The Lofts at The Stratford — London, UK

Once, the world’s more interesting hotels had as many (famous) permanent residents as they did guests. Travellers loved the possibility of glimpsing Chanel or Hendrix at check-in, residents loved the comfort and convenience of five-star service.
With the Stratford Skyscraper, a sleek, double cantilever tower designed by SOM, Harry Handelsman aims to revive this grand but fading tradition in brave new east London.
The kind of building Mies might have sketched while working on the Seagram, it contains two distinct but interrelated elements; the soon-to-open 145-room boutique hotel designed by Space Copenhagen and the Lofts, 248 raw but luxuriously furnished apartments, by Paris’ Studio KO.
Like some 21st-century Carlyle, the division between hotel and lofts is more a question of duration. The Stratford caters to short stays while the Lofts, which are serviced by the hotel, are aimed at those intending to remain for months, years, or maybe forever.
ADDRESS
22 International Way
Olympic Park
London
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Middle East Editor
-
Orlando Museum of Art wants to showcase more Latin American and Hispanic artists. Do you fit the bill?
The Florida gallery calls for for Hispanic and Latin American artists to submit their work for an ongoing exhibition
-
This spa in the Riviera Maya stays open until midnight. Here’s what happens after dark
Rosewood Mayakoba’s Akbal Series proposes a new kind of night out
-
Two new villas extend Christian Louboutin’s exuberant Portuguese hotel
A pink, kasbah-inspired residence and a whitewashed boathouse join the French shoe designer’s Vermelho Hotel in Melides, Alentejo
-
At this east London listening bar, mezcal-fuelled cocktails hit as hard as the basslines
In Bethnal Green, Little Fires pairs vinyl grooves with mezcal margaritas and Oaxacan sharing plates
-
Harry Nuriev’s Noisy Oyster London bistro isn’t quite finished – and that’s the point
A futuristic, work-in-progress aesthetic forms a striking backdrop for a new, sustainably focused seafood bistro in Shoreditch
-
Head to Lupa for a taste of Rome in the heart of Highbury
Ed Templeton, Theo James and Naz Hassan unveil an intimate 28-seat restaurant that balances a cosy, candlelit atmosphere with Roman-style dining
-
Underground grooves and a touch of ‘controlled chaos’ make this exciting Japanese-inspired restaurant one to book
Moi, a new subterranean hotspot in London, is a feast for the senses
-
Café Kitsuné doubles down on London with a new location
Café Kitsuné continues its global expansion with a bijou two-floor venue in Covent Garden that prioritises both craft and flavour
-
You can live out your Gatsby dreams, thanks to Claridge’s new Jazz Age-themed sleepover
Check in for the legendary hotel's Bright Young Things Sleepover — Shalimar perfume included
-
Do luxury hotels need a farmer-in-residence?
From Ibiza to Indonesia, hospitality brands are cultivating a new travel experience, where wellness begins in the soil and ends at the table
-
An exclusive look inside Cafe Murano Marylebone, Angela Hartnett’s latest culinary outpost
Cafe Murano Marylebone offers an intimate and homely atmosphere for Italian breakfasts, lunches and dinners