Volvic
Jun 27, 06, 3:58 am
I found a paper advertisement in a room of an Hilton property in London about the 'Hilton London Canary Wharf opens week commencing 26th June 2006'.
Any feedback yet ?
Any feedback yet ?
Hilton HHonors - Hilton London Canary Wharf hotel Trip Reports and Reviews
View Full Version : Hilton London Canary Wharf hotel Trip Reports and Reviews
Land-of-Miles
Jun 28, 06, 3:50 am
The Canary Wharf Hilton opened on the 26th June and I was keen to try this hotel since it was the only Hilton in the Central London Area I have yet to visit. Work commitments meant that I was away from London on the 26th, but I was able to stay on the 27th. Overall I was not impressed my observations follow:-
The first challenge when staying at the new Hilton Canary Wharf is actually locating the property. Since I am only slightly familiar with the Canary Wharf area I did not find the map particularly helpful. In the end after exiting the underground at Canary Wharf, I took a short ride on the DLR from Heron Quays to South Quay and the Hilton Canary Wharf can be found right beside South Quay DLR station. Once you have found the hotel the easiest walking route to Canary Wharf becomes very clear, it is however very hard to describe otherwise (basically cutting directly through Jubilee Place and across the bridge is the most direct route, although if wheeling a case, there are steps to be tackled.
Upon arrival I entered a small bar/lobby area, which is open to the restaurant area on the right hand side and which is also open to a small general check in and concierge area on the left hand side. The public areas seemed small but well designed and with a very different to any other UK Hilton I have visited. The decor is however very modern and quite tasteful.
I noticed that the Executive Lounge Location was indicated on the lift, so I went up to the 14th floor lounge to check in. I was told upon check in that no Executive rooms were available (more on this later) and was allocated a “superior room” on the 9th floor. I then waited in the lounge for my girlfriend to arrive. Somehow or other the Hotel had the wrong Frequent Flyer details listed for my stay.
The lounge area was large and spacious (but utterly soulless in my opinion) and offered the usual range of drinks. The wine selection consisted of the standard cheap French red and white wine. The pleasant Australian sparkling wine (often found at UK Hiltons) was not available at this hotel. The spirit, beer and soft drink selection was fairly standard for UK Hilton lounges but strangely there was no fruit juice offered for self service (the lounge staff offered to get fruit juice if required). The lounge food consisted of small canapés, spring rolls, minced lamb kofta and a small Mediterranean mezze selection.
The lounge was utterly empty and contained no more than 4 other guests during the time I spent there. The hotel staff outnumbered guests for most of the time I spent in the lounge and lounge service was very good and proactive. One nice feature of the lounge is that it is open for 3 hours between 6pm and 9pm, which makes it more useful for those arriving from work somewhat later.
By the time my girlfriend arrived, I had noted the completely empty lounge and had overheard a conversation indicating another guest had been upgraded to an Exec floor room. I had become convinced me that the Exec Floor was not in fact full. I could not be bothered arguing however and we went to our room to get changed. The “standard” room (albeit superior or whatever slight upgrade had been indicated) was pleasant enough and extremely spacious, but seemed to lack furniture. The very large space was filled by a very small double bed (slightly smaller I think than a US Queen) a char and foot stool, a desk a cupboard unit containing a minibar and tea/coffee making facilities and a free standing wardrobe. There was easily enough space for a sofa/sofabed or dining table or other furnishings, instead there was just a very large space which contrived to make the small bed look even smaller. Welcome letters had been left in the room (one standard letter and one relating to the Executive lounge), a rather nice selection of strawberries and dipping icing sugar were also provided. The TV was the (new) standard Hilton LCD screen with integrated alarm clock. It appears that this Hotel (like every other UK Hilton I have stayed at) is unable to supply a high quality TV signal to guest rooms, the resulting picture “noise” is made all the worse by the LCD screen.
The room furnishings were similar to the modern UK Hilton style but in much darker wood with a more angular (rather than curved) headboard and side tables. Carpets were grey rather than beige and the desk chair and accessory cushions were brightly coloured (blue in this room). All the wood had coloured highlights (i.e. blue on this room). The bathroom was bright and modern and reasonably spacious. Contrasting tiles could be found on most of the walls and floors with the use of frosted glass to complement mirrors above the sink. All the bathroom fixtures (bath, loo etc.) appeared to be of high quality. The shower in the standard room was found in the bath (with a glass shower screen to prevent splashing).
Although the room was pleasant enough, it was nothing special by any means and I was quite annoyed by the size of the bed. I thus went back to the lounge to enquire whether there was any King bedded rooms available and whether in fact the Exec Floors (I noted at least 3 Exec floors, from 12 floors of bedrooms) were all in fact full (given the emptiness of the lounge). I was finally offered an Executive room on the 12th floor with a King bed. This room had similar furnishings to the regular room on the 9th floor, the dark wood and furnishings this time being highlighted in red. The Exec room was quite a bit smaller than the standard room but apart from an integrated wardrobe (and a thicker plusher throw on the bed) had exactly the same furnishings. The Exec room bathroom had a separate shower and was slightly larger as a result but was otherwise identical to the normal room.
