My £2 visit to The Pilgrm Hotel, Paddington

My £2 visit to The Pilgrm Hotel, Paddington

• Sunday 12 September 2021

When The Pilgrm started appearing on my feed, I initially thought it was a brunch cafe, all anyone ever posted were photos of pancakes and avocado toast but that was enough for me to have a click around and find out that actually, it's a hotel - quite possibly the most instsgrammable new hotel in London at that. Just look at this lobby:

This is what they would call the reception; if this were a normal hotel but this was by no means a traditional lobby. From the street, similarly to as online, you could quite easily mistake the place for a coffee shop although like any good lobby, (pr coffee shop) the madness of the street outside disappears as soon as you step in. You feel the serenity hit you as you're greeted by a grand wooden staircase, a wall of hanging plants and a coffee bar come check in desk.

Check in can all be done prior to arrival so all you really need to do is pick up your key. It was all very quick and informal which was nice considering I was a bit of a sweaty mess having just cycled there from SW London. It was a really nice day so I did enjoy the ride but with Paddington station just across the road, I needn't have bothered - the transport links are pretty awesome.

The dark wood of the staircase and the theme of hanging plants is continued through to the bar and restaurant upstairs; it's full of character. With two separate indoor dining areas plus an outside terrace, the public spaces in the hotel were really well done and actually very peaceful considering the hustle and bustle outside. The sort of place made for ordering a coffee and getting some work done; which was exactly my plan for the afternoon.

Less relaxing is the maze of corridors which had me feeling like I was lost deep somewhere in the hotel for a few minutes although I was initially given very good directions to my room so I only got lost when I went for a wander to see what else was around. 

The rooms aren't quite as pretty as the public space although absolutely nothing to complain about. Very simplistic with lots of natural light and a puffy white bed. There was a full length mirror which is always appreciated, a small rail for a couple of hangers, a TV, a fan and a little armchair in the corner. My favourite thing however was the Marshall speaker which I promptly connected my phone to whilst I got ready to head out for the evening.

The bathroom was awesome in black and white. There was a big rainfall shower and ample space to move, although the sink area was lacking, in terms of size and space for much more than a toothbrush.

I saw it being described somewhere as a hotel for locals and I can get behind this. It was the perfect base for us since we were heading to regents park that evening.

Oh, and I forgot the mention the most amazing thing about this stay - it only cost me £2 (that's if you disregard the bottle of prosecco we drank.)

Sometime way back in lockdown (the days all blend into one don't they?) I saw their pay the date promotion in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and managed to nab a room on the 2nd day - obviously a great cause and I was pleased to be a part of it.

Normal room rates start as low as £69 and in my opinion, it blows any other budget friendly hotel out of the water- a great new spot if you ask me!