You know what struck me first about The One Tun? It’s got this perfect balance thing going on – like, you’re staying above a proper London pub (and I mean proper, with that worn-in feeling that takes decades to develop), but somehow the rooms feel completely separate from all the hustle below. The building sits right on Saffron Hill in Camden, which honestly most tourists skip right over, but that’s exactly why it works so well.
I’ll be straight with you – this isn’t some sleek boutique hotel with minimalist everything. The One Tun feels more like staying at your well-traveled friend’s place, if that friend happened to have really good taste and understood what actually matters when you’re exploring London. The rooms have character without being cluttered, and there’s this attention to comfort that you don’t always get at places trying too hard to be trendy. What really got me was how quiet it stays upstairs, even when the pub downstairs is buzzing – they’ve clearly figured out the soundproofing situation, which is no small feat in a building that’s probably been serving pints since before your grandparents were born. The area itself is brilliant for getting around (Chancery Lane and Farringdon stations are both walkable), and you’re basically equidistant from the chaos of Camden Market and the more refined bits around Bloomsbury.
Here’s the thing though – and this is why I keep coming back to places like this – the staff actually seem to live in London, not just work here temporarily. They’ll point you toward the good curry place on Leather Lane Market instead of some tourist trap, or mention that Sunday evenings the pub downstairs does this really solid roast dinner situation. It’s those little insider moments that make the 8.9 rating feel earned rather than engineered. Sure, you might find fancier fixtures elsewhere, but honestly? After a long day walking around London, you want a comfortable bed, a proper shower, and maybe a pint downstairs without having to venture back into the madness outside. The One Tun delivers on all of that, plus you get to feel like you’ve discovered something that most visitors to London never stumble across.