Hilton HHonors - Hilton London Docklands hotel

Has anyone heard of this hotel in London, and know anything about it? Location,area info etc...??

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Dena

The hotel was a Holiday Inn until a few weeks ago, and isn't terribly conveniently located. It's halfway in-between Rotherhithe Tube and Canada Waters tube, but it's a good 10-15 minute walk from either. Rooms are small.

The only reason to stay at this hotel is its convenience to Canary Wharf / Docklands. If you're not out there doing business, there are many Hiltons which are more conveniently located for tourists.

Matthew

I used to to stay at this hotel a lot a few years back. Some of the rooms are in the converted warehouse part and are very big and have a lot of character. One attraction for me was the River taxi that ran between the pier adjacent to the hotel. Canary Wharf pier and London Bridge pier where I worked. It was a very stress free way of getting to the office in the morning. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif In the evenings I used taxi's as you rightly point out public transport isn't really an option.

At the time Geri Halliwell had an apartment nearby and used the gym at the hotel!

I'm looking for something economical in London, yet still rises to a 3* U.S. standard. How is this hotel? Any new comments? The nightly rate is 44GBP (inclusive of tax/breakfast). I'm Hilton Gold VIP if that makes any difference.

I don't think the rooms have air-conditioning. Although it probably won't matter this time of the year. You might want to verify with the hotel if your travel plans are in the summer.

I stayed in the Intercontinental Churchill this summer, and the AC was keeping the room around 90 degrees http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif. Two of the procelin labels on the shower handle fell off, possibly due to the heat.

The engineering staff ended up opening the windows, and bringing in a fan for us. Turns out that the filter for the cold water powered airconditoning was clogged. The manager apologized profusely mentioned that AC systems in UK are very different than US, since the UK weather is much milder. He also credited one of our nights stay.

[This message has been edited by Jet2K (edited 11-01-2002).]

I'll be there in November and January-- a/c isn't something I want (heat will be important though). I'm not a big fan of air conditioning anyway.

TWO,

Tvl4free likes to use hotel points when staying in LON - as using an award stay in this city seem to be a particularly good return on investment to me. Having said that, I would only stay in the Docklands hotel again if it was the only Hilton in LON in which I could get an award stay4free (if I have to pay for a room, I would rather stay closer in to Central London).

Some of my impressions:

Initially, I was advised that the property was a short 10 minute walk from the Rotherhithe Tube Station. Well, it appeared to be much further than that, I am thinking now. And so I was very glad to at last reach the hotel, after walking in the rain without an umbrella. It was a cold, dreary, rainy, 'Sherlock Holmes' kind of misty nite, and I thought it would be a short walk. Well, pulling a wheelie and toting a backpack, it wasn't, and so I was glad to at last see the Hilton flag flying. My initial impression was that this hotel was gonna be kinda cool - I liked the 'brown stone look' - with the scooner ship located right along side. And with 'all the fog' the night I checked in, the place seemed kinda dream-like.

But at check-in, the first thing that I noticed about the hotel was that it literally REEKED of cigarette smoke... in the lobby, in the halls, and in the n/s rooms! The next thing that I noticed was that the hallways are like a maze. You walk 10-15 feet and then have to turn left or right, open a door, then proceed forward again, only to make another turn, or to reach an elevator - which only goes to one particular set of rooms. In other words, the layout is very wierd - almost bizarre.

As a Gold, I was not initially upgraded (there is not an executive floor, per se) as the hotel was full and I had checked in on my first nite quite late - maybe around 1130PM - after having taken a day flight from NYC. (Day flights to LON are a good thing! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif ).

The room assigned was so small that I could just barely make it around the bed. Staff aplogized... but that evening, there was apparently nothing that they could do. The next day, however, I was upgraded to a huge room with balcony overlooking the 'river'. (That room I liked... especially the self-service tea service located in the room. I also liked the bathroom ammenities... soaps and shampoos, etc. are nicely packaged).

But, the room overlooked what was essentially a sewage dump (the docklands itself) and at low tide, I noticed all kinds of stuff had been dumped into the river directly below my room (like lots of trash, an entire dumpster, a baby carriage, and a wheel chair, for example).

