Mark Bibby Jackson checks into The Wesley Camden Town hotel and discovers it to be a most welcome addition to the capital’s hospitality scene.
When The Wesley Camden Town opened on 30 December 2022, it had one element that other more established boutique hotels lacked – a church. The hotel has 38 well-appointed rooms set on four floors within a converted 1824 Wesleyan chapel in Camden Town.
The £9m construction project designed by Manolo & White Architects, was coordinated with owners the Methodist Church, and includes a regenerated worship and community space on the lower ground floor, which you can see when you check in.
Staying at The Wesley Camden Town Hotel
The Wesley Camden Town has three categories of rooms – 33 classic doubles, three superior doubles and two Wesley Collection rooms, all with stylish interior design by HLM Interior Design Architects.
I was booked into one of the classic rooms, which had a Queen size bed, smart TV, climate control and complimentary WiFi. The TV was one of the largest I have seen in a hotel in London, and the WiFi was sufficiently speedy for me to catch up with work in the morning, enjoying a complimentary coffee from the machine downstairs. The bed was new, spacious and luxurious. However, before I could enjoy that I had an appointment at The Wesley Camden Town’s sister property.
Dining at The Wesley Euston
When The Wesley Euston opened 10 years ago, it was acclaimed as “the UK’s first ethical hotel”. The 100-bed hotel and conference centre is located right next to Euston station and about a 15-minute walk from its sister property.
It is here that we dined at The Wesley Bar & Kitchen.
Welcomed by the amazingly friendly Stef, we ordered our meal which arrived promptly. I had a cured salmon dish that was described as a pancake but turned out to be strips of the fish served with Keta roe on a mini-pancake. It was far better than I had expected, with the Keta roe providing a wonderful saltiness to the dish. My dining companion enjoyed the saffron arancini, which was beautifully presented in a “delicious sauce”.
For mains, I had the seared sea bass, while my vegetarian partner opted for the aubergine parmigiana, which came with a great salad. The fish was perfectly cooked and came with great vegetables including a wonderful sweet and sour baby aubergine. The portions were sufficiently generous that neither of us could even contemplate a dessert.
Bidding adieu to my friend by St Pancras Station I ambled back through the streets of Camden at night before becoming better acquainted with my bed.
Sustainability at The Wesley London
The Wesley London has a strong ethical stance based upon the four pillars of: inclusivity, integrity, environment, sustainability and community with the aim “to be recognised the best charity-owned hospitality business in Britain”. Building on its sister property’s green credentials, The Wesley Euston hopes to achieve the Green Tourism Scheme Gold Award in the foreseeable future.
Camden Town
One of the advantages of staying at The Wesley Euston is its location, walking distance from the many bars, restaurants, shops and great nightlife, including Koko and Roundhouse music venues, centred around Camden Lock Market.
Camden also borders onto Regent’s Park, one of the best green spaces in London, from where you can catch the Regent’s Canal to walk to Paddington or visit London Zoo.
After my stay, I continued my morning walk across the park to the home of cricket where I spent a very pleasurably day chatting with friends while men in white went about chasing a red ball across hallowed turf. Thus, endeth my brief stay in London from the Lord to Lords.
Getting to The Wesley Camden Town
Camden Town station is located on the London Underground’s Northern Line. Camden also has many bus routes, and is within walking distance of Euston, King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, providing access to northern England, the Midlands and even mainline Europe via Eurostar.
The Wesley Camden Town London
The Wesley Camden Town
89 Plender Street, London NW1 0JN
T: +44 (0) 207 691 1444
W: The Wesley Camden Town | Boutique Hotel in Camden Town, London