Short stay: Aptel East, Tower Hamlets, London, UK /

The old adage “never judge a book by its cover” is absolutely true when it comes to Aptel East, an aparthotel in the Tower Hamlets area of ​​East London. Flanked on either side by shuttered shops covered in graffiti, you could be forgiven for not realizing that one of the area’s most luxurious abodes is located here, as this building houses around 30 stylish and fully equipped apartments that bear the name from Aptel East.

Never mind the immediate area – Tripadvisor reviews say things like “I was wondering what on earth my wife had booked. Inside, however, was the opposite.” and I imagine this is a common feeling as guests’ initial alarm quickly turns into unexpected delight once inside.

The welcome

Check in upon arrival was very smooth. I received an email from Aptel East the day before I was due to arrive inviting me for a faster online check-in. With a single click, I confirmed my details and checked in using a digital registration solution called GuestStay, a seamless contactless experience offered by Guestline®️.

As a result, I did not have to use the registration kiosks in the foyer upon arrival. Despite reaching the hotel quite late in the evening, I simply rang the doorbell (there is a 24 hour concierge), gave my name and got my key. The whole process took less than 10 seconds before I took the elevator to my apartment.

The room

I stayed in room 33 on the fifth and top floor of this sustainable building with a green roof and high-tech energy-efficient systems throughout.

This stylish and fully equipped modern apartment sleeps two with a luxurious king size bed (with hypoallergenic bedding made exclusively for Aptel East) in a spacious room with a blackout curtain, next to the curtain you see. The view from the apartment overlooks Tower Hamlets, with The Shard visible in the distance to the right.

The air-conditioned room is spacious with a wood-effect laminate floor, a wall-mounted 43″ TV, a safety deposit box, a sitting area and a kitchenette in the corner.

The bathroom

The brightly lit, sleek and modern bathroom with monsoon shower, sink and toilet has light-colored wall tiles that contrast with the dark floor tiles and base cabinets.

Bathrobes and plush towels and washcloths are provided, along with travel toiletries and soaps from DAMANA®, a specialist in exclusive amenities for the hotel industry.

The facilities

The kitchenette is equipped with a kettle, toaster, microwave and small sink.

There’s also crockery, cutlery, glasses and a small fridge – essentially everything you need to whip up some cereal or toast in the morning, rustle up a sandwich during the day or even whip up a microwave meal at night.

For serious foodies looking for something a little more, there are several Michelin star restaurants just a short taxi ride away, including Behind Restaurant (one star), City Social (one star), Lyle’s (one star), Sollip (one star) , St John Restaurant (one star) and The Clove Club (two stars) all within 10-15 minutes drive.

The property also comes with its own super fast 5G internet.

As an apartment in a hotel, you really do have everything you need for a comfortable home away from home for a short stay in the city. However, should you need anything, the 24-hour concierge is on hand and can be reached via your mobile phone, and housekeeping is available for extended stays.

Rent

Close to the Royal London Hospital, the property is within walking distance of some of London’s most iconic destinations including Spitalfields, Shoreditch, Tower Bridge, St Katherine Docks and Hackney, all of which are easily accessible by public transport and within walking distance. Shadwell (on the DLR and London Overground) and Whitechapel (on the District, Elizabeth and Hammersmith and City lines, as well as the London Overground) and are each a short walk away, as are Liverpool Street, Aldgate East and Tower Hill tube stations.

During my stay I visited the World Travel Market at ExCel London which was so easy to get to with Custom House just a few stops along the new Elizabeth line.

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Other nice keys

A welcome message and some drinks and crisps, as well as a fridge stocked with bottled water, were among some nice little extras. Non-intrusive communication via WhatsApp was also great and very useful, coming with an assurance on arrival that the team are available 24 hours and happy to help with anything, along with the WiFi password. They also used this to notify me when an Amazon package I ordered arrived, and to ask me if my room needed freshening up when I forgot to take off my door hanger to notify them.

cost

Standard suites at Aptel East start from just £109 per night.

The best bit

For the price I can’t think of better quality accommodation anywhere in London. You may pay less than for a Premier Inn room, but still get much more in terms of quality, space and room facilities.

The final verdict

For me, the Aptel East accommodation was a great base for a business trip, with excellent access to my conference venue, but would equally serve for holidays. It is also very handy for anyone from out of town who happens to need to visit patients at the Royal London Hospital.

Finally, it’s exceptionally well priced for quality accommodation in London, which is notoriously more expensive, and on the few occasions I’ve had to speak to the concierge team, they’ve always been charming and couldn’t have been more pleased to help.

Disclosure: Our stay was sponsored by Aptel East.