Union Social @ The Gantry – Curio Collection by Hilton

Slick design, good food but missed storytelling moments

A stones throw from Stratford International and Westfield sits the Gantry Hotel, part of The Curio Collection by Hilton. It’s a modern and slick hotel restaurant with good food, perfect for a midweek dinner. Although the bar and restaurant was quiet, it was busy enough with hotel guests and visitors, so had enough of a buzz to create an atmosphere.

Design around the venue was okay, using a nice script font, but it felt somewhat disconnected to the strong ‘union social’ logo. The drinks menu had a custom ribbon tying it together, which was a nice touch although the first cocktail on the menu was called ‘thing’ which felt like a missed opportunity for some menu storytelling.

On our way down the stairs we could hear the entertaining tones of live jazz coming from Soul Mama next door (open plan), bringing an energy and a vibe to the otherwise quiet foyer. The key takeaway from the experience would be the importance of joining up the customer experience and leading customers, both hotel guests and visitors, on a storytelling journey. It would certainly help drive more external customers.