Andy Mossack reviews room2 Chiswick and discovers the ideal short or long stay solution.
Chiswick High Road in west London is a lot of things, but what it’s not is dull. This leafy enclave could well be labelled middle class central with high end boutiques selling everything from rare cheeses to scented candles and everything in-between. A place where writers, artists and keyboard warriors frequent trendy coffee shops and yummy mummies walk pedigree dogs over Turnham Green Common. But it’s also a place of important innovation don’t you know. On an equally leafy lane just off the High Road you’ll find the world’s first net zero carbon hometel, room2 Chiswick.
The hometel brand is the eco genius conception of brothers Robert and Stuart Godwin who, through their Lamington Group real estate development business, know a thing or two about investing in worthwhile projects.
Hometel’s concept is about making your hotel stay almost as comfortable as being at home by giving you all the conveniences of home in your room. A sort of aparthotel+ concept offering the flexibility of one night or one year that will appeal to both leisure and corporate guests. You might want to stay for a night to see an event or need a place for a family reunion stay or perhaps an extended home renovation. Get the idea? There are currently four operational room2 hometels at Southampton, Hammersmith, Belfast and Chiswick, with more openings planned in Manchester, York, Liverpool and Glasgow.
room2 Chiswick is housed in a low-rise red brick building next to Chiswick Common, (rumour is it was once a wallpaper factory) which at first glance seems non-descript, but as they say in the trade, there’s a hell of a lot going on under the bonnet. This is room2’s first carbon net zero hometel, and the blueprint for all their future properties.
It is unashamedly championing sustainability from top to bottom and there’s even a whole wall dedicated to proudly showing guests how the entire building is designed to attain zero emissions and promote sustainability: from the solar panels on the roof (along with 75,000 honeybees and a bug hotel) to the basement pipes drawing up the Earth’s own heat energy from 200 metres below ground.
But this doesn’t mean room2 Chiswick is in any way akin to a drab and nerdy faculty centre. Quite the opposite. This is a hometel with a style and swagger that fits perfectly with the neighbourhood’s hipster vibe. The colourful guestrooms are all fabulously on trend with super comfy king beds, handcrafted bits and pieces from local artisans, Roberts radios, and extra-large towels in the bathrooms. Speaking of bathrooms, I loved the toiletries – feel good messages on the bottles like ‘fresh body, clean mind’ (bodywash) and ‘keep your head in the game’ (shampoo).
The showers are ultra-low flow but still give the full impact of a power shower while using 40% less water. And while we’re on the subject of sustainability, the 3 in 1 room recycling bins have been designed and manufactured by the company, while the soft stylish carpets are all made from recycled fishing nets!
All guestrooms have fully equipped kitchenettes as standard (I loved the fill-me-at-the-bar milk bottle next to the tea and coffee) and come in five sizes: Snugs, Sleepwells (no window), Studios, Lounges (similar to a junior suite) and spacious Suites offering panoramic views across Chiswick plus an oven and dishwasher in the kitchenette. Enough room categories in my opinion to tick all the boxes for any guest’s preference.
Downstairs the feelgood factor continues. There’s a gym and launderette in the basement while the ground floor public space doubles as a lobby lounge and Winnie’s Café & Bar serving brunch until 3pm, after which it’s just pizzas, nibbles and a full bar until 9pm.
Winnie’s Café & Bar
What an impressive neighbourhood space this turned out to be. Not only does Winnie’s serve very tasty breakfast and brunch dishes, it also doubles as the hometel check in and a spacious lounge space with free wifi for guests and visitors to work and play.
It’s an arty space perfectly matching the neighbourhood’s hip feel, with open brick walls, hanging lamps and industrial-style pipe ceilings. There’s cool jazzy music on the go, and free live acoustic music on Friday nights.
The café menu naturally emphasises room2 Chiswick’s sustainable theme through sourcing local ingredients and organic meat and veg. it even goes as far as listing where their suppliers are based. This is no subtle nod to eco friendliness, it is front and centre here.
Arriving for our night’s stay at 2pm (check in is a full 24 hours from 2pm) we were in time for brunch. I’m a sucker for avocado on sourdough toast and this came with roasted Isle of Wight tomatoes, dukkha, saffron pickled onions & grilled lemon (£10.50). I added a side of two free range poached eggs (£2 each) from St Ewes farm in Truro. Really tasty with some excellent New Ground fair-trade coffee to wash it down. Mrs. M went the whole hog with the full Winnie’s English: poached eggs, Cumberland sausages, black pudding, bacon, roasted mushroom and tomato, baked beans & toasted sourdough bread (£15).
The next morning’s breakfast didn’t disappoint either. Mrs. M’s coconut and apple overnight oats, topped with plant-based meringue, strawberries, toasted seeds and the hometel’s rooftop honey (£6.50) got a double thumbs up. That said, my Huevos Rancheros with poached eggs, hollandaise, salsa macha, avocado, lime coriander and pickled onion on toasted cornbread (£13.50) was an equally epic creation.
room2 Chiswick’s total commitment to sustainability is a breath of fresh air for the future of hospitality. It’s an ambitious and some might say expensive experiment, but for me it deserves serious praise for delivering a top-quality luxurious hotel product where guests can enjoy guilt-free pampering.
I’ll wager it gives the well-heeled denizens of Chiswick plenty to discuss over their morning strolls on the common.
Tell me more about room2 Chiswick.
room2 Chiswick, 10 Windmill Road, Chiswick, London W4 1SD
T: +44 (0) 203 988 0220 E: chiswick@room2.com
Rooms from £114.
The Hometel Club is a new loyalty programme that’s free to join and available across all room2 properties in London, Belfast, and Southampton. As well as offering the best price on the market when booking direct, The Hometel Club gives guests instant rewards as soon as they sign up, allowing them to unlock a range of perks to enhance their room2 experience. From 10% off all food and drink, a free birthday stay and late 2pm checkout.
