Snag a £1 Room at Qbic London City and Support a Good Cause

Remember when we told you that a new London hotel would open with rooms under $100 (£59) a night? Between December 15 and March 15, even better value is to be had, with five rooms every day at Qbic London City available at the magic £1 rate.

All proceeds will go to a good cause, only a small part of a charitable ethos that runs throughout the hotel. We sat down with Qbic’s CEO and founder to find out more about the brand and have a chance to see what exactly a ‘Cubi’, which integrates both bed and bathroom, is. Think of it as high-quality flat-pack furniture, which has allowed Qbic to turn this former office building into an operating hotel in six months.

Those beds are Naturalmat, which means all natural materials and a proper night’s sleep, something every hotel guest can get behind we think. The bathroom, jazzed up by some bright yellow in the room we saw, has a rain shower, toilet, and vanity in a single open-plan space, and all-in-one body wash in large dispensers. Those that are particular about their bathroom privacy should take note of the sliding door and glass panels.

We love the fact that the Cubi’s pillars contain easy to understand light switches and much-needed plugs (UK and continental Europe) to be able to work while sitting on the bed.

The public spaces downstairs are filled with all sorts of quirky furniture, like the chair (as the lamps in the rooms) made from a garden hose. Free WiFi throughout means it’s easy to find a spot and get some work done. Food from the kitchen, set up very much in the style of citizenM’s canteen, is sourced locally wherever possible.

Like we said, giving back to the local community and beyond isn’t just limited to those £1 rooms:

- Part of the hotel’s roof will be turned into a vegetable garden where locals can grow their own produce for free

- Surplus space in the building will be made available to small start-ups as office space at no cost

- Area rugs are sourced from Nepal through a company that shares half of its profits with the village where the rugs are made

- Charity Bikeworks will set up shop at the hotel to offer bicycles for guests to use, providing a training scheme to help people gain skills and get back into work

- Volunteers of Foodcycle use surplus food and spare kitchens to serve free meals to people who otherwise would risk going without

Given the Cubi’s flexibility, opening additional Qbic’s is done in a (relative) jiffy. Qbic is planning two or three more hotels in London, with future additions across Europe very much possible.