I stayed in this East London hotel and caught up with Abba and Bowie on a whirlwind weekend
If you’re looking for somewhere to make a home base for a weekend away in East London, look no further than Yotelpad Stratford.
As someone who has spent very little time in London, Stratford is perhaps not the most obvious area of the city to visit.
My previous trips were brief weekends away which saw me stay in Central London with little time to explore anywhere further afield. And while I still feel like I’ve hardly scratched the surface, my visit to Yotelpad London Stratford really opened my eyes to the appeals of East London.
The sleek and stylish aparthotel is conveniently located just a short walk away from Stratford Station, which has excellent links to central London as well as city airports. Following a morning of travel, getting to the hotel was a case of hopping on a Stratford-bound direct Elizabeth Line service at Heathrow.
After an hour on the train, I left the station – passing the striking Stratford Shoal installation – to begin the short walk to the hotel, which is surrounded by shops and pubs.
Budget or Boutique?
Budget, with rooms starting at £119 per night.
Room service
My Studio Pad was compact but smartly designed which allowed it to feel much larger than it truly was. The best example of this is Yotel’s signature “SmartBed”, which is fully adjustable and can go between a full-sized queen bed or sofa-style seating.
The floor-to-ceiling windows which looked down onto the street beneath also helped make the room feel larger, with the stylish wooden panelling and accents adding warmth into the room which was largely black or white. The sleek black cabinets house a decently sized wardrobe and a small, but well-appointed, kitchenette, which also included a small fridge.
As for the bathroom, it is proportionate but constructed entirely of reeded glass. While I really liked how open it made the room feel, if you’re planning on sharing with a friend you may want to consider how comfortable you are with one another first.
Wining and dining
Unlike a more traditional hotel, Yotelpad London Stratford is without its own restaurant as each room instead has a kitchenette. However, there is the 24/7 self service snack bar at the hotel’s reception area, or Mission Control as it’s known, with everything from crisps and chocolates to porridge and noodles.
But don’t let that put you off, as there are plenty of great places for food in the surrounding area. If you don’t mind a little bit of a walk, canal-side café The Breakfast Club served up delicious diner-style classics in the morning, though it was Greek restaurant Hera at Stratford Cross which truly impressed me. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the moussaka since.
Worth getting out of bed for
There is plenty to see and do in Stratford, with Yotelpad encouraging you to head out and explore with their own curated map of the area and its attractions.
The hotel is around ten minutes away from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and its many activities including the ArcelorMittal Orbit 360, which is the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide, and the Here East campus where you can find a range of locally owned businesses.
If you fancy treating yourself, there’s Westfield Stratford City, one of the UK’s largest shopping centres, which has so much to explore that it’s almost overwhelming. Staying at Yotelpad also means you’re close to Hackney Bridge and the V&A East Storehouse, where I was able to get a look at the new David Bowie Centre, which was among the highlights of my trip.
Even though I had a great time looking through archive material about Labyrinth, the best bit of the trip was, without doubt, seeing ABBA Voyage. I entered the arena as a sceptic and returned to the hotel with a programme, a reusable ABBA-branded water bottle and a Thank You For The Music tea towel.
Little extras
Probably the best, and most unexpected, part of my stay was being able to add my room key to my Apple Wallet. I always get stressed about losing keycards, so to just need my phone was a weight off my shoulders. The Nespresso machine in the kitchenette was a bonus, but finding the hidden ironing board was also a nice touch.
Guest book comments
The thoughtful design of Yotelpad makes it an excellent base for visiting East London, with everything about the hotel tailored for those who are on the go.
Whether you’re enjoying art at the V&A East Storehouse or a night out at ABBA Voyage, it was a relief to return to the hotel at the end of the day knowing that everything you need is right at your fingertips.
Yotelpad London Stratford, 104-106 Broadway, London, E15 1NG
Phone: 020 3337 2777
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