When I travel, I must have internet to access FT http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif. The business center in this hotel - does not have internet access, per se... but they did let me use a computer in the business office. That was nice of them, albeit somewhat inconvenient as staff is frequently using this computer.

One other negative thing I'll mention about this hotel... then I'll move on to its greatest asset: it's WAY FAR from anywhere a 'normal tourist' would want to be.
And more important, it's just too far from Rotherhithe Tube or the Canary Warf Station... even considering that the hotel does offer bus shuttle service to CW. (The trains and shuttle stop running about 1130P or so... and so, one must be 'bedded down' in LON WAY TOO EARLY... and who wants to do THAT in LON... or be prepared for a very expensive cab ride?).

So those were the drawbacks that I noticed. OTOH, this property offers the best self-service/cooked-to-order bkfst buffet and 'morning tea-service' of any Hilton that I've stayed at - and the restaurant overlooks the river. I must admit, I did enjoy the bksft4free and the morning atmosphere here. The restaurant has a wood floor, red brick walls, and one side is glass with a nice view of the docks IIRC... with very pleasant surroundings.

But in short, the Docklands just does not have a 'Hilton feel to it' - and so after 3 days, I checked out of this property and into the Hilton Metropole.

I found the Metropole to be a most pleasant place to stay. I like it. Alot. And an upgrade was not a problem. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif
But again, the Metro location is not the best (neighborhood does not have the 'vibrant, lively feel', of Earls Court, or more central LON, for example)... but it's only a short train ride from where most people will want to be (the Leister Sq. area).

I've also stayed at the London Hilton National Olympia... which is a much smaller property than the Metro. I just happen to like the Olympia's location better than the Metro's... one passes nearby Harrods both going and comming http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif, when on the way to Picadilly... although I like the Metro hotel itself much, much better than the Olympia.

But, the Metro does have a somewhat huge and 'impersonal feel to it' (it's a very busy hotel) vs. the other 2 properties mentioned here.

OTOH if I was going to pay for a hotel stay... at least in London, I would prefer a local hotel with just a little more British flavor, than a Hilton has to offer... in Earl's Court, of course.

But then, points are points... so sometimes we have to compromise! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Maybe you should do the Paddington and let us know what you think...??? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif



[This message has been edited by tvl4free (edited 11-03-2002).]

Thanks for the feedback. I think this hotel will be just fine for my needs. At 44GBP (including tax and breakfast), I don't think I'll be able to find anything coming close in terms of value. I'll keep an eye on the Point Strecher dates for January and will certainly book one of the more conveniently located properties should one become available. It's much more fun to earn than to burn!

Has anybody stayed in this hotel who can give me a brief lowdown on how it stacks up to some of the Central London Hiltons. I will be staying 4 days in London at the tail end of my trip in July 04 and I saw a Single Hilton Room for 72 Pounds a night on the web site. First of all, is this a broom closet sized room and, secondly, what kind of an upgrade could I expect here, or any of the other London Hilton's, as a Diamond? Thanks.

Stayed last month, would not stay again.

No upgraded room, no lounge and poor location. Hotel is like a maze, breakfast is good though. Do a search and you will find lots of comments on this and others in London.

pmcg

Any recent stays at this hotel?

I live relatively close to this hotel. It really is in the middle of nowhere - the only business of any sort in an area which is 99% housing. The hotel was designed to be flats in the early 1990s but, when the recession hit, it became a hotel instead. It is at least 15 mins walk from Rotherhithe or Surrey Quays tube stations, in what is a relatively- but not totally- safe area.

What is good about it is that you can take the hotel boat or the pay ferry across to Canary Wharf, which has 200 shops (all underground!) and most of the major office skyscrapers. For GBP 44, it is not bad value at all and you will get the fun of taking the boat to and from the hotel (although on your first day you will have to walk from the tube as you wont know where to get the boat from). Get an A-Z at Heathrow or you may not find the hotel.

I did a post on the Starwood forum yesterday responding to a question about where to stay in London. If you want a cheap alternative you will get a few ideas there.

One thing that nobody mentioned is that this hotel has a health club and a pool. When I stayed there, I used the shuttle bus to Canary Wharf and then the tube. The only inconvenience is when you want or need to return late because the last shuttle is about 11:30 p.m. I didn't receive any amenities a a gold.

