Hotel Review: Apex London City Hotel

I visit London I'd say at least once or twice a month, but I never get to 'see' London, so my partner and I decided enough was enough and off to London we went to see what it was all about.  Instead of racing into the big city then quickly vanishing again, (which is normally a standard occurance) we decided to be tourists and explore London like so many visitors do, however this time we'd be staying in the heart of the action at the Apex London City hotel . We were to stay towards Tower Hill station at the contemporary and uber stylish Apex London City hotel, which was perfectly nestled close to the station and with perfect views of stunning historical buildings close by.  The hotel is literally two minutes walk from Tower Hill tube station making it very handy when carrying shopping bags and suitcases. 
On entering the hotel the main interior design theme has a contemporary twist with the choice of furniture and prints, but unlike other modern designed venues it still remains warming with its attention to detail especially with the colours and fabrics used.  The lobby is spacious and elegantly simple with a cheeky flash of color from the Rainforest Cow, (of the art movement the Cow Parade) who is perched in the hotel entrance. 

Whilst waiting to check into one of their 179 rooms I took a look in the seating area close to the reception area.  It was such a  pleasant contrast after walking in off a busy street to now view a quiet churchyard through the tall windows. As great as it is to be in central London, gazing upon this scene didn't look like London, which really provided a wonderful ambiance for a relaxing stay. The presentation of staff was perfect along with their friendly customer service skills. All were extremely attentive, valuing each costumer individually.  It was very clear they love what they do.

After effortlessly checking in and get our room key (at 10AM!!) we were able to access the facilites by lift or stairs.  On each floor of bedrooms there was a table with the latest newspapers as you get out of the lift - handy to grab on your way out or down to breakfast for a read. Everywhere I went there were lots of personal touches, showing this hotel were pushing the boundaries in order to make the experience different from that seen in others.  The hotel boasts a  beautifully designed restaurant and bar onsite with a wide range of cuisine available, but also there is a small gym on the lower ground floor in case you fancy a quick workout.
The Bedrooms

The hotel room was very spacious with a large window overlooking the street outside, there was building work going on over the road but it wasn't too noisy and didn't effect the light.  I particularly liked how in the room not only did we have our comfy bed, (that all I wanted to do was dive straight onto) there was also a two seated sofa.  I did think this was a great idea because instead of watching TV in bed like most people do when in hotels, you have that seperate space just to watch TV so this allowed bedtime to simply be about relaxing and stepping away from any technology if desired.  

The bathroom wasn't huge but at the same time wasn't tiny either like some London hotels can be.  I feel huge bathrooms can be a bit of a waste of space, so this one was a perfect balance as it had fantastic walk in power shower, lovely large bath, big mirrors, a specific make up mirror and plenty of lighting.  Sometimes I'll go away and use the hotel's toiletries however often they aren't always as good as your own product with smell or texture, so I was over the moon to discover the well known beauty brand Elemis were available to use.  The Elemis items included; shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, soap, eye gel, calming gel and lip balm.  I had a bath on my Saturday morning with the Elemis bath cream, read my complimentary Marie Claire magazine (left on our coffee table with many others) and relaxed whilst the Apex rubber duck bobbed along the bubbles! After sight seeing in London on the Friday I was absolutely exhausted, so being able to come back to a hotel that was placed in the heart of the action was such a blessing.  As it is not far along on the tube it took no time at all to get to Tower Hill, plus it is just a few minutes to the hotel entrance. 
The Breakfast

After a quiet morning we emerged to a beautiful London morning and headed down to breakfast.  Hosted in the hotels Addenddum restaurant, we were seated in the sunshine over looking the quiet street the hotel sat on. A beautiful Sunday morning ideal for enjoying breakfast in such a tranquil setting.

A wide selection was available with continental style items on display to select from such as freshly baked items, muffins, fresh yogurts, fruit, cheeses, cured meats, cereals and so forth.  When taken to our seats we were immediately asked if we would like a hot drink which I had a gorgeous skinny decaf cappuccino - something that isn't an option in a lot of hotels! By far the best coffee I'd had in a while.  Alongside the previously mentioned foods there we also cooked items.  I can't say I have ever seen such a wide selection to chose from... I was honestly spoilt for choice and I did in fact change my mind about five times!  One thing I did notice that I thought was fantastic was that they didn't have a hot buffet where you would normally serve yourself, it reassured you that all food was freshly cooked and good quality.

After long consideration I couldn't resist the eggs benedict with spinach and hollandaise sauce on a muffin and finally went for that, my other half decided to go for the American style pancakes with bacon and maple syrup.  It was the best hotel breakfast I've had... we were both very impressed with everything from the variety of food, the presentation of it all, the attentive staff and more importantly how delicious it all was.
The ConclusionIf you're looking to stay in close distance of London's action but don't want the noise then the Apex London City is a superb venue choice. Its first class food means no treking around looking for a bite, and the quality of the staff was second to none.  Even though we were in London it didn't feel like it because of how relaxing it was but also beautifully tucked amongst gorgeous London architecture. A stylish yet relaxing find in a market saturated with 'same old same old'.
Annie 
xoxo