The Stratford, Autograph Collection – Review

Punctuating the skyline within the former Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, The Stratford, Autograph Collection, offers a fresh approach to contemporary luxury in East London. Part of Manhattan Loft Gardens, an ambitious mixed-use vertical community. Inside Scandinavian-inspired interiors, curated artwork and multiple dining concepts offer a cool, refined retreat, combined with excellent transport connections, this makes the ideal base for design-conscious travellers and urban explorers. The Luxury Editor checked in to experience this distinctive luxury London stay first-hand.

A decade in the making, opening its doors in 2019, the hotel forms part of the Manhattan Loft Gardens, a development by seasoned property developer Harry Handelsman. Set over 42 floors, with the hotel occupying the lower 6 floors and the other floors forming ‘The Lofts’, a collection of longer stay apartments. The building, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the firm behind some of the world’s most structurally ambitious buildings, including the Burj Khalifa and One World Trade Center. Taking the form of a double-cantilevered tower with two diagonal slices dramatically carved out of its profile, which allows it to incorporate three sky gardens at levels 7, 25 and 36. The result is a reinterpretation of London’s historical gardens, this time arranged vertically in the sky.

Location

Located in London’s former Olympic zone, the area is amidst miles of open parkland alongside Westfield Stratford City, a vast shopping destination filled with flagship brands and luxury shopping. For ABBA fans, the ABBA Voyage area is a short walk away, while the newly opened V&A East Warehouse is an essential cultural stop for design and art lovers.

While Stratford can initially feel slightly removed from central London, its transport links are exceptional. Stratford Station connects via Underground, Overground, DLR and the Elizabeth Line, taking you into Liverpool Street within 15 minutes and Heathrow Airport in just over 40 minutes. For high-speed rail users, Stratford International Station offers a swift seven-minute journey to St Pancras International, making Eurostar connections a breeze.

The Lounge

Enter through The Lounge, a capacious triple-height space, floor-to-ceiling windows allows light to flood in, the space is softened with greenery and a double-sided 10-metre fireplace is the focal point. Overhead, The Mezzanine bar peeks out from a curved interior balcony, while below, a central lounge bar offers an inviting spot for evening drinks. To the rear, an open kitchen serves breakfast through to dinner each day in the hotel’s Kitchen E20 restaurant.

Discreetly positioned just off The Lounge, the hotel’s reception offers a swift and welcoming check-in experience.

Artwork

Curated artwork features throughout the hotel, in the Lounge, look up where you will see “Murmuration” by Paul Cocksedge. Hanging centrally, the installation forms part of Cocksedge’s ongoing experiments with paper, exploring what it means as both a material and cultural artefact. Murmuration invites reflection on our shifting relationship with the printed page in an increasingly digital world, turning the ceiling into a moment of quiet contemplation within the bustle of the lobby.

When heading to your room, take time to have a look at “Anatomy of the Void” by Artist Petroc Sesti, which is featured in the courtyard. It’s the largest instalment to date in the development of solar-powered fluid artworks. weighing over six tons and standing seven meters tall it acts like a vast crystal ball, bending light and water.

Rooms & Suites

Danish design studio, Space Copenhagen bring their own signature style, which they call ‘poetic modernism’, to communal guest spaces and guestrooms. In the rooms, Scandinavian minimalism is fused with warm, tactile textures, using natural oak, soft pastels and stone bathrooms, creating a calm contrast to the building’s bold modern architecture.

The 145-rooms range from Standard, Superior, Executive, Accessible, Deluxe and Family Rooms, suited to couples, families and friends, while Junior, Stratford and Manhattan Studios, which feature both living and dining spaces in addition to capacity for hosting three guests. All rooms are furnished with king, queen or super king-size beds with Egyptian cotton sheets, in addition to Nespresso coffee machines, and Jo Loves toiletries, The Stratford hoodies, in-room dressing gowns and a stocked mini bar.

My Suite During My Stay

During my stay, I was hosted in a Manhattan Studio, the hotel’s largest room category. A super king bed sits in the centre of this vast 64 sqm space, while red tub armchairs and a curved sofa lend a pop of colour and personality, along with a separate dining area. Windows wrap around the corner of the room in a zig-zag formation, adding architectural interest, while the angular layout further enhances the views across Stratford’s skyline.

As day turned to night, the view becomes cinematic as the neon from Stratford’s illuminated walkways and buildings glowed into the room.

