A London Staycation At CitizenM Shoreditch
When we are hoping around London checking out new areas, we typically do so from our own flat. London is so large that sometimes that means traveling over an hour to get somewhere, though. This past weekend, we teamed up with CitizenM at their Shoreditch location for a little staycation and a chance to hang out in another area of London for a little bit. It was so nice being able to relax and not travel far to check off some places we have been meaning to try out or get ourselves back to. Since moving to the west part of London, I haven't gotten to spend much time in the East so this was the perfect opportunity to spend some time there!
Saturday afternoon we jumped on the tube to Old Street and made our way to CitizenM. Checking in could not have been easier. They have a self-service that made the process go quite smoothly—you even get to pick your room's view and floor. After getting our room key, we took the lift up to the 6th-floor to unpack and get ready for the evening. The rooms in the hotel are designed to be small but efficient. Everything from the luggage storage under the bed to the easy iPad control system fit into just that. We were really impressed with the thoughtfulness that went into the design and it felt really comfortable.
After settling in, we got ready to head out to dinner. We began our night out with a short stroll around the area to check out the Broadgate Ice Rink and other Christmas decorations before finding our way to The Jones Family Project for a nice meal together. We enjoyed delicious plates of steak and chicken then topped it off with some lemon meringue. It was so good that both of us agreed that we would have to return for more sometime!
With our stomachs full and the evening coming to an end, we made our way back to CitizenM to have a low-key movie night. One of the best parts of the hotel is that they have a selection of free movies to enjoy. We cozied up for the night and watched Moonrise Kingdom.
In the morning, we headed down to their breakfast buffet. They had a wide selection of options and we enjoyed getting our fuel for the day in their funky space. The hotel has an eclectic mix of art and decor around its lobby and seating areas. It really fits into the vibe of the Shoreditch neighborhood where street art takes over any empty wall it can. Just like their rooms, their common areas are very well designed. It seemed like a very versatile space where one could either get some work done or hang out with fellow travelers.
After breakfast we figured it would be the perfect time to head out to the Columbia Road Flower Market. This is one of my favorite spots in London but it's not usually super close to us and it gets crowded later in the day. Being just a little over a 10 minute walk from CitizenM, we were able to get there at the start of the market before it was shoulder to shoulder full of people. While the market is beautiful and lively all year round, it was really special to see it during the holiday season. They had beautiful wreaths and holiday berries. We couldn't leave empty handed so we got ourselves some dried cotton branches and oh-so-wonderful smelling eucalyptus.
We made our way back to CitizenM one last time to pack up and check out. Neither of us wanted to leave—we had such a nice relaxing weekend reconnecting. But we said our goodbyes and checked out to return our neck of the woods in London. The weekend made us realize how fun it can be to do a staycation and CitizenM made that super easy.
This post was in collaboration with CitizenM Shoreditch.
