The Curio Collection at Shoreditch feels aimed at millennials interested in location over service provision, but needs to focus more on the individual character of their hotel to make it less of a showroom.
Of the various Hilton brands, Curio is aimed at individuality and experience. On their website are locals’ reviews of cities and the favourite places. The Shoreditch hotel was the first of the brand that I’d stayed at and it definitely has a different feel to Hilton and Hilton Doubletree hotels.
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Service
My husband and I stayed in a king deluxe room on the 5th floor on a Sunday night and were leaving before breakfast started at 6.30am. We asked if there were any offerings we could have earlier (pastries or similar).
A front of house team member tried to arrange something but unfortunately it wasn’t possible because there wouldn’t be any kitchen staff available earlier. Whilst there’s an argument to say the food offering should be more flexible, I was impressed by the effort put in to try and accommodate us.
There doesn’t appear to be a uniform for reception personnel, which fits with the modern, less prescriptive feel that the hotel has.
Review: Curio Collection Shoreditch Bedroom 
Review: Curio Collection Shoreditch Bedroom
Fixtures, Fittings and Connectivity
Smooth lines and soft greys are consistent from the foyer to the restaurant, corridors to desk space. The gold shower, taps and accents in the bathroom stand out against the marble shower.
The shampoo, conditioner and shower gel are in large, refillable bottles by Muro Scents Co. I love when hotels move away from tiny, plastic bottles, it’s so much more sustainable and still convenient for guests.
One of the main things I look for in hotel rooms is where the plug sockets are. The Shoreditch Curio has electric and USB sockets by both sides of the bed. There’s a panel near the TV to connect HDMI, and you can also connect with ChromeCast. There aren’t plugs by the desk, but the room was small enough for my laptop cable to stretch from the bedside.
There’s a small gym in the basement with a few cardio and resistance machines, and a section for floor work and free weights.
Review of Curio Collection Shoreditch’s Location
We stayed in this hotel because our trains had been so messed up coming home from Devon that our options became arriving home at 3am or staying in London and getting an early train in the morning!
The Curio Collection at Shoreditch is only a 10-minute walk from Liverpool Street Station so it was really convenient for us.
I’m not the biggest fan of London or Shoreditch, but if you’re looking for the quirky hubbub of cafes and shops, this hotel will put you right in the heart of it.
That means that there’s lots going on outside the door, but the hotel and rooms are quiet.
Food
Barboun is a Turkish restaurant within the hotel which is run by a third party. The menu had a mix of small mezze options to share or larger plates. It was excellent quality and served quickly.
The only negative I can say for the restaurant is the recurrent problem with the style of the hotel; it was modern and clean with a hint of luxury but lacked genuine character. Looking at the décor, this restaurant could have been anywhere and serve any type of food. There’s no connection either to its location in Shoreditch or the cuisine it served.
The specialities of the in-room breakfast menu include shakshuka, which is baked eggs with tomato and yoghurt, banana pancakes, Turkish eggs and eggs Levantine, which is with hollandaise sauce.
Kunefe, a sweet cheese and pastry pudding with pistachio 
Delicious cheesy flatbread, but too much to eat at once 
Limonata mocktail 
Desert Menu 
Mains menu
General Review of Curio Collection Shoreditch
The Curio brand is all about its location and the potential for guests’ experiences outside the hotel, rather than inside of it. Expect shelves of books on local history and approachable staff with a passion for the area.
With this, expect a fewer non-digital conveniences. For example, there aren’t any information cards about room service or breakfast times available in the room. There’s information on the tv, but we were watching an FA Cup match and didn’t want to turn it off to check!
That isn’t to say that they haven’t paid attention to detail, but it’s easy for hotels to look stylish when they’re first opened. Time will tell if all the gold bathroom fixtures and copper accessories will last over the months and years. It will be interesting to see how often Hilton need to keep refurbishing the rooms.
On the whole, expect a Curio hotel to be more contemporary than the Hilton brand, more on a par with the Doubletree hotels but with a slimmed-down offering to cater for those who are interested in the experiences outside the hotel, rather than inside it.
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