I stayed at this hotel several times between January and March for 49 GBP. Although it is located at the eastern end of London, it is about a 15 minute underground ride from the London Victoria station to the Canada Water station. As you leave Canada Water, walk about 100 feet to your left and catch the Hilton shuttle. Never had to wait more than 20 minutes. If the hotel has many guests waiting to go into London, they will operate 2 vans. I believe the shuttles operate as late as 11 p.m. Also, if you happen to see the No. 325 red bus, it goes right by the hotel. I didn't check to see when the last bus ran. As for walking to the hotel, it's really too far (I would say at least 1-1/2 to 2 miles).

Each time I stayed, I had a nice, clean room overlooking the Thames river. The free breakfast buffet and the coffee were excellent. However, when I saw that the eggs were just swimming in cooking oil, then the oil drained and all the eggs displayed on a big platter, I asked the cook to fry my eggs in a separate skillet without all that oil. He was very happy to oblige. Another thing, when checking in and you are asked if you want a newspaper at your door each morning, you may find a charge of 1 pound (about $1.85) per night on your bill. I was surprised because it was complimentary the first stay and I assumed it was complimentary all the time. You can always pick one up at the concierge's desk or at the table outside the breakfast room. The restaurant in the schooner was closed for repairs. It may be open now.

I found the staff to be very friendly and courteous. Even though the hotel is not in central London, I would rather stay there for 49 GBP (you may not find that rate now) than pay over 100 GBP at other Hiltons or any other hotel in London for that matter.

Another thing, when checking in and you are asked if you want a newspaper at your door each morning, you may find a charge of 1 pound (about $1.85) per night on your bill. I was surprised because it was complimentary the first stay and I assumed it was complimentary all the time. You can always pick one up at the concierge's desk or at the table outside the breakfast room.


Isn't a free newspaper on a weekday a gold/diamond amenity?

I actually stayed there a couple of nights ago.

Got a very strange room - reached by going accross a bridge from reception and through a maze of really narrow corridors. Room itself was huge, but with hardly any furniture. What it DID have was a fantastic river view and balcony, so I guess I'd been upgraded as a Gold.

Breakfast was indeed excellent.

One complaint - I got a B&B rate of £91 from the internet. When I checked out they tried to charge me £140 and only rleented when I showed them my confirmation. How can this happen?

Just interested to know if others have seen the £44 / 49 rates recently. I'd stay there again for that rate, but not at what I paid.

Hello,

I don´t know if this hotel was discussed before, but with the help function,....

I booked the London Docklands for my brother and his newly wed wife at the end of April.
Has anybody stayed there? What´s the Hotel like?
What about the location and access to public transport?

Thank you

BTW do you think it is worth for them signing up for HHonors? (My brother doesn´t travel much)

Good news - it overlooks the river, and there is a boat which takes you across to Canary Wharf where there are 200+ shops and a tube station.

Good news - its cheap

Bad news - it is in a 100% residential area (it was built to be flats but when the recession hit in the 1990's they made it a hotel at the last minute). Absolutely NOTHING except flats within walking distance.

Bad news - its over a mile (20+ minutes walk) to the nearest tube, although buses run past occasionally.

Think VERY carefully before booking anyone in here. I live relatively close to the hotel so am familiar with the area, and would never book anyone into it.

If you want something decent at c£70 per night, try the brand new Novotel in Greenwich, the Premier Travel Inn in Southwark or the Premier Travel Inn at Country Hall, Westminster. Or try Priceline.

Bad news - its over a mile (20+ minutes walk) to the nearest tube, although buses run past occasionally.


I thought the subway was design so that you are never more than 1/2 a km away from a station anwyhere in the city...or am I thinking of Paris?

Wrong city!

The shallow lines (District, Circle, Met) are built along the lines of main roads, because they were built with 'cut and cover' tunnelling.

The deep lines (Central, Northern, Piccadilly) were, in general, built in areas where London clay was predominant, since in the late 19th century they did not have the technology to tunnel through stone. Hence the fact that there are few tube lines south of the river, because the ground there is mainly chalk and not clay.

