YOTEL: The ultimate place to stay in London (London essentials)

“YOTEL is for Non-Stop guests who are always on the move. A great option for both business and leisure travellers, it’s for people who are looking for experience-led stays in some of the world’s best cities,” says Olivia Donnan, Vice President of Brand & Communications at YOTEL.

In such a big, vibrant city like London, it can be overwhelming to try and find the perfect place to stay. For young, fun-loving travelers looking for a unique vibe, look no further than YOTEL. With two locations both in London City and Shoreditch, they are prime locations within the buzz of the parties yet also offering solace away from the chaos.

Offering all types of rooms to suit any budget, style, and group of friends or family, YOTEL room options include Queen, Premium Queen, Premium Plus, Premium Triple, Solo, and Bunk rooms, with VIP Suite and First Class options for those looking for even more affordable luxury. With sleek, futuristic designs, YOTEL focuses on putting technology at the forefront, allowing for a unique and massively satisfactory experience for all of its guests. Its technology-forward ethos even extends down to little details such as free Lumie lights which help to promote healthy sleep patterns.

For guests looking to also enhance their experience, they can find the Revolve bar at the London City location. Their all-day restaurant and bar area offers street food from bao buns to flatbreads, local beers to cocktails, and more. Perfect for socialising with both small and larger groups, this is the place to be. 

To find out more about the fast-growing YOTEL brand, we spoke to Olivia Donnan, Vice President of Brand & Communications at YOTEL to find out more.

Why do you think YOTEL is the best option for travellers looking to stay in London?

“Location and affordability are definitely key factors. Our London hotels, YOTEL London City in Clerkenwell and YOTEL London Shoreditch, are both in vibrant areas of Central London with great transport connections. In both locations, guests can enjoy the buzzing cafés, pubs, bars and world-class independent restaurants surrounding the hotel or take the short walk to London landmarks like St Paul’s Cathedral, the Barbican and Spitalfields Market. 

Guests that stay at YOTEL can enjoy all the benefits of these prime city centre locations, at an affordable rate and without compromising on comfort.”

What sets YOTEL apart from other hotel chains?

“YOTEL is for Non-Stop guests who are always on the move. A great option for both business and leisure travellers, it’s for people who are looking for experience-led stays in some of the world’s best cities. From lively cities to bustling airports, YOTEL exists to challenge the status quo of the hospitality industry and deliver a different experience for guests through smart design, creative technology and awesome people.”

When someone comes to stay at a YOTEL, what sort of experience can they expect?

“A YOTEL stay provides guests with everything they need and nothing they don’t. Rooms are cleverly designed to maximise space and functionality, while the hotel’s public spaces, including bars, restaurants and co-working areas are great spots to hang out and meet new people. After recharging at the hotel, we want our guests to get out and explore the destination they’re in. 

It’s also important to add that our hotels are safe and inclusive spaces for everyone. YOTEL welcomes all guests and visitors with open arms, no matter who you are.”

Continuing to expand within London, YOTEL is also opening its Stratford location this year. Why was this area a great fit for the YOTEL brand?

“Absolutely, we’re really excited to be growing in London and to be bringing the first YOTELPAD to Europe with the launch of YOTELPAD London Stratford this summer. 

YOTELPAD is our flexible, extended stay offering, with modern studios that we refer to as PADs – each with a multi-functional live, work, sleep area, stylish bathroom and fully equipped kitchenette. Stratford will be bookable from one-night to monthly stays and range in size and layouts – giving guests unrivalled flexibility. 

Following the buzz sparked by the 2012 Olympics, Stratford is now one of London’s leading shopping, restaurant, and cultural districts with some of the best transport links in the capital. Located on Broadway, YOTELPAD London Stratford is ideally positioned for non-stop travellers wanting a flexible stay in this incredible neighbourhood next to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the independent bars and restaurants of the East Village, and development of the East Bank innovation hub which will be home to new outposts from the V&A, London College of Fashion, BBC Sounds and Sadler’s Wells. The new Elizabeth line connects guests to central London in minutes alongside the mainline stations and airports.”

YOTEL also prides itself on tech and design-led environments. How do you use technology to create unique environments within your hotels and rooms?

“We use functional technology to help improve every aspect of the guest experience – from increasing the efficiency of check-in to maximising room space. Our self-service stations make checking-in a seamless experience, 24/7. Guests can check-in, create their own room key, order late check-out or exclusive ad-ons, all through the touch screens in Mission Control. 

 YOTEL rooms feature our signature, fully adjustable SmartBed™ that reclines from an upright sofa to a full-sized Queen bed at the touch of a button. This allows us to maximise available floor space for guests when they’re not sleeping so they can move around freely, whether they’re getting changed or working out, without needing a bigger room.  

Tech features are integrated into each room to allow guests to personalise their stay. They can change the colour and ambience of their room to suit any mood or time of day with the colour wheel. Connectivity is also a top priority in the YOTEL design philosophy. All rooms have superfast WiFi and Smart TVs so guests can easily cast shows from their devices.”

What is it about this hotel that suits young, modern travellers in particular?

“YOTEL is perfect for a modern traveller of any age who’s looking to discover a new city through a fresh lens. We’ve removed the bells and whistles from a traditional hotel stay to give our guests a modern, efficient experience so they can recharge and get on the move again.

We are always looking at new ways we can support our Non-Stop guests. When our recent survey of 2,000 US and UK participants uncovered that 42% find coping with jet lag challenging, we launched a series of brand partnerships and guidance to help combat jet lag. As a result, YOTEL guests can now land like a local and hit the ground running.”

How will the hotel chain continue to develop in the future? 

“We’re excited to continue growing the YOTEL brand globally, with some brilliant new projects in the pipeline. We have plans to further expand the brand across Asia, with a series of new openings in the next few years including Tokyo, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Neom, and are looking at new opportunities to bring YOTEL hotels to major cities and transport hubs around the world!”

For the next time you’re in London, be sure to check out YOTEL at their London City location here, or their Shoreditch location here.