Attended a conference here recently and gotta point out the following: know what's quite poorly…read moredesigned at the Business Design Centre? The ladies restroom, and that's a problem, especially when it impacts a 3000+ attendee, multi day event. The restroom door swings in, guaranteed to hit anyone waiting for one of the handful of stalls inside. The hand dryer is located directly outside the stall closest to the door. Worst case scenario, a person is drying their hands and gets bumped from one side by someone trying to exit the far stall and sandwiched by another someone waiting in line who's just been shoved forward by someone else trying to open the entry door. Aside from the ladies bathroom design fiasco, the space itself was adequate for the event, on site food was decent, and public transportation as well as lodging are conveniently located.

The BDC is a really spacious venue, but can be a little touch and go. I've been to a couple of…read morewine shows here that have been amazing, really taking advantage of the tiered leveling and space, and I've heard stories about events that crammed too much into too little and they fell short, so I guess it'll depend on who's organizing what you're going to! I think it suits well for smaller and medium sized shows, but the centre itself is in a great location on Upper St, allowing for some great places to meet & mingle before and after your conference. There's also some hotel accommodations nearby if you're just in for the occasion. I was quite impressed with the potential of the BDC, and have had some great times here! It's got a good range from professional-to-social gatherings.

Google's move into the real estate sector, providing flexible office space for tech start ups…read more The real jewel is the cafe located in the basement of the building. Free to use by the public with fast wifi and excellent coffee - simply register on Google Campus website and you'll receive a code for entry. Very very cool, full of techy/hipster types - you're unlikely to ever see as many Apple Macs under one roof as in this building. All in all, excellent.

Google Campus... that hub for the next tech startup king or queen…read more In reality it's a pretty boring place. It has a few event demo rooms and some funky google-esque décor, and a café that serves very good coffee, but you'll pay through the nose for everything at the café. Go there for the free high speed internet. That's the real reason everyone else is there. People rarely talk to eachother. In a way it's a bit unfair of me to give the place 3 stars. Google does it for no monetary return, to help the community, and it does help the community, but it just feels like they could do a little more.

The Black & White Building is a coworking space based in Shoreditch on super hip Rivington Street…read more Who doesn't want to work a stone's throw from Cargo!? Amiright!? Ok no, but really...here's the scoop. I needed a short-term coworking space very near my flat while I was making the transition back to work from maternity leave. As I was running back and forth several times a day it was necessary that my commute be walkable and also, very short. Also, I wanted it to be inspiring and cool and creative. Not an easy order, actually! B&W is a building run and managed by The Office Group -- and they have many other spaces throughout London and beyond. I only needed the one in Shoreditch for a specific amount of time (3 months or so) -- so I just stuck to that and used it as I needed. The pros: Location. Space. All gorgeous. In the nice months they have outside space, a beautiful roofdeck with picnic tables, etc. The space is well maintained, very stylish and built for working and collaborating. Access - key card access so late or early meetings were not an issue and actually the best time to work here as it wasn't busy! Great area with cool shops, restaurants and bars nearby. Amenities: coffee and tea, flatware and glassware all provided. Also strong wifi. Alll good stuff for a coworking space. Staff -- mostly helpful and friendly, responded to issues quickly. The negs: I was a bit put off by the expectation setting. Early on they told me (before I even began coming) in not so many words, "don't be here too much." I never really understood that. Why not? What's too much? It was always a bit stressful and that was what I was trying to get away from. If I am paying £300/month...if I needed to be here daily, why not? I felt it was a bit strange and got us off on the wrong foot. For what its worth - I spent about 10 hours a week there and definitely figured out there were MANY people using it daily for many hours. This sort of miffed me because we were all paying the same thing. Just a bit strange. Hopefully they've gotten their messaging a bit better on that front! Also, the behavior of other co-workers became an issue a bit. People would "claim" one of the very nice solo desks (about 10 along the wall) -- and then leave for many hours for lunch or meetings or whatever, but leave all their things there. Kind of lame, right? Very. It really turned me off and no one seemed to be enforcing any sort of tact when people clearly had no adherence to social norms or politeness. It was one of the reasons I opted not to renew my contract. Return of deposit - I had to chase my security deposit return (250 quid!) for several weeks. It wasn't a huge deal but an inconvenience I wish I hadn't had to deal with given my responsible use of the space and that I'd turned in my key card 30 days prior. It felt protracted and bureaucratic. Drop-in options -- I had really wanted a drop-in option as I was familiar and liked the space. As a former member there are no drop in capabilities. I of course was willing to pay by the day, etc -- but not an option. Seems very inflexible and unfortunate that they can't accommodate different working styles and needs as changes In the end, I have a very good outlook on the B&W coworking space. I found it very well set up for working and it fit my needs at the time. As my needs changed it didn't really change with me, so unfortunately I can't utilize it anymore. I felt it was a moderate value for the money but was often stressed about what was too much time to be there. If I worked solo or as a freelancer I'd definitely think about signing up for this space (or one nearby your location).