The shallow lines (District, Circle, Met) are built along the lines of main roads, because they were built with 'cut and cover' tunnelling.

The deep lines (Central, Northern, Piccadilly) were, in general, built in areas where London clay was predominant, since in the late 19th century they did not have the technology to tunnel through stone. Hence the fact that there are few tube lines south of the river, because the ground there is mainly chalk and not clay.

You remind me very much of my Soil Mechanics lecturer :D

Bad news - its over a mile (20+ minutes walk) to the nearest tube, although buses run past occasionally.


I have used it several times. There are indeed some London buses which go by occasionally. There is also a Hilton shuttle bus to and from the Jubilee line tube station (don't remember which) twice per hour. Quite convenient.

There are several buildings, some of which are not as good. I was upgraded several times to a two room suite overlooking the river, and some other times to smallish rooms with a view on other buildings. I always enjoy a very nice welcome from a French staff member who usually gives me good rooms, but not all the time. The restaurant is buffet style and neither good nor bad.

Except when the price is lower (ie Hilton Kensington or Olympia are fully booked or very expensive) there is no compelling reason to be so far from everything, although taking the tube and the shuttle bus is rather convenient.

There is also a Hilton shuttle bus to and from the Jubilee line tube station (don't remember which) twice per hour. Quite convenient.

sounds good enough

Except when the price is lower (ie Hilton Kensington or Olympia are fully booked or very expensive) there is no compelling reason to be so far from everything, although taking the tube and the shuttle bus is rather convenient.

well price actually was an issue :o and it does include a dinner in "neither good nor bad" restaurant.

Well all in all it doesn´t sound too bad. Considering they come to London only to do some sightseeing, a little time getting in the City is not so bad.

RJB/JOUY thank you for the Info´s

I don't think a 20 minute walk through a non-descript housing estate (or a potential 30 minute wait outside a scruffy shopping centre for a shuttle bus) is what they will have in mind when you tell them that the hotel is a bit of a walk from anywhere!

It will take ONE HOUR to get from the hotel to the West End, unless they time their departure every day to meet the shuttle bus, which would shave off 15 minutes. It would take the full hour going back, assuming an average 15 min wait for the bus or the 20 minute walk.

A quick look at biddingfortravel.com shows that - for example - you can get the fully refurbished Waldorf Hilton for $105 on Priceline for late April. Your brother will be in a central London hotel, he will save up to TWO HOURS PER DAY in travelling time and he will be staying in a higher quality hotel. All for probably the same money.

If you want to stay on the river is the Conrad Hilton more convient? We are thinking of staying there in June but we are not sure how access to the city is either? As a matter of fact we are trying to decide between the Paddington, Conrad Hiilton and Waldorf. Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated.

The Conrad is equally rubbish for location. Another 20 minute walk to the tube and then a relatively long tube trip to the West End - albeit only about 45 mins in total, I guess, compared to an hour for the Docklands.

However, at least with the Conrad you are walking past £m homes rather than public housing! And most of the Conrad rooms do have a water view, I think - at the Docklands Hilton only a few do. The Conrad is also a far better hotel.

Paddington is odd - you are, basically, staying inside a railway station in a part of town that is no better than any other area around any other railway station in the world. Exceptionally convenient for the tube, however, and you would be in Leicester Square within 15 minutes.

The Waldorf is, of course, very central - but you may want to read the various threads about the refurb first!

The Conrad is equally rubbish for location. Another 20 minute walk to the tube and then a relatively long tube trip to the West End - albeit only about 45 mins in total, I guess, compared to an hour for the Docklands.

However, at least with the Conrad you are walking past £m homes rather than public housing! And most of the Conrad rooms do have a water view, I think - at the Docklands Hilton only a few do. The Conrad is also a far better hotel.

Paddington is odd - you are, basically, staying inside a railway station in a part of town that is no better than any other area around any other railway station in the world. Exceptionally convenient for the tube, however, and you would be in Leicester Square within 15 minutes.

The Waldorf is, of course, very central - but you may want to read the various threads about the refurb first!

I really appreciate your insights and help. the other hotel we are looking at is the Hilton Metropole. How would you size it up compared to the Conrad and Paddington?

