After years of preparation, never-ending hype and a highly unwelcome last-minute security controversy, the Olympics are finally here (yes, we know the Opening Ceremony is tomorrow night, but technically the Games kicked off with the Great Britain women’s football match at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium Wednesday evening).
With so many people traveling to London for the Games, the humble and not so humble hotel room is set to be at a premium – in both cost and availability.
Whether by choice or not, there are plenty of ways a visitor to London can get creative with their accommodation this summer. Here’s our pick of London’s oddest Olympics stays.
A converted water tower – North Kensington, London
This repurposed water tower near Notting Hill is owned by lauded British furniture designer Tom Dixon. 23ft in diameter, it used to hold 5,000 gallons of water should a nearby gasworks go up in smoke. Now it has three floors of stylish living space including three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a reception area.
A Dutch barge – near Canary Wharf, London
The Klasina is a renovated 1920s Dutch barge. It’s currently moored in Blackwall Basin on the outskirts of Canary Wharf. Sure, it doesn’t match the size and opulence of the yachts of Bill Gates and Paul Allen moored in a neighboring dock, but it does have a double room, en suite facilities and sits in a nice peaceful location close to transport links.
A Shepherd’s Hut – Frant, East Sussex
Okay, so this quaint little wooden hut on a farm in a quintessential English countryside village isn’t exactly located in London, but it is only a one-and-a-half-hour drive away, Olympic congestion notwithstanding. The owners call this boutique hotel slash shed Molly Dishwasher – a fitting name for such a cute and characterful place.
A boat…on the roof of an arts center – Southbank, London
The most unique bedroom in London right now sits on top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre next to the River Thames (see image above). Sadly bookings for the temporary part boat, part hotel structure, sold out within 10 minutes of going on sale. So we can only give ‘A Room for London,’ as the project is called, an honorable mention.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Image: Charles Hosea / A Room for London)
