staying at the Corner Hotel: London's greenest boutique hotel

Discover an eco-friendly gem in the heart of London with The Corner Hotel. This guide explores the hotel's sustainable features and stylish design, making it the perfect choice for conscious travelers looking for a comfortable and environmentally friendly stay.

Responsible travelers planning a more eco-friendly trip to London can rest assured; the city has a relatively new hotel that makes being green easy for visitors. Surrounded by world-famous street art and just steps away from the easy-to-navigate Underground, the Corner Hotel is the environmentally-minded design hotel the city didn’t know it needed.

With perks like complimentary bikes, shelves stocked with board games, and free cocktails for those looking out for Mother Earth, the Corner is the perfect base for any conscious young traveler looking to visit England's capital city!

In this post, I'll outline every detail and give you the scoop on the perks that await you should you book a room with Corner Hotel.

Disclaimer: I was a guest of the Corner Hotel, formerly the Qbic Hotel London City, but all my opinions are my own and my experience is expressed authentically. Also, please note: This was originally published after my stay in September 2018. It has been updated and re-published to keep up with ever-changing times for travelers.

about the corner hotel london ↴

The Corner Hotel London is not your typical hotel. The interiors are modern and trendy, and the entire place is filled with plants and local art. Part of the ethos of the Corner Hotel is to utilize local designers to create a different interior design that is unique to the city.

Here, they are dedicated to significantly reducing their environmental impact and supporting local environmental and social charities. One of these is Cafe Art, a London initiative that works to reintegrate homeless individuals into society through artwork and creative endeavours. Some of this artwork is used in the hotel’s rooms.

Corner’s dedication to being green goes further than clever branding. The hotel’s rooms, which also have a location in Amsterdam, are sustainably built with aluminum. Referred to as pods, each one contains multiple outlets, USB ports, and lights all made of repurposed and reused material.

checking in ↴

I arrived at the Corner Hotel around 10:30 AM eager with plans to soak in the nostalgia that London brings with it, knowing good and well that check-in wasn't until 3:00 PM. I walked into the Corner Hotel with my carry-on hoping they'd generously hold it for me until my room was available. They did me one better! They checked their bookings and immediately gave me the key card to my room. Even if I hadn't gotten to hop upstairs into my room right away, the fact that the Corner Hotel's staff took time to see if it was an option without me asking had me fully impressed.

types of rooms ↴

There are three types of rooms available for booking at the Corner Hotel: Plush {large double}, Comfy {standard double}, Snug {no window}. All rooms come with rainfall showerheads, vibrant design details, and free WiFi {it's fast too}.

Every room is designed with our big blue planet in mind. As a matter of fact, the Corner Hotel recycled 95% of its building materials during the hotel's construction. Energy-saving solutions and plastic reduction techniques can be found in the details. No bin liners, no throw-away shampoo or conditioner bottles, no toothbrushes wrapped in plastic you'd secretly collect and then never use {because they aren't good quality anyway, aye?}. That doesn't mean that the Corner Hotel offers no amenities, in fact, they offer some of the most well-thought-out extras I've ever experienced {keep reading!}.

I typically wake up around 7:00 AM wide-eyed and ready to take on the world. After a day meeting up with friends in London, I fell into my bed and slept in almost a full hour past my natural alarm clock. I could have slept all day under the fluffy bedding watching Task Master re-runs on the tele, but BREAKFAST WAS WAITING!

dining options ↴

An endless buffet of bread, cereals, fruits, juices, teas, and coffees await you downstairs for breakfast. But the Corner Hotel gives the word "options" new meaning. There are no dairy milk options to accompany multiple cereal options. Want waffles? The Corner Hotel's gotcha covered. You can fill up on quinoa muffins, start the day healthfully with yogurt and muesli, or enjoy any of the number of pastries that are fresh from the oven {I recommend the cinnamon raisin scroll}. If you prefer hot plates, the Corner Hotel has a menu for you that serves cook-to-order items like a Full English Breakfast {also available in a vegetarian version} and smashed avocado toast with poached eggs and chili flakes.

Are you drooling yet? Did I mention they cater to vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free diets? Also of note: no paper plates or plastic cutlery! Holla!

bathroom amenities ↴

The bathroom had what bathrooms need to have: a sink, a shower, towels, and a toilet. No fancy steam features or random toilet features needed. The shampoo, body wash, and soap in the room were all organic and had me scrubbing off sweat from a hot stroll down Brick Lane and emerging from the shower smelling like lemon and honey. The products were in recyclable and reusable containers, no yucky plastic throw-aways!

amenities ↴

The Corner Hotel offers some of the most creative perks to its guests. Tea and coffee stations offer free refreshments to all guests on every floor. If you're staying for more than a night, Corner rewards green thinking by giving a free cocktail to guests who opt not to have their linens changed. Guests of the Corner can also enjoy discounted cinema tickets {and 15% off popcorn and refreshments} at Curzon Aldgate just around the corner from the hotel. Don't feel like doing your laundry while you're traveling? That's fine. Corner guests get 10% off dry cleaning and laundry services using Laundrapp. If your trip is marking an occasion or you want to make a stay with your loved one extra special, Petalon Flowers will deliver seasonal bouquets straight from their shop in Hackney to the Corner, making your romantic efforts hassle-free {not that romance should ever be a hassle, amirite?}.

what’s in the neighbourhood ↴

As a frequent traveler, I can tell you that there is nothing worse than finding a city's coolest hotel in the absolute worst location. Most travelers want to be central to major sights, near public transport, and somewhere with a local vibe. Check, check, check!

My carry-on and I took the Hammersmith and City line on the tube to Aldgate East station. From there, the Corner Hotel is only a 2-minute walk. It's that easy.

The Corner Hotel is located at the bottom of famous Brick Lane in hip East London. Walk for 20-minutes and you'll find yourself crossing London Bridge to Borough Market where the smell of food from market stalls almost makes you wish you didn't eat so much for breakfast {almost}. Walk a few minutes more and you're at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre where you can catch a show or continue walking to peep art at the Tate Modern. Other nearby attractions include Sky Garden {post coming soon!}, the trendy Shoreditch area, Rich Mix Cinema, and Whitechapel Gallery. Don’t miss some of my favourites: Columbia Flower Market, Shoreditch Grind for coffee, and