We test London's newest art hotel where Banksy murals are just the start

A collaboration with a famous street artist sets the tone at this striking new inner-city property.

Opened in April 2024, this is art'otel's second London property. A sleek 26-storey black and glass cylinder that's designed to resemble a giant cogwheel, the edifice cuts a striking pose in the mostly low-rise East London suburb of Hoxton.

Once gritty and working class, Hoxton and neighbouring Shoreditch are now the capital's cool kids, their Victorian brick warehouses transformed into galleries, boutiques and creative co-working spaces. There's a real buzz to this part of London, its graffitied laneways dotted with trendy cafes, edgy bars and fashionable restaurants.

Every art'otel features a signature artist and this property's chosen creative is Londoner Dean Stockton (aka D*Face), a prolific street artist whose satirical comic strip-style murals can be found all over the world. He's been involved in every aspect of the hotel's bold aesthetic, from the two-storey video installation in the lobby to a blinged-up Triumph motorbike in the guest lounge. Flanking the hotel entrance are two original Banksy murals and a large subterranean gallery showcases the work of up-and-coming artists. There's also a plush 60-seat auditorium for talks and movie screenings plus a busy calendar of events that guests can sign up for, such as candle making and life drawing. Other facilities include a basement pool, sauna, steam room and gym.

Spread over 17 floors, the property's 357 rooms contain limited edition D*Face prints as well as glossy coffee table books highlighting his prodigious output. The rooms themselves are sleek and contemporary, with acres of dark wood, glass tables and modern, minimalist furnishings. Bathrooms are similarly seductive with grey marble-effect tiling, rain head showers and refillable Kevin Murphy amenities. Splash out on a suite and you'll also get a separate lounge with a turntable and record selection, a cocktail-making kit and fancy Dyson hair appliances. This part of London doesn't have many instantly recognisable landmarks but west-facing rooms on higher floors have distant glimpses of the London Eye through floor-to-ceiling windows.

The airy ground floor Brush Grand Cafe offers an all-day menu of European stalwarts, from wiener schnitzel and moules frites to bavette steak and orecchiette pasta. It's also the venue for breakfast, which is served a la carte and features a range of delicious pastries baked in-house by a French pastry chef. Upstairs the Brush Lounge offers snacks and innovative cocktails with regular DJ sets and live music from a house band.

While you could easily jump on the underground at Old Street (a four-minute walk away) and be in the West End in half an hour, you'd be squandering an opportunity to explore the intriguing suburbs on your doorstep. Shoreditch's galleries, boutiques and restaurants could keep you entertained for a month and the hotel offers free bike hire to explore further afield. A leisurely cycle along Regent's Canal will deliver you to the bucolic Victoria Park and the ever-evolving Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Continue north and you'll hit the wide open fields of Hackney Marshes, which soon turns into Walthamstow Wetlands, a 211-hectare wildlife sanctuary that claims to be Europe's largest urban wetland reserve.

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A refreshingly intuitive bedside control panel that lets you adjust the room's air conditioning, lighting and curtains without requiring a PhD in astrophysics.

Where: 1-3 Rivington St, London.

How much: From £329 ($645) a night.

Explore more: artotellondonhoxton.com

The writer was a guest of the hotel.