I usually make my way to this gallery every first Thursday of the month to see all the new work…read moresubmitted by up and coming artists. They usually have a great selection of things to see and if you are feeling rich to buy. Great atmosphere with music and interactive drawing boards for everyone to get creative on.

Two words for you - Morning Glory!…read more That's the event that's made me fall in love with the Oval Space. Whilst this isn't an ode for this event (The Oval Space has a lot of events on), here's a review to this little venue gem in the crown that is east London. I absolutely love it and it's apt that a feel-good, warm event such as MG choose this place as it's current home. It's an intimate enough space, whilst being lofty. Imagine high ceilings, but a warm draft free space with industrial concrete floors. I know that I've shared a lot of joy here with others and I can imagine that it's a good space for a gig. It's a great open space with windows along each side that let's the light in and gives you a nice view of the gas plant next door - it's always nice to see some industrial chic in the land of the warehouse that is East London. A lovely outdoor space features shelf walls lined with plants, great for smoking space if that's your thing and I like the butler sinks and no fuss hipster feel in the female amenities.

Went here as part of the Visions Festival line up to see some bands and liked the space. Almost too…read morebig, it surprised me and was quite humid inside in good weather.

I've had two company meetings here and both have gone off without a hitch. To start, the venue is…read moreSTUNNING. It was originally built in 1509 and has been home to people such as Sir Francis Bacon! The entire place is very well maintained and somehow manages to provide modern amenities while maintaining it's history and authenticity. The staff at the Canonbury Academy are all incredibly pleasent and very accomodating. The rooms are well planned and perfectly organised. Like I said earlier, they somehow manage to balance new and old. The rooms are gorgeous and elegant, but are also set up with overhead projects and televisions. Perfect! Our lunch and coffee breaks were served in an adjoining room which was also lovely, on both occassions. Last but certainly not least, the price is right. I'm actually suprised at how affordable the Canonbury is for events. They also offer a charity rate which chops off a significant percentage. Be sure to mention if you're a charity though, they don't always ask!

Winchester House is a three-storey building that offers well-appointed office suites. It has a full…read morereception area, fully furnished offices, kitchen areas, meeting rooms, IT and telecoms services, cooling and natural light, an entrance on Crawford Place if you need a W1 postcode, and easy to get to with all modes of transport. Close by is the Edgware Rd Underground, the Paddington National Rail, 8 min walk to Marble Arch Central Line, the M25 and parking on-site. And on your lunch break there's so much choice along Edgware Rd for places to eat and shop. It's a great place to work.

Excellent hotel - fabulous staff and great location of London…read more And the Very Best and most helpful Concierge, Graham -- a true professional and gentleman. He will make sure your visit is superb. Boutique hotel with a delicious breakfast and friendly and extremely accommodating team. Can't say enough about this wonderful hotel and Graham-- Concierge extraordinaire.

Please avoid. There were ALOT of flies everywhere!! At first, we thought it was just one flying…read morearound. But once we looked at the wall, it was a whole WALL of them!! The waiters didnt look surprised.

Great hotel. Pros: super clean and modern…read moreSafe Everything worked! Super affordable. Breakfast was delicious and great spread. Close to tube stop Friendly staff Cons: we reserved a double bed and was given a pullout sofa bed super uncomfortable. The did kind of fixed the situation with an extra comforter. Which was greatly appreciated. Wifi sucks! Tips There's a small convenient store open til late with reasonable prices. Go across the street for wifi.

Location, value, and excellent customer service. By reserving through a travel website, we paid a…read morethird of the posted rack rate of 275 pounds per night, so it pays to shop around. Clean rooms, good linens. Our room faced away from Finchley so was very quiet. Amazing buffet breakfast, free wifi, and the manager gave us late check-out (12:30) for free. Tube station across the street. My new favorite place to crash in London.