The background
Since its revamp for the 2012 Olympic Games, Stratford has evolved into a bright and buzzing east London neighbourhood, which draws crowds in with its shopping, dining and outdoor scenes. Right at the centre of it all is the newly opened The Gantry. This design hotel is part of the Curio Collection in London, offering 291 rooms over 17 floors. Managed by seasoned hotelier Saurabh Kukreja, this slick and modern hotel has a restaurant, bar and summer terrace and is equipped with everything you need to feel at home from home. Westfield Shopping Centre sits on the doorstep while the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a stone’s throw away.

The space
Effortlessly cool and undeniably stylish, The Gantry is like the real-world Pinterest board of our dreams. The high-ceilinged lobby is offset with a cosy and eclectic jumble of mid-century furniture, tables adorned with neon signs and arty coffee table books. A large, modern staircase ascends to the restaurant on the first floor, just masking a selection of bicycles available for guests to hire and explore the local area. Take the lifts or stairs to the Union Social restaurant and you’ll find a similar vibe, with deep jewel-coloured banquette seating, a long bar – which we recommend you sit at to soak up cocktail titbits from the knowledgeable bar staff – and an open kitchen with some delicious smells punctuating the sleek décor. The quirky summer terrace runs parallel to the kitchen, so you can enjoy views of the city from inside and out.

The rooms
Brummell stayed in a King Gantry room on the 10th floor, with two floor-to-ceiling windows allowing us to enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding area. This spacious room is split into zones: the entrance for storage, the bathroom, a comfy seating area and the pièce de resistance – the giant, comfortable bed. With beautiful finishes, the entrance boasts parquet flooring, a slick full-length mirror and ample storage so you can unpack and make yourself at home. With sliding doors and luxurious fittings, the bathroom is the ideal pamper zone with a shower big enough for two and beauty products by Grown Alchemist. We loved making use of the tea and coffee-making facilities while reclining on the plush deep blue chaise longue opposite a 49-inch HDTV before retiring for a deep and cosy night’s sleep.

The dining
After settling in to our room, Brummell headed down to the Union Social restaurant, enjoying artworks from east London’s Jealous Gallery in the corridors and lifts as we went. We kicked off the night propping up the restaurant bar with a cocktail or two. The extensive menu has a section for every spirit, so it’s likely you will find something to float your boat. We enjoyed a seasonal Choco-Beet Paloma – tequila blanco, British beetroot, lemon thyme, cacao and soda – and an off-menu classic mojito before taking our seats at our table to dinner.

Union Social’s new spring menu offers an array of small plates inspired by London’s dynamic food scene and the change of the season. We started with a sharing charcuterie and cheese board with homemade pear jelly, which we enjoyed alongside some moreish wild garlic and Cornish Yarg arancini and homemade Portuguese-style salted cod fritters. For mains, we tucked into to the deliciously satisfying Gantry “burgster” with rustic fries, and a succulent shoulder of lamb, pearl barley with fresh spring greens. There are lighter bites such as healthy salads packed full of grains for guests looking for a quick lunch or mid-afternoon snack, and the space is ideal for anyone looking for a stylish and comfortable spot from which to work remotely. We had our delicious desserts (homemade dark chocolate brownie with whipped salted caramel ganache and Bleiswijk vanilla ice cream, and Kentish raspberry millefeuille, crème pâtissier a la vanille and Toulouse crystallised violet petals) to go, and enjoyed them in our room while looking out at the hustle and bustle of east London below.

The bill
Rooms start from £127 per night, and dinner at Union Social is around £115 with cocktails.

The verdict
The Gantry ticks all the boxes of a cool artsy hotel in the city, perfectly located for convenience with delicious food and drink on hand and, best of all, a great night’s sleep.

The Gantry,  40 Celebration Ave, East Village, London E20 1DB; hilton.com