Being a reporter who writes about the everyday happenings in London's eastern suburbs, I am sure aware of east London’s promise and perils, but spending a night at the Hyatt Place hotel on Whitechapel Road opened a new side of it for me.
When we think of high-end hotels, we often think of posh lobbies and comfy king-sized beds with the blankets tucked in neatly. We think of the buffet breakfasts and restaurants serving the kind of food that takes our mind off the hustles of life.
Hyatt Place in East London had all of that too, but what stood out the most to me was its creative flair, its attention to details and its big heart.
Atmosphere
The hotel is relatively new and was opened in July 2021 converting the office of a former NatWest Bank. A lot of the bank’s old structure has been retained, so the reception is a level below the main entrance.
As you step into the lobby, the hotel’s contemporary style quickly reflects the vibe you can expect- chic, savvy and cosy.
It serves just as well as a business hotel as a place for families to unwind. Being an avid solo female traveller myself, I was pleased to find that the hotel places a great emphasis on the safety of its guests.
The lifts need a room key to access the guest floors for example, and rooms have an additional latch.
Rooms
I stayed in their king-sized room on the 8th floor that had spectacular views of Canary Wharf.
The room had some extra space for a sofa and a worktable along with the bed, a wardrobe, a large TV, and of course a bathroom.
Its awkward positioning of the TV (it was at the side of the bed) and oddly sized pillows (too high for my taste) aside, the room was mostly comfortable and lived up to my expectations of a 4-star hotel room.
Food & Drink
The hotel has an in-house restaurant and a rooftop bar where one can relish a drink surrounded by the magnificent sights of east London.
Zoom East serves authentic Sicilian food - a mix of influence from surrounding regions such as the Middle East and Spain - through myriad of dishes that were unlike anything I had tasted before- and I have tried many Italian restaurants around the world.
Head Chef Vittorio has embraced all these influences, and his choice of ingredients, the recipes and presentation of food all showcase the culture of his country.
The chef also likes to connect food with music, with dishes such as Pasta alla Norma, a tribute to Vicenzo Bellini’s tragic opera Norma, in the menu.
I first began with a Caponata cooked with chef’s own family recipe that was deliciously smooth, nutty and flavourful.
The choice of breads had a good assortment, including bread sticks, rosemary focaccia and some crunchy Carta di Musica- traditional Sardinian crackers.
Then came my favourite item on the menu- Arancini Di Riso Sicilani- known as the “most famed Sicilian street food” from the street markets of Catania. These deep-fried rice balls were soft and light and delightfully cheesy on the inside. It was hands down the highlight of the dinner for me.
For the main dish I tried the Busiati, a durum flour pasta that is a type of long macaroni topped with sprouting broccoli, parsley crumble, sundried tomato and capers.
Its texture and taste was very distinctly Sicilian with a Mediterranean touch- not something you may find in many Italian eateries.
After all that delicious food, I barely had the space for a desert, but I managed to squeeze one in any way- an almond biancomangiare- which is a kind of a pudding.
It was just the right amount of sweet and soft for my taste buds and filled me with the kind of ecstatic joy you feel after having a nice meal.
The hotel's bar, Pocketsquare Skyline Bar and Terrace serves up creative cocktails, which change regularly and come with fictional background stories based on famous characters.
I tried a Pirates of the Caribbean cocktail which included some Caribbean liquor and had a little braid tied to the glass that you would see in Captain Jack Sparrow’s hair. It also had a skull-like ice in it to give it that eerie look.
Similarly, there was a honey-basedcocktail inspired by Winnie the Pooh that is served in a glass made entirely of beeswax.
Good to know, the bar works with suppliers which support various conservation efforts, such as protecting sea turtles and African elephants.
Interior design & artworks
The hotel acts as an art gallery to promote local artists with links to East London, and so my stay helped me discover new artists whose work was displayed in the rooftop bar and around the property.
All the paintings and photographs were on sale, and a part of the sales are reinvested in the support of local artists.
Address: Black Lion House, 45 Whitechapel Road, E1 1DU
Website: hyatt.com
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