If you’re heading to England for a week, long weekend, or however long your trip might be, you’ll want to check out room2 hometels. This new hotel concept has a boutique location in London’s Hammersmith neighborhood and larger property at Southampton in Hampshire, England. The bigger Southhampton room2, for those looking to stay outside of the city, offers beautiful views over Queens Park and the harbor. 

“By combining the best bits of hotels (service, security, and comfort), with the experience, personality and human connection of Airbnb, we believed there was a space in the hospitality sector for a new accommodation segment, and thus hometels were born. Home + Hotel = Hometel – a place to live not just to stay,” says  room2 Managing Director Robert Godwin on the ‘hometel’ concept.

I spent a recent weekend at the Hammersmith hometel. It was the perfect place to catch up on some work as well as much needed relaxation time! 

This Hammersmith hometel was a great place to relax and unwind for a weekend in London.

Cozy and well-decorated rooms

The room2 hometels have the coziness of a home with added bonuses of hotels, like safety and the upkeep of the rooms. The furniture and decor at this Hammersmith hometel are upscale and hip, with trendy prints adorning the walls and pops of color throughout the room. There’s a large kitchenette convenient for those who plan to have a couple of quick meals or snacks in. There was even a “bits and bobs” box, a small box with little odds and ends you might need, from playing cards to staplers and highlighters.

As you enter the room2 Hammersmith hometel, check out the wall plastered with notes left from previous visitors. You’ll find tons of recommendations for things to do in the area, and comments about their stay. When I arrived to the room, I found a note with a couple of restaurant recommendations in the area as well.

All of the decor made my room ultra cozy and chic!

Flexible check in and out

As busy travellers always on the go, it can be frustrating adhering to hotels typical 11am check-out times. Fortunately, room2 allows you to stay until 2 pm on your check out day. It’s a much more reasonable time if you plan to go for a late brunch or check out a cool site in the area before you head home.

Thankfully, it’s also super easy to check in at room2. Guests are sent a code to unlock their room on the morning of their arrival day. That way, you can skip waiting at the hotel lobby for someone to assist you. Almost like Airbnb, most of the process of staying at room2 is done online, and is quick and efficient.

Great area in London

Hammersmith hotels are a great idea for spending some time in London away from the insanely touristy Westminster area. The Hammersmith tube station serves the Piccadilly and District lines, which connect to most other popular stations in the city. The tube is probably the most efficient way to get around London, if where you’re headed isn’t accessible by bike or foot.

I explored the area around the Hammersmith hometel with a few friends, and we stumbled upon a great little place called Farina & More. While the many pizza options were tempting, I decided on tuna tartare with avocado, which was delicious! This spot is more relaxed and casual than other Italian restaurants nearby. It was a great place to meet up with friends and share a bite!

My tuna tartare from Farina & More was delicious! There’s also a number of pizzas and pasta dishes to try as well.

We also decided to curb our sweet tooth at a great little Italian dessert joint just steps from room2. Bertotti Pure Italian had a wide-ranging menu full of delicious desserts. We decided to try the gelato, and it was the perfect sweet refresher after a hearty meal.

Also nearby the hometel are the Brackenbury Wine Rooms. This adorable establishment is a combination wine bar, wine shop and restaurant. There is also a beautiful terrace to sit out on when the weather is nice.

If you’re looking to explore another quaint area of London in addition to Hammersmith, we recommend trying Mayfair. From museums and galleries to gorgeous architecture, it’s a picturesque area for strolling down. One thing that’s for sure: there’s no shortage of things to do during your time in London. Although, with the coziness of a room2 hometel, you may never want to leave your room.

Have you ever stayed in a “hometel?” Do you prefer hotels, hostels or Airbnb? What’s your favorite thing to do in London?