com
