We wanted to explore East London more and find some great dog friendly places so we decided to make a weekend of it with an overnight stay at Mama Shelter in Shoreditch.
The humans chose one of the rainiest days in July to go and we arrived at the hotel like four drowned rats but the super friendly staff didn't mind and still wanted to cuddle us as we checked in. They even asked for our names on the check in sheet so they could greet us whenever we passed by reception.
Once in our room, the humans dried off and we checked out the facilities, which included our own beds and a bowl. We did suggest they could partner with a dog treat company as a welcome snack is always much appreciated.
We did love that we had our own special welcome message written on the mirror!
The room was spacious with somewhere to put our stroller and a place for the humans to eat. Plus a HUGE bed for them which is one of the things they love most about staying in a hotel. There was also a giant TV, which was lucky because the rain didn't stop all night so we stayed in and watched Secret Life of Pets 2. (Male human pretends not to like these films but we caught him smiling all the way through).
The hotel vibe is cool and hip with an element of playfulness, created by French designers Dion & Arles.
The overall design gives a real home from home feel, with plenty of sofas and comfy chairs and display units full of objet d'art and curiosities to admire. There is even much to look at on the ceilings.
The restaurant is a huge space but unfortunately during our visit the kitchen staff were isolating due to Covid. Thankfully the helpful staff directed our hungry humans to Nebula Pizza a few doors down from the hotel who are also super dog friendly.
The bar at Mama reminded the humans of some of the sunny holidays they take without us (which are obviously nowhere near as good), with its glass roof and tropical plants.
As well as eating and drinking, there are other things at Mama Shelter to keep the humans occupied like video games, a foosball table and even a karaoke room if you can stand to listen to them howling.
At weekends they have live music and DJ sets too but we doggies can find that a bit loud.
We could only have cold buffet breakfast but there was a good selection of pastries, fruit and cold cuts. When the kitchen is fully staffed, hot dishes like shakshuka and pancakes are also available.
After stuffing their faces with pastries, the humans needed a walk so we set off to find a park.
Victoria Park is approximately a 10 minute walk from the hotel and is a large open park with pretty gardens, ponds and a couple of cafes. Be sure to pop into Pavilion Cafe as they make their own dog treats and have yummy treats for the humans too.
You could spend a few hours in Victoria Park or you can walk through in 20 minutes, cross over the River Lee and you will find yourself in the Olympic Park.
The Olympics were actually taking place in China while we on our staycation so we thought we had to get this photo from when London last hosted in 2012.
If you need to refuel after all this exercise then most of the restaurants at Westfield Stratford have outside seating where we doggies are welcome. We sat outside at Wahaca before beginning our journey home.
We had a fabulous staycation at Mama Shelter and look forward to visiting again soon. Rooms start from £117 per night with £20 charge per dog.
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