Just stayed at the Hoxton Holborn and… what is even going on at this place?

I swear this is the first hotel I’ve ever stayed in where it feels like the guests are the last priority. The lobby is basically a giant free coworking space for London locals. I’m talking wall-to-wall people on laptops, taking every table, every couch, every corner, like they’re paying rent for the place.

Meanwhile the actual paying hotel guests (you know, the people funding this circus) get to squeeze through the crowd just to reach the elevators. Zero calm, zero space, zero hotel vibes. It’s loud, chaotic, and honestly feels like you walked into a startup incubator instead of a hotel.

I get the “trendy” concept, but this is just ridiculous. It’s a mockery of a hotel experience. If you’re expecting anything relaxing or welcoming, look elsewhere. London has a ton of great hotels — this isn’t one of them.

Just wanted to put this out there so other travelers don’t get blindsided. If you’re looking for an actual hotel and not a public coworking zoo, skip the Hoxton Holborn.

by Global-Airport-1824

47 comments

  2. I mean, I’ve never been but I could have told you this. Isn’t that their primary business?

  3. I have never put much thought into how quiet the hotel lobby is or isn’t. That’s not the bit I’m paying for.

  5. I spend the tiniest fraction of my time in a hotel in the lobby. It has a negligible impact on the overall experience

  6. Is this a thing called ‘Hoxton’ in Holborn or a thing called ‘Holborn’ in Hoxton?

  9. This contrasts that other post where OP was asking for good spaces to stay for free in and everyone was saying basically to go to a Hotel and look like you’re working lol

  10. I don’t book hotels for their hobby experience 🙃 usually it is for a comfortable room, location and nice food.

    I used to work nearby and would regularly pop in to the Hoxton for meetings, interviews, etc. I’d always be ordering coffee/drinks though (not just hanging about for free).

    The Hoxton Shoreditch is the same.

    Most hotels are open to the general public. I don’t think it is anything new or different 🤔

  11. I still can’t understand why people decide to hand over their opinion to an AI for this kind of thing. It’s your opinion, why are you letting a computer put words in your mouth? It’s painfully obvious and it undermines your point. Why bother?

  12. All the misery of a Google Maps review with none of the relevance to the reader.

  14. I wonder if this is an age thing. I certainly do use hotel lobbies/bars/restaurants when travelling. If you only want a bedroom then why spend all the extra money when you can get a motel or b&b for a fraction of the cost?

  17. It’s not free – it actually is a pay by the hour workspace.

  18. The fact you walked to the back of the room, with no doors just to take a photo says that youre probably not someone I want to take opinions of

  19. If they advertise this as a paid workspace, that’s on you for not researching your hotel.

    Side note, can someone tell me why people are saying this is an AI slop post? Genuinely want to know so I can look for the signs myself. I don’t see anything telling here but maybe I’m unaware.

  20. I am telling you now, none of those people have proper lumbar support whilst using those laptops.

    I can feel the future back pain from here

  21. I used to go here a lot when I was a student down the road, and have been back a few times since. The whole lobby is, effectively, a cafe (and turns into a bar in the evening). They encourage people to sit and work and if I’m not mistaken, will also repurpose a floor for a coworking space.

  25. It’s what it’s known for, though? The lobby is basically its own coffee shop/bar – workers in the day, entertainment at night.

    Can’t say it’d bother me if I had a room to be in upstairs.

  26. This is what they’re all like, the one in Shoreditch is the same

  27. I stayed here and it honestly wasn’t like this. I liked my stay 🤷🏽‍♀️

  28. I generally don’t hang out in the lobby of my hotel when I travel to a city, but good to know 👍🏻

  29. Depends how much time you spend in hotel lobbies. I guess waiting for a cab to get me out of there might be annoying for a hot minute if I have to stand but other than that couldn’t care less.

  30. “hotel experience” Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t experience my hotel from the fucking lobby….

  31. That’s the point, that’s what it’s designed as

  32. Anyone remember when there was an orange frame shaped lambo in the foyer here?

  33. I just stayed here and the lobby situation did not affect me. There are seats reserved for hotel guests and I never had trouble getting a seat when I wanted one—which wasn’t often, because I never spent more than 10 minutes at a time in the lobby.

    There are other reasons not to stay here, but I can’t imagine the lobby being a major factor for most people.

  34. Yes it’s mainly for workers. The beds are comfy though and the bar is great.

  35. The hotel itself is nice but this was frustrating when I stayed there. I just wanted to hang out before I had to catch my flight and it was a bit of a wait for a seat.

  36. Not from London this just showed up on my feed, I don’t get why people would do this surely just working from home makes more sense or am I missing something?

  37. What about the other Hoxton Hotels in the UK – is there much difference in Lobby atmosphere & chaos ?

  38. Crazy to open reddit and see an ex on the front page 😀

  41. Looks like hell. That hotel used to be fun for the start of a night out back in the day.

  43. I have been there couple of times for business lunch and was always surprised to see if full wirh people on their laptops. Couldn’t agree more with the OP.

  45. It used to be fine pre Covid. Covid made it a popular spot for ‘WFH’.

    I don’t mind it, it keeps all the Hoi Polloi locked away from the better Bloomsbury spots.

  46. Stop taking pictures of strangers and posting them online please. The least you could’ve done was blur their faces out

  47. “it’s loud, chaotic…”
    you know youre in london… right?

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