Brummell Recommends: The Gate Aparthotel

Offering all the luxury of a boutique hotel with the amenities of a long-stay residency, The Gate is ideal for an extended business trip to the city

Travel and Wellbeing 25 Apr 2022

The Gate Aparthotel's Members' Lounge with street art from Maddox Gallery

The background

Launched in 2021, The Gate is a 21-story luxury aparthotel comprising 189 modern apartments perfect for long or short-stay business trips or weekends away. From modern studios to a palatial penthouse suite, the apartments are designed to combine the luxury of a boutique hotel with the functionality and amenities of a long-stay residence.

The space

The modern and welcoming lobby on the ground floor sets the tone for the rest of the hotel. Plush colourful seating, clean white walls, cool graffiti artwork courtesy of Maddox Gallery and large green plants make for a calming oasis to juxtapose the bustling Aldgate streets outside. The front desk is manned but a self-check-in option is available, reflecting The Gate’s ‘best of both worlds’ ethos: the friendly staff are always on hand to help whatever you need but they will leave you alone to enjoy your stay in privacy too. How much or how little is up to you. The large lifts will take you up to the art-filled fifth floor lounge, where guests can help themselves to hot or cold drinks from the café and bar area and make themselves at home among the 1960s Mayfair-inspired décor (think colourful seating, soft lighting, wooden sideboards, metallic chandeliers and giant cheese plants) while enjoying sweeping city views. There’s also a modern terrace on the same floor for warmer months, a state-of-the-art gym with Peloton bikes, and the occasional programme of events from coffee masterclasses to yoga sessions – in fact, it’s so comfortable, you never really need to leave.

The well-equipped apartments offer a home away from home

The rooms

Brummell stayed in a modern Skyline apartment, and we were delighted with our view of Tower Bridge from the 18th floor. We had everything we needed and more, including a kitchenette with crockery, glasses and cutlery, an oven (although we didn’t use this for our one-night stay it is definitely useful for a long-stay resident), a large flat screen TV, a workspace with aforementioned view of Tower Bridge, and even a terrarium of fruit. It is the ideal pocket space for a working trip, but with a ridiculously comfortable Hypnos bed providing a comfortable distraction, we took ourselves off to the spacious luxury of the Members’ Lounge –– parking ourselves on a mustard yellow sofa in the corner to catch up on emails before dinner.

Our room’s sleek and contemporary bathroom gave off real New York apartment vibes complemented by a power shower and rounded off with a selection of finishing touches that served to elevate our stay, from the thickest, softest towels and robes, to deliciously scented La Labo toiletries. A shower before bed meant that we slipped into the sheets ready to devour Netflix smelling like sweet almonds and dreaming of waking up to a sunrise over the impressive London skyline.

The Terrace with views of London

Dining

Thanks to sound-proofed windows, we quickly forgot we were in the heart of the city and woke up refreshed and ready for breakfast in the lounge courtesy of Maple & Co, who serves a selection of dishes made fresh on site every day. You can choose to have breakfast in your room or in the lounge and a quick scan of the QR code means you can order your choice of food. Pastries, fruit and (the most delicious) granola pots line the bar for those popping to the fifth-floor lounge accompanied by a selection of teas, juices and amokka coffee. Maple & Co also offer all-day dining in-room, on the terrace or lounge with a healthy array of dishes from the Maple Street Eats menu, including grilled chicken burgers and baked fries to tofu katsu curry.

 

Brummell’s favourite spot in the lounge

The Bill

Rooms start at £130 a night for a studio.

The Verdict

After such a comfortable, welcoming stay and with all amenities at our fingertips, we found ourselves asking: ‘Can we live here?’ The answer: if you like. The Gate really does offer the best of both worlds and is a great spot if you’re looking to travel to the capital for an extended business trip.

The Gate, 41 White Church Lane, London E1 7QR; the gate-london.com