With its white neon sign and lush, living roof, Good Hotel in London’s Royal Victoria Dock strikes a pose on the city’s waterside skyline. What looks like a black rectangular container is, in fact, a slick, minimalist, design hotel and welcoming community space.
The ground floor ‘Living Room’ trebles as a bar, reception and library, with sharing tables and inspiring Insta-style captions on the walls. And alongside guests, the hotel welcomes freelancers to wander in, connect to the Wi-Fi and get down to work. All of which injects a relaxed, laid-back and young, tech startup vibe to this unusual space.
The rooms are neat, cute and minimalist with décor that’s on point and many have waterside views. In summer, ‘The Roof’ is ideal for a cocktail, and the craft beer menu (naturally) features local brews. The restaurant serves tapas and small plates inspired by chef Miguel’s Spanish heritage, with vegans and vegetarians catered for well.
What’s most noteworthy, though, is that the profits from Good Hotel don’t go to the company’s owners or shareholders, they go back into the business, which offers training and jobs to long-term unemployed people in the local London borough of Newham.