what can i tell you about ace hotel that i haven’t already told or shown you? you might remember that i’ve been to their new york location a few years ago (wrote about it HERE, please excuse the lousy pics from back then), and that my then-boyfriend proposed to me at their palm springs hotel (flashback to HERE). for our honeymoon, we sort of went from ace hotel to ace hotel, checking off the ones in seattle and portland from my to-do list (i really should work on getting those pictures up on the blog soon!). and earlier this year, belgian travel agency CONNECTIONS invited us to go explore london, making the recent ACE HOTEL LONDON our home base for a weekend.

needless to say, i’m quite the fan of this particular hotel chain. they have been trailblazers in the hospitality industry, foregoing any traditional definition of luxury, comfort and what makes a hotel a hotel, focusing instead on offering a new generation of travelers exactly what they need – connectivity, inspiration and a cool version of the ‘home away from home’. i especially love how they collaborate with locals for everything from the architecture to the food and merchandising – and oh, did i mention the merchandising is GOOD? so is their branding, which is executed to the smallest of details.

at the london location, ace hotel is a destination onto itself. you go there to hang out in the lobby and snack on great food from the HOI POLLOI restaurant, or perhaps have drinks with friends at their lobby bar. we started each day with breakfast at BULLDOG EDITION, which serves up amazing coffee and delicious pastries (something i find stumptown at their new york location lacks!) i always took a LOVAGE juice to-go, too – at their fun kiosk window. if you’re meeting a friend in london and want to get them something nice, you can also drop by hattie fox’s THAT FLOWER SHOP for a cute bouquet. all of these local retailers housed underneath one roof is ace hotel’s signature approach. a kind of disneyland for adults, if you will.

the location of the ace hotel in london is spectacular, too – in the heart of shoreditch, without a doubt the most happening neighborhood in town. it’s super close to tube and bus stations, and right around the corner of the boxpark pop-up mall. after spending the weekend there with my husband, i went back late this summer for an inspiration trip with a friend, and we ended up having lunch and hanging out in the lobby of the hotel for most of the afternoon. turns out a couple of hours spent at any ace hotel location is more than enough to get the inspiration juices flowing.

we were sent to london with the support of belgian travel company CONNECTIONS, but of course all opinions are my own.
photos by stephanie duval