A long, dark-wood sideboard runs beneath the wall-mounted TV. One end hosts a neat in-room coffee and tea station with a Nespresso machine and a kettle, while beneath, the minibar is stocked with local and international soft drinks and alcohol.

The bathroom is a sanctuary in its own right, encased in smooth marble, with soft floor and ceiling lighting. A sculptural freestanding bathtub is positioned by the window, which looks down on Stratford International Station. Across from the bath, is a large glass-sided rainfall shower and a sleek vanity area. Just remember, the windows aren’t one-way, so for added privacy, be sure to draw the mesh curtains before sinking into the tub… 😉

Leading from the bedroom to the bathroom, a double-sided walk-through wardrobe offers lots of storage and hanging space and off to one side, lies a separate WC with its own basin for additional privacy.

The hotel is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection Hotels, properties chosen for their distinct perspectives on design and hospitality and immersive experiences. At The Stratford, this is inspired by the Olympic legacy of growth and transformation of the local area. Guests are invited to plant a seed on-site, symbolising growth, renewal and connection to East London’s cultural regeneration.

Leaving the room for breakfast the following morning, I was quite taken with the robotic hoover giving off a neon hue and silently gliding through the corridor. In step with the hotel’s tech-forward touches, the property runs entirely off LED lighting while solar panels reduce its carbon footprint, and the three sky terraces double as gardens supplying herbs and plants to the restaurants.

Kokin

The hotel’s destination restaurant Kokin is on the seventh floor, meaning 古今, a name that brings together the opposing elements of past and present. Led by head chef Daisuke Shimoyama, who made his name introducing seasonally-focused Kaiseki-style dining to London’s restaurant scene, at Hannah on the South Bank and prior to that at Umu, a Michelin-starred restaurant. Here, Shimoyama’s menu honours the fine traditions of Japanese cuisine, while infusing it with modern flair.

The restaurant forms an L-shape with minimalist interiors and a muted colour palette, which lets the sushi and sashimi and vividly mismatched ceramics lead. Our server is fun and a font of knowledge about the menu. He guides us towards the Starter Platter, this beautifully presented tray comes with Oyster Katsu, Homemade Tofu, Saba Sushi. Chawanmushi and Aubergine Tempura.

For mains we opted for the Chef’s Sashimi selection, which comes in either five or seven piece sets. Precision-cut pieces of sustainably-caught Portuguese Tuna, Salmon and Scallops melt in the mouth, while the Sea Urchin, which I haven’t tried before, offers a unique seafood flavour profile.

We also opted for a set of Assorted Vegetable Tempura, and the Abergine Dengaku, which can be glided through like butter and provided an explosion of delightful flavours on the palate. Everything impressed me but the Wood-fired Miso Marinated Grilled Black Tuna provided a real highlight for its unique texture. Generously sized chunks of Wild Blue Fin Tuna Collar are slow-cooked outside each day on the terrace, and then doused with an eight-year-aged homemade Ponzu sauce before serving. The fat and flesh are strikingly meaty, as its rich, briny-deep flavours further ratchet up the meal’s smokiness factor.

Kitchen E20

Next morning, I headed to Kitchen E20 for breakfast, this relaxed all-day restaurant, complete with an open kitchen and outside terrace seating. Taking an à la carte format, options include the Full English, Vegetarian Full English, or Shakshouka with baked egg, crumbled feta and avocado. Lighter bites include cinnamon-spiced porridge, smashed avocado on sourdough with poached eggs, or buttermilk pancakes with blueberries and crème fraîche. I went for the Smashed avocado, chilli, lime & coriander on toasted sourdough with two poached eggs. The breakfast menu includes one dish plus access to a help yourself counter selection of fresh fruit, yoghurts, cereals, pastries, toast, cold cuts and juices.

Mezzanine

The Mezzanine is a speakeasy-style cocktail bar on the first floor. Here you can expect contemporary twists on classic cocktails, along with an extensive selection of premium spirits and champagne along with live music, DJs, and events on weekends.

Fitness

The hotel also includes a very comprehensive gym and studio, featuring free weights, rowing machines, a stair-climber, strength equipment, treadmills and cardiovascular equipment. Guests also have the opportunity to experience a range of Olympic Venues through a series of exclusive partnerships, including the Copper Box Arena, London Aquatics Centre and Lee Valley VeloPark.

Final Thoughts

Striking from the outside and soothing within, it’s well-suited to both business travellers and city explorers. Add in super-fast transport links across London and to Europe, and you have a hotel that feels every bit as forward-looking as the neighbourhood it calls home.