Our dreams have all come true at once: a four-storey boutique hotel dedicated to drinking gin has opened on London’s Portobello Road.
The Distillery is the brainchild of the Portobello Road Gin company, and in addition to the three guest rooms (which, naturally, are well-stocked with the nation’s new favourite drink), also features a working distillery, two bars, a gin museum, an off-licence and a gin-making experience titled ‘The Ginstitute.’ Truly, it’s easy to see why its founders are referring to their new venue as a ‘gin palace.’
2016 has officially been the year of gin. According to figures released by the Wine and Spirit Association earlier this year, gin sales reached an impressive £1 billion this year, with gin bought in shops increasing by 13 percent and in licensed premises by 19 percent. Overall, it’s thought that around 40 million bottles of gin were bought – 7 million more than in 2012.
On the ground floor is the Resting Room, a bar serving up spirits (spoiler alert: the menu is gin-heavy) that’s themed as a classier take on a Victorian drinking den, while downstairs in the basement is the distillery and ‘The Ginstitute,’ which also walks you through the 300 year history of Mother’s Ruin. Upstairs on the first storey is GinTonica, a Spanish-influenced bar and kitchen.
The top floor is where you’ll find the guest rooms, which boast a view of Portobello Road along with a gin-stocked minibar, as well as a private dining room that’s just for guests. Prices start at £125 a night. We’re certainly ready to check in…