Over the long weekend I stayed at Marrable’s Hotel, a 4-star establishment based in Clerkenwell, London. My partner and I had been meaning to book a London getaway for a while. Having previously lived in the city, we were familiar with the areas to avoid (aka tourist hotspots!) and instead opted for this hotel, due to its closeness to Shoreditch (without the Shoreditch price tag!)
On our weekend, we saw friends for lunch, and then spent time together over dinner and with a movie. Marrable’s Hotel made it a seamless stay, and so I wanted to write a personal review to share my experience and also the sustainable steps the business is taking.
First Impressions at Marrable’s Hotel
Marrable’s is situated on Clerkenwell Road, overlooking the beautiful St. John’s Square. It’s easy to get to from Farringdon train and tube station, or by bus (there’s a bus stop a few minutes away). It’s also in walking distance from the Barbican (14 minutes), Sadler’s Wells (15 minutes) and Old Street (15 minutes).
Upon entering the hotel, you’ll find yourself in a small lobby with two reception desks and two lifts. The reception is manned 24-hours a day, so we were warmly welcomed into the hotel and quickly checked in. The lift took us to our floor, and opens up on both sides as the hotel is built in a u-shape.
The hotel itself is quiet and has a rather muted appearance. The entrance is decorated with two simple trees, and despite having flashes of green, gold, and red across its interior, it’s not quite evident what the hotel’s own colours or style is. To the right of reception was a room undergoing renovations, so this may actually be why I couldn’t quite place the hotel’s style. However, everything was very clean, and very well organised.
Our Deluxe Queen Room
For our one-night stay, we upgraded to a Deluxe Queen bedroom for a small additional fee. I’m glad we did this – we’re used to sleeping in a king-size bed at home, so staying away often feels like a downgrade! Upon entering the room, we were greeted by the bathroom (separated out with a partial wall), our queen-size bed, a desk, two colourful armchairs, and a small shelf housing bottles of water and glassware. Everything was very clean, and very neat. In our bathroom we also had fresh bath sheets, hand towels, and flannels, alongside super soft robes.
In the room itself, the design also felt a little confused. Our Deluxe Queen room was backlit with a red LED light, with a blue throw on the bed, and had a black and floral print on the wall to match the armchairs. That being said, the view over St. John’s Square was lovely, and with ample mirrors and natural light in the room, I settled in straight away.
Alongside the usual amenities, we also found a welcome note and chocolates which were a nice touch. There was a small folder with QR code for the hotel’s room service, and our Wi-Fi password was in our keycard pamphlet.
I slept really well at Marrable’s Hotel. The bed is comfortable, with two pillows per person, and the aforementioned throw. We were able to change the thermostat in our room to our preference too. There were no noises throughout the night, although in the morning my partner reported some door slamming.
Sustainability at Marrable’s Hotel
Marrable’s Hotel has been built with sustainability in mind, but this is all in the background. Having stayed at a number of sustainable travel destinations, I actually feel like the hotel is missing a trick! From the additional glazing to passive ventilation, the hotel has good construction credentials. It also has lovely touches any hotel guest would enjoy, such as the natural skincare products from luxury beauty brand Verden. There’s the usual encouragement to keep towels in use throughout your stay, and I also liked the communal kitchen on each floor, where we could help ourselves to drinks (rather than have wasteful disposable options in the room).
My Overall Rating: 7/10
Overall, I had a really lovely stay at Marrable’s Hotel. I couldn’t fault the hotel on its service, and while I’d love to see more cohesive interior design, and a louder approach to sustainability, these are small details. I do think more could be done to provide a 4-star experience, however the hotel does charge a very reasonable rate. We had a very comfortable stay, and would certainly go back. If you’re looking for a London hotel that doesn’t need to be in a tourist hotspot, I’d highly recommend Marrable’s.
