To celebrate the opening of Mama Shelter – a fancy new family-friendly hotel in London – we were invited to stay for a few nights. We don’t often get to visit London for leisure, especially not a sleepover, so this was incredibly exciting.
Located near the Shoreditch / Hackney area of London, the hotel is situated within 30 minutes of your favourite tourist attractions by tube. From the Tower of London to the Olympic Park. It’s also within a vibrant area of London, full of river walks, green spaces and exciting new shops and eateries (on both land and water)!
Mama Shelter, London is one of fifteen European hotels, with the majority of their hotels situated in France. There are also hotels in America and the Middle East. 13 lively cities, in fact, all offering their own lively and quirky experience. As well as rooms and restaurants, they also offer co-working spaces and meeting rooms.
…more than just rooms and restaurants, Mama Shelter is dynamic and vibrant – a true urban refuge that is not only beautiful and modern, but also popular, friendly and sexy.
For our stay, we stayed from Thursday to Saturday, which meant it was quieter when travelling and exploring. Arriving at Cambridge Heath, which is the closest tube station to the hotel, it was then a short walk to the hotel. Alternatively, further down the road, is Bethnal Green, which offers different connections. On the Friday, for example, we travelled from Bethnal Green to get out and about. It also meant we could explore the local area (read: catch Pokémon) whilst walking to the station.
You can’t miss the hotel as you’re walking towards it. The bold black building certainly stands out from the crowd, which is Mama Shelter down to a tea. As soon as you arrive at the lobby, you’re greeted by bold colours and vibrant furnishing. Travel through the hotel and you’re met with even more colour. Every inch of space is taken up my gorgeous furniture and artwork. Staff are also welcoming and friendly, and made all three of us feel welcome upon arrival.
Walking around the hotel, there’s lots to see and do
In the main foyer there’s lots of artwork and plants to look at, as well as a number of vintage arcade machines to play on. Plus, a foosball table! Outside was no different either, with party games dotted around seating areas. In the basement there’s also a karaoke room and gym.
The restaurant area was probably my favourite space, with gorgeous seating – choose from sofas to benches – and cosy lighting. Although it’s very open plan, you’re made to feel like you’re sat in someone’s home. Leading from the restaurant – in the centre of the hotel, is Mama Shelter’s very own greenhouse. We sat in here for breakfast one morning and it did not disappoint. At night it comes alive thanks to the bar area that’s also located within the greenhouse.
The rooms…
There are 194 rooms at Mama Shelter, London. For families, though, there are no family rooms. Instead, on offer you have interconnecting rooms. This means that families are kept close to each other, whilst parents are given space to themselves! We really liked this feature as it meant after a busy day or early in the morning, we could watch the news with tea whilst T slept. Likewise, it meant we could go for a shower whilst T was in his own bathroom.
Plus, with ‘Kidz Deals’ you get 50% off your second room! You find other Mama Shelter deals on their website.
There are three room types to choose from at Mama Shelter, London; small, medium and large. For our stay, we had two medium rooms that had their own entry, but with the benefit of a connecting door in the middle. Both rooms boast the following features in no particular order:
- Queen sized bed / two singles
- Luxury bedding
- Organic toiletries
- Large Smart TV (that can be controlled using your phone)
- Free movies
- Free Wi-Fi
- Mini fridge
- Air conditioning
- Kettle
- Tea and coffee
- Safe
The rooms are cosy, and provide enough room and space for a long weekend’s stay. There isn’t much in the way of storage (for example, a wardrobe, as you would expect in other hotels) however there is a rail for shirts and coats, as well as a unit to store shoes and other bulky items. It’s probably just what you need for a city break!
The bathroom is bright, with further storage included under the sink and by the mirror. The shower, in particular, is rather roomy! 😉 Our favourite space was probably the corner seating area with table. This was a great break-out area in between getting home and having dinner. Perfect for card games or a quiet read.
To make sure we offer a balanced review, the only criticism we have in relation to the room was that we didn’t find the bed particularly comfy. The bedding is luxurious and kept us very warm, but we found the mattress beyond firm. After two nights all our backs were aching. This might be your preference, though, it’s just not something we enjoyed.
Eating in…
During our stay, breakfast was included on our booking. In addition, we were kindly invited to dine-in on one of our nights as well. We went with Friday, so we could rest after our travels on the Thursday.
Breakfast
My favourite part of a hotel stay is probably the breakfast. It sets you up for the day, and on offer is usually something we can’t / won’t do at home. The menus at Mama Shelter are great, with options such as Toasted Sourdough, Granola and Pastries for smaller appetites, Avocado on Sourdough and Cornbread Pancakes for those in the middle, and Mama’s Full English (there’s a veggie option too!) or Eggs Royale/Florentine/Benedict for those ready to hit the town.
Plus, there’s a coffee station as well as a selection of teas and juices.
Breakfast was a mixed bag for us if we’re being completely honest. On one hand we really liked the variety available, but I probably would have appreciated having a specific kids menu like there is at dinner. This is mainly to see what meals can come in a smaller size or perhaps be given the option of different fruits or cereals. I have no doubt that we probably could have asked staff to reduce portions on things like the pancakes or eggs royale (which were T’s choices on both mornings), but in the morning we’re not quite awake yet to think about things like this, so he ended up with an adult portion on both days.
For my breakfast I went with the veggie breakfast and Sharon went with the traditional full English. Whilst it was filling we found it either unnecessarily salty or overly greasy in places, but it was presented beautifully, especially when we were sat in the greenhouse.
GALLERY: [19432,19431,19430,19429,19433]
Dinner
After our long day out on Friday we were really excited about dinner, and Mama Shelter did not disappoint. Just as good as the breakfast menu, dinner offers guests options from their Les Smalls, Les Salads and Les Bigs. There’s also their Les Sides if you’re super peckish as well as Les Desserts for afters!
There’s also a children’s menu, which offers a great selection of meals, from beans on toast and cheese on toast to mac & cheese and burger & fries. Comparing this to the adult menu, these were basically smaller versions of the adult mains, which I always personally appreciate.
For our mains, I went with their Royale with Cheese (V) and Sharon went with their 28-day Aged Rib-Eye Steak. T went with Mac & Cheese. For pud – because we couldn’t resist – I went with Brulee’d Pain Perdu and Sharon went with Strawberries & Cream Mille-Feuille. T chose a simple portion of lemon ice cream, but very kindly helped us with ours after.
Dinner was probably the highlight of our stay as the food was out of this world. The atmosphere in the restaurant was relaxing but with a gentle excitement throughout. There was a lovely mix of couples, families and single travellers, and staff were welcoming and always happy to help and answer any questions.
During our meal T was given a colouring in set, which included pencils and postcards illustrating their other locations, and the televisions in the background played old cartoons that added to the fun atmosphere!
A real treat!
It was such a delight staying at Mama Shelter in London. The location is central and the hotel itself is gorgeous. We really enjoyed exploring Regent’s Canal of an evening and the local coffee shop in the morning! I also cannot express enough how lovely it was to have a separate ‘adult’ room with Sharon whilst T slept in the next room. It gave us the opportunity for alone time, making it about ‘us’ as a couple just as much as us as mums.
Depending on the time of year, rooms start at as little at £50 per night, which is great value for money. When you’re exploring a city like London you want to be able to come back and relax at the end of the day. With Mama Shelter you got just that.
Mama Shelter felt like a home away from home.
Disclosure: We were invited for a complimentary stay at Mama Shelter in London for three nights, along with breakfast and dinner, in exchange for an honest review and social media coverage. All thoughts, opinions and imagery are our own.
Please note: All prices mentioned were correct at the time of writing.