Huge hotel in a noisy location. Not sure which tube is nearest but it wont be far. Not suitable for walking into the west end. Probably on a par with Padd for location.

Not sure which tube is nearest but it wont be far.

Tube station: Edgeware Road.

Stayed there once, rooms was slightly small but usable. Had a nice view of river and a balcony. No exec lounge and gets very busy with weddings at weekends.

Shuttle to tube station is reliable often every ten minutes. The boat across the river charges, which is rather cheeky!

All in all standard four star hilton (does a nice afternoon tea) with good views of the docklands and nice bar area outside in the sun. Would stay there again but check for something closer if you're not going to be there much ie just a bed and shower before yur next day of sight seeing.

If you want to chill for the day there's not that much in the hotel but a boat trip over to the north side gives you a huge amount of shops under Canary Wharf with good reasonable priced restaurant/pubs.

But do check the prices sometimes it can verge on the overpriced for what you're getting.

:td: I stayed there last June, not knowing it was so isolated. I was there for business at Canary Wharf, but even with the ferry it was inconvenient. I stayed late one night and had to take a taxi back to the hotel, which was 25 pounds! I think they are builiding a new hotel in Canary Wharf, but until then, just stay in another neighborhood. I stayed at the Trafalgar Hilton on my previous trip and it was fantastic.

Not sure which tube is nearest but it wont be far.

Tube station: Edgeware Road.

There are actually two Tube stations by the Metropole, both called Edgeware Road and both about 1/2 block from the hotel entrance. One of the stations is across Edgeware Rd. from the Metropole and up a bit to the left (as you face Edgeware from the hotel's entrance) and serves the Bakerloo line. The second station is across Edgeware and down Praed/Chapel St. (just past the Marks & Spencer) and serves the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines.

I enjoyed my stay at the Metropole, but it is a very big business/conference/tour groups type of hotel. We were treated very well there as Golds, receiving an upgraded room in the newer West Wing and a very early check-in upon arrival (about 9:30 am). Our room was not elegant but nice and comfortable, the executive lounge was not bad, and the employees were all friendly. The neighborhood was nothing much, but with so many subway lines just across the street it was easy to get around to various other parts of London. Unless you have lots of, or large/awkward bags, it is an easy 5-10 min. walk down Praed St. from Paddington Station.

I have had the unfortunate pleasure of staying at the Metropole several times and it is frankly awful. Big souless and uncaring. Avoid if at all possible. Docklands is variable some of the rooms are pretty ancient and it is in the sticks but then again it can be a good base from which to explore the East End. Equivalant rates can usually be had at the London South Kensington which is in a much better location near the museums etc. An average Hilton but good location and usually good rates. Waldorf and Trafalgar v central; as is the Euston but not stayed there.

Well I'll be checking in there tomorrow for the weekend. I used to live in that area so I know it's not ideal if you're a tourist or doing work in the City. However, the main reason that I'm staying there is because it has free parking. Maybe that's a bit petty but this is London. The national trains are such a mess so that I can't get home from London to Birmingham on a Sunday. It's so ridiculous that if I want to go to London for a weekend, I have to drive (and I'm not about to take a coach - yuck!).

Anyway, I'm hoping it's a nice enough hotel. Most of the negative feedback here has been about the location, but I'm fully aware of that and don't really mind at all. However, I'd be a bit disappointed if I were a foreigner in London on business or holiday and got put in a neighbourhood like that.

Spent a night at the Hilton Docklands last Saturday. The hotel is a bit away from things but has a free shuttle bus to Canada Water underground. They run every 1o minutes until 2300 hours.
The hotel overlooks the Thames, and is in 3 sections which are linked by walkways. Checked in and had the wife + 2 kids with me. They treat golds quite well here. They do not have a lounge, but have an Hhonors area with expedited check in, free tea, coffee, bottled water and fruit. I was given a large room overlooking the Thames and free breakfast. The room and hotel was clean and tidy and staff were helpful. The leisure club was at the front of the hotel, and not connected to by any covered walkway. Used the pool which was really hot. No I mean really HOT.
One other plus was the car park was free, this is a real bonus for London. It is an underground car park and a bit tough to park, but it was secure.
Overall quite a good stay. Would stay there again for £100

Checked in, presented diamond card, the new girl behind the desk grabbed the manager because she had never checked in a diamond. Upgraded to a huge room overlooking the Thames. Every day at breakfast the guy seating pulled me out of line and got me to my seat for free breakfast.

