Wilde Aparthotels, London, Aldgate Tower Bridge — Hotel in London

We stayed at the Wilde Aparthotel Aldgate Tower Bridge for two nights at the end of August and had a rather underwhelming experience. We expected more from this hotel, judging by its ratings online. As Coldplay was in town (our reason for visiting London), prices were higher than average.

The hotel is a five-minute walk from Aldgate East and about eight minutes from Aldgate Station. Liverpool Street Station is technically in walkable distance aswell, though taking the bus there is easier, with a stop right in front of the hotel. I wouldn’t recommend walking to Whitechapel for the Elizabeth Line – the walk felt long, annoying, and unsafe. Also, avoid walking further down the road toward McDonald’s after dark – sketchy atmosphere, and we saw two police scenes within those five mins of walking. Walking to Aldgate or Liverpool Street is safer.

The arrival was.. odd. No one greeted us, and we waited in the lobby for several minutes before someone finally helped us at a not-so-clean high table. The staff member seemed demotivated and spoke very quietly, though check-in was quick. Unfortunately, we were charged twice despite prepaying nearly a year earlier through a third party. This was resolved after I spoke with the manager, but I was surprised it was marked as a “user error” on our invoice, and no small gesture like waiving the early check-in fee was offered for the inconvenience.

We were given a room on the 9th floor. The corridors are dim, with black walls and stuffy air despite it being just 22 degrees outside.

The “triple room” is simply too small for three adults. The storage areas under the twin beds is smart, and there is a small wardrobe with two drawers, but oddly no safe to store your valuables. A table and chair cramped the room unnecessarily and looked cheap compared to the rest. The sofa bed was decent but had a pretty thin mattress and annoying metal railings that can be a little annoying when standing up / lying down; there was also no nightstand, only a photo shelf right above it where you really can’t put anything.

The kitchen area becomes very narrow once the sofa bed is pulled out. The fridge and sink were great, but the bins were tiny and filled up after just one day. The bathroom was also cramped, with practically no counter space. No toothbrush cups, Q-tips, or cotton pads were provided – unusual for a 4-star property. The soap dispenser was nearly empty and even fell out of its holder, and none of the dispensers were secured/locked, which isn’t hygienic (most hotels have that nowadays, for a reason!). We didn’t know where to go with dirty towels as there was no designated spot for them and no space. The heated towel holder being right next to the toilet is weird and inconvenient.

We had the AC running for hours & hours on end, yet it barely managed to cool down the room to an acceptable temp. At least it was quiet enough to keep on at night. The TV had few channels but casting worked very well. Light controls were fine, and the blackout blinds were excellent– also essential, since the windows aren’t tinted from the outside.

On the positive side, the room was clean, beds were comfortable, and it was quiet at night despite the hotel being full. We skipped breakfast as there are better options near Liverpool Street Station that we wanted to try out.

All in all, our first ever stay at a Wilde property was just okay. The location is central but not particularly the nicest, the staff lacked warmth, and the triple room was way too small for three adults. It should not be sold as a triple for three adults and would be better suited for parents with a small child. I imagine the higher room categories might do a better job of accommodating three adults.

We had what we needed; a clean room with good public transport connections. However, we wouldn’t...

We stayed at the Wilde Hotel in Aldgate for six nights as a base to explore London. ||The location is decent, just a 5-10 minute walk from Aldgate East tube station which has connections onto the District and Hammersmith & City lines. There are several convenience stores locally, good pubs (particularly the Hoop & Grapes) and the many eateries of Brick Lane are a 15 minute walk away. There is also a very good Argentinian steakhouse called Bife on your doorstep.||Check-in was friendly and efficient and our room was ready ahead of time which was a bonus. ||We booked a one-bedroom apartment and Wilde lose a star as the actuality didn't match the website photo gallery. In particular, the double bed took up the entire depth of the room so you couldn't walk around it and whoever was sleeping on the far side would have to clamber over the other person to get out. It felt like a standard size apartment had been adapted via a partition to create a separate bedroom even though the space didn't really permit it. Also be aware that you may not get any sort of view unless you're on one of the higher floors - we were on the 3rd floor and therefore missed out!||The apartment was reasonably equipped as per the specification on the website. Little niggles again, such as a leaky coffee machine and a poorly draining shower, neither of which we felt the need to report but both of which probably could have been picked up by Housekeeping previously. Be aware also that the sofa bed folds out as two singles, not as one double, so this might not suit your needs.||The wifi signal was strong and internet access was free to use. The two TVs were of a good size and there were instructions on how to cast your personal streaming services. ||Check-out was as simple as check-in and we were able to leave our cases on-site on the last day, picking them up in the evening, which was much appreciated.||Would we stay at Wilde Aldgate again? Possibly but I'd want a higher floor room next time and I'm not sure I'd bother paying extra for the 1-bedroom apartment unless it was...

The Wilde Aldgate East was the perfect spot to stay during our visit to London! Well situated near several transit stations and close to many wonderful dining options, it offered comfort and convenience after a busy day out. The tidy kitchen was fully equipped with a convection/microwave combination oven, two-burner hob, small refrigerator, dishwasher, toaster, kettle and Nepresso machine, plus everything you'd need to prepare simple meals. Many grocery stores from Co-Op to Tesco are located nearby, but if you don't feel like cooking, the culinary delights of Brick Lane, Petticoat Lane, Old Spitalfields Market and more are an easy walk away! In an area catering more to the residential/business side of things, daily noise should be expected, but the rooms were very quiet considering how much life was going on outside every day. Though compact, clever design kept the room feeling bright and spacious, and the double curtain arrangement over the large window allowed for light and privacy. The dainty bathroom offered multiple shower heads and lighting options, giving a spa feel in a small area!

While the room offered a very comfortable bed & sitting area, if you want to spend time elsewhere in the hotel there is a charming sitting area in the lobby, with breakfast served in the morning and refreshments throughout the day. It seemed a popular place to set up a laptop and work, with excellent wifi and plenty of seating. If you need a little activity in-house, the fitness room is small but well equipped, and the well-priced laundry service is easy to use should your workout be intense! If you have any needs at all, the extremely helpful staff are there to make sure your trip goes well, and they excel at their jobs. From figuring out the built-in dishwasher (press the On button, then close it up!) to tips on the best part of the block to find a cab, the Wilde staff knew how to make everything run smoothly while also making guests feel welcome and relaxed. We absolutely look forward to making this our home base again when we...