Tried & Tested

Aparthotel review: Saco The Moorgate

26 Jan 2019 by Tom Otley
Moorgate-view

Background:

This is the latest aparthotel from Saco, which has several brands including Saco apartments, Locke aparthotels and now this boutique property, which is also an aparthotel, but perhaps because it only has 27 apartments is known as The Moorgate. It opened at the end of 2018.

Saco to open Moorgate property next month

What’s it like?

The property has two entrances, on Moorgate and London Wall. You enter the first time from the London Wall entrance, it’s just past the TSB bank and is very discreet. You press a buzzer to be let in to a long flight of stairs leading up to the first floor reception which is manned (womanned?)  from 0800-2000.

The Grade II listed building has been completely transformed from the previous offices with design by architect James Parkin of LDS Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands. The reception sits at the bottom of a geometrical staircase which leads upwards through the property and makes it seem like an art gallery.

Saco the Moorgate Bedroom

Where is it?

On London Wall. It is a very short walk from Moorgate station, and less than ten minutes walk from Bank station. London Bridge, Monument and Liverpool Street stations are also only a short walk away.

Rooms

There are 27 apartments ranging in size from 25-43 sqm, and these are six one-bedroomed apartments, four studios, 15 studio superiors and two accessible studio superiors. The layout of the buildings means that although from the outside it looks as though there are only four floors, inside because of different levels there are actually eight floors, though these are mostly accessible via the lift without taking stairs. If stairs are a problem, it would be better to check when booking.

The room features also vary slightly, since some 16 of the apartments feature original fireplaces, and eight of them have bath tubs, depending on the configuration of the room.

As with the public areas, the apartments have been furnished to a very high specification, with lovely flooring and wall finishes, locally inspired, limited print artwork by Artiq, custom-made furniture by Gubi and Saba Italia, and feature lighting by Flos. Sound-proofing is excellent. My room was at the corner of both London Wall and Moorgate, yet I didn’t hear noise during the night. Each air-conditioned apartment is double-glazed to a high spec, soundproofing it from the busy area that surrounds the property – creating a real sense of peace and tranquillity.

All rooms have small kitchens which have all you would need to cook or simply warm up food you have bought, along with glassware, cutlery, and Smeg appliances, as well as Smart TVs with 70 plus channels. My room had a shower only, and needed some kind of storage or soap dish on the wall, although I suppose this would have interrupted the clean lines of the bathroom.

Saco the Moorgate Bathroom

The technology in the room is impressive – plenty of plugs, USB charging by the beds, good reading lights etc…, but it can create problems.

Once you are in the room you can use the door intercom to buzz in friends from the Moorgate entrance, which has a lift accessing the floors of the property.

If either this door or the main front door is left open, as happened the night I was there, a warning flashes up on the small screen by the door in your room (and presumably every other room as well) telling you that the door is not shut.

At such times you are left with the option of getting out of bed, putting on some shoes and going downstairs in the lift and out into the corridor to sort it out yourself, or hope that someone else will.

It’s not easy to think of the solution to this.

I fell asleep wondering about it, and woke safely.

Door-warning

Food and drink

None, although the kitchens mean you can prepare your own food. As a welcome there is a packet of crisps, some chocolate and of course tea and coffee-making.

Business

There aren’t any meeting rooms.

Leisure

No gym either, though they can recommend local ones.

Verdict

This is a wonderfully, almost unbelievably central location, and one which has retained some character from the original building yet has all the mod cons. If you are looking for a long stay in a completely central place right in the City of London, it can’t be beaten. You certainly won’t have any excuse for being late for work.

sacoapartments.com

The Moorgate - SACO apartments
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