KIP : London’s Affordable Design Hotel

In this post I want to share another exciting design find that I discovered thanks to Curate & Display on Twitter. This time it’s an affordable design hotel in London. What? I hear you ask. Affordable and London in the same sentence? But yes, it’s really true. I have found a great looking design hotel in London that doesn’t break the bank. When looking for a hotel to stay the night in, design is always a very important factor in my decisions. If I’m going to stay away from home I don’t want to stay in a bog standard room that could be anywhere. I don’t want a typical hotel. I want somewhere that has personality, somewhere that is well thought out and somewhere that speaks to the design geek in me. But at the same time I’m not made of money, so I also need somewhere that won’t cost an arm and a leg. It took a lot of searching, but I’ve finally found it. Welcome to Kip, an affordable design hotel in London. 

Kip was opened in March 2016 by Mike and Ross Baxter who wanted to build a stylish but affordable independent hotel. And they have done just that. Kip is proving to be very popular with trendy, price conscious tourists and business travellers alike who have been won over by the accessible location and the stylish accommodation.

Essentially our concept for the hotel was to create well-designed accommodation at an affordable price. We genuinely believe that stylish choices and smart design don’t necessarily have to come at a premium price – if you can design out the ‘overpriced’ bits and focus on improving the end product and staying true to your original ethos and vision. I think we have proved this with Kip Hotel – especially when you look at our competitors in terms of price range. Accommodation on a budget doesn’t have to be budget accommodation.

Mike Baxter, Owner of Kip, London

While Mike and Ross were building Kip they were travelling back and forth to London and were having trouble finding somewhere affordable to stay.

We were typically spending £130 a night each – we didn’t both need a double room but that was all there was on offer. We’d had enough of searching and ending up with extortionately priced, mediocre accommodation. And that fed directly into our design philosophy.

Mike Baxter, Owner of Kip, London

Kip has 105 rooms and one of the best things about it is the fact that it offers a wide variety of rooms to suit every need. You can book a number of different single rooms if you are travelling alone, including a ‘Kip for One’, a ‘SuperSingle’ or a ‘KipCabin XL’. Your choice depends on whether you want a single or small double bed and whether you’d rather have an en suite bathroom or you’re happy to share a bathroom.

For couples you can book a Small, Medium or Large Kip, and the next step up is the KipSmallStudio and KipStudio, which benefit from a kitchen. And for those who really want to treat themselves they can book the KipPenthouse which has a kitchen and a lounge area.

If you are travelling with friends there is the KipBuddy/Twin, KipBunk, and KipFriends 6, which sleeps between four and six and is ideal for nights out on the town with your best mates. There is even extra seating space for chilling out and chatting. The two extra sinks outside the bathroom and the extra mirrors will make getting ready for your night out a lot easier.

There is also a KipFamily room, which includes a double with two extra bunks (and/or a cot if needed) in an annex.

The one possible inconvenience is that this affordable design hotel is a room only offering. There is no restaurant or breakfast available. You can get complimentary Climpson and Son coffee at reception though. But if you want to grab food while you stay at Kip you’ll have to venture out into the surrounding area.

This won’t cause too much of a problem though as Kip is located in East London right next to Hackney Central Station. This accessible location means that you can be in Central London in about 30 minutes and in the West End in 25 minutes. With great transport links, getting around the capital from Kip hotel is no problem at all. Hackney is also one of London’s most exciting and diverse neighbourhoods.

For our first London hotel we searched for a location that has everything on its doorstep and is very accessible. We found it in Hackney Central, offering some of London’s best bars, restaurants and live music venues. We loved the buzz of Hackney Central, it felt like the right mix of edgy, urban, accessible and offbeat.

Mike Baxter, Owner of Kip, London

I can’t wait to stay at Kip when I’m in London next. This stylish, affordable design hotel with a difference is right up my street. I love the striking monochrome, minimalist design with a scandi vibe combined with the current trends for greenery and plants. And the price makes me very happy indeed.

What do you guys thinks of Kip? Would you stay at this affordable design hotel when you’re next in London? Don’t forget to pin this post. It’ll come in handy when you’re next looking for somewhere cool and affordable to stay in London!