They have a shuttle that runs from the hotel to Canada Water, or you can take the ferry (not free) over to canary warf but it is a pretty good walk to the tube.

My last day they pulled a towel out of my suitcase and sent it to be laundered, it was my towel and I am pretty angry about it. They never replaced my wash clothes or towels in my bathroom, but for whatever reason they took my towel.

I should have listened to Raffles :(

Got to Canada Water and couldn't see the signs for the bus stop so decided to walk as there was a sign outside pointing to the Hilton. 15 minutes! Took me a little longer carrying a heavy laptop bag and dodging the torrential rain. By the time I got to hotel I was hot, wet and thoroughly fed up. Of course my wife had gone to Canada Water and immediately found the bus stop and journeyed in the dry :mad:

Check in required photo id due to the heightened security - but they accepted two credit cards

Room was OK - on 6th floor but the elevator door jammed open so long trek through winding corridors to get to room. No AC and very warm and muggy. Room not cleaned very well - dirty crockery and a previous occupants shower gel hanging in the bathroom.

The property really is not well situated and there are only two pubs nearby - one serves reasonably good Thai food.

The ferry to Canary Wharf cost £2.50 and leaves every 10 minutes

Overall not a great property and no longer cheap - I'll try elsewhere next time

I had lengthy discussions with them about room quality (booked deluxe plus and ended up in some kind of dorm (for myself) and in the end they even overcharged the rate by adding VAT to a VAT inclusive rate. I liked this hotel in the past, but compared to the new Canary Wharf Hilton, this is a dump.

.......compared to the new Canary Wharf Hilton, this is a dump.

I agree. And I'm surprised they haven't flogged it off, now that Canary Wharf is up and running.

I agree. And I'm surprised they haven't flogged it off, now that Canary Wharf is up and running.

There used to be talks about that, but thanks to excellent location across the river from Canary Wharf, it remains as Hilton. The surroundings may not be the most glamorous ones but the service certainly is up to Hilton standards. Working a long day, taking a ferry across, and having a good night sleep, with little disturbances (apart from occasional fire-false-alarms), that´s all there´s to it. And the restaurant, especially the breakfast is quite ok.

Heathrow connections late in the evening and early in the morning work ok using the tube and courtesy bus. Daytime it depends on the general traffic conditions in the tube. Getting to Heathrow by pre-ordered cab is around 50 pounds and it may actually take longer than the tube journey.

I agree. And I'm surprised they haven't flogged it off, now that Canary Wharf is up and running.

It's all those big families...

This is now a CAT4 hotel and therefore the cheapest of any London Hilton (except the horrible quasi-Hilton in Wimbledon, or the not-really-in-London-at-all Hilton Croydon). It's not really that bad if you're Gold or Diamond and you're trying to save HH points of £££s.

Just completed a stay there. Was given a spacious room looking out over the river. The furnishings were badly in need of an upgrade. Really hideous. The room was two floors above the bar and I listened to 30 people singing along to Abba until 2 am -- not to mention the river cruises that went by with their own sing-alongs. The property is quite run down but the shuttle service to and from the Underground was efficient. Never waited longer than 10 minutes. From my several nights stay, I concluded that this hotel attracts a lot of locals who want to "splurge" and probably think they're staying in the lap of luxury.

Stayed there last night. Automatically upgraded to a Deluxe Plus wharf room. Nice nice room overlooking the Thames but bit tatty and bathroom had not been cleaned properly. No problems with noise apart from the midnight fire alarm wake up call :(

I used to stay at this property frequently over the week-end. As the Canary Wharf property has great rates over the week-end, a great lounge, and no problem with transport to the hotel (at least either the DLR or the Jubilee line is working during the week-end, thanks to TFL works :(), there is no reason for me to stay here anymore and put up with the quirks of the various buildings and rooms and the shuttle transfer to Canada Water.