The air-conditioning to all rooms was extremely fierce and AC lovers like myself will really like this aspect of the rooms here. Whilst the Exec lounge had good (and interesting) views across London, the views from the rooms I experienced were extremely dull. The Exec room we moved to did not contain the strawberries, and we regretted not collecting them from our previous room before moving.
We then went to dinner. We examined the menu for the onsite Cinnamon restaurant (which appeared to be standard UK Hilton fare with a slight twist). We thus decided to go for dinner in nearby Jubilee Place. After a pleasant dinner we returned to our room and things started to slide markedly. We ordered some strawberries from room service (since we did not get any complimentary ones in this room) and whilst waiting my girlfriend attempted to shower.
The shower had only one temperature (around 100C). The sink and bath also appeared to run only scalding hot water. We called for assistance with this issue and also chased up room service after half an hour of waiting. Someone arrived to look at the problem and called for management support (this I took as a bad sign, since managers rarely arrive with a bag of spanners or wrenches). I was told (by a lady I assume was the Executive floor manager since I had seen her in the lounge previously) that the problem with the sink and bath was that the taps were incorrectly marked (hot was in fact cold and vice versa on the mixer tap). The Operations Manager then arrived to tell me that the shower could not be repaired (the bath shower was handheld and in any event there was no shower curtain or screen even if I could have used that).
I explained my dissatisfaction and my views of an organisation which opens a new property without conducting simple tests to verify that rooms are fully functional, before releasing them to guests. I was offered (upon my insistence) an additional room on the same floor with a functional shower (which we used for the shower only). The Operations Manager seemed keen to change my room entirely, but by now it was almost 11pm and I really did not want to repack and get dressed (we were both wearing bathrobes by this stage). Our room service order arrived after being chased twice more and thus took almost an hour to deliver some cold strawberries and cream which were not as nice as the complimentary fruit in our first room and were £10 more expensive.
It clearly struck me as strange that a hotel which had all its Exec rooms “fully booked” could ultimately provide me with 2 simultaneous rooms on the Exec floor with no apparent difficulty.
Breakfast could be taken in either the lounge or main restaurant (or I believe in the room upon payment of the £6 supplement). We opted for Breakfast in the restaurant (so I cannot comment on the lounge breakfast). The restaurant offered the standard Hilton Breakfast buffet with a slight twist. More appealing fruits etc. were available for continental breakfast and rice and condiments were available (presumably for Asian guests). There was no sign of any Porridge or Bircher Muesli being available. The whole breakfast experience was quite similar to that in a UK Holiday Inn, it certainly did not come up to the standard of the Waldorf Hilton, London Conrad or even the Trafalgar.
So how would I sum up my experience? I would say that my stay was both disappointing and frustrating. The Canary Wharf Hilton is quite an expensive property (although I secured a very reasonable rate for my stay). When I was looking to make bookings for July and August it seems almost impossible to book a room at this property for <£200 a night. Clearly the location is very convenient for those working at Canary Wharf and I am sure this property will have lots of regular customers. I personally would not stay here again. The location is relatively convenient for me but no better than The Waldorf which is an infinitely better hotel at similar cost.
The first challenge when staying at the new Hilton Canary Wharf is actually locating the property. Since I am only slightly familiar with the Canary Wharf area I did not find the map particularly helpful. In the end after exiting the underground at Canary Wharf, I took a short ride on the DLR from Heron Quays to South Quay and the Hilton Canary Wharf can be found right beside South Quay DLR station. Once you have found the hotel the easiest walking route to Canary Wharf becomes very clear, it is however very hard to describe otherwise (basically cutting directly through Jubilee Place and across the bridge is the most direct route, although if wheeling a case, there are steps to be tackled.
Upon arrival I entered a small bar/lobby area, which is open to the restaurant area on the right hand side and which is also open to a small general check in and concierge area on the left hand side. The public areas seemed small but well designed and with a very different to any other UK Hilton I have visited. The decor is however very modern and quite tasteful.
I noticed that the Executive Lounge Location was indicated on the lift, so I went up to the 14th floor lounge to check in. I was told upon check in that no Executive rooms were available (more on this later) and was allocated a “superior room” on the 9th floor. I then waited in the lounge for my girlfriend to arrive. Somehow or other the Hotel had the wrong Frequent Flyer details listed for my stay.
The lounge area was large and spacious (but utterly soulless in my opinion) and offered the usual range of drinks. The wine selection consisted of the standard cheap French red and white wine. The pleasant Australian sparkling wine (often found at UK Hiltons) was not available at this hotel. The spirit, beer and soft drink selection was fairly standard for UK Hilton lounges but strangely there was no fruit juice offered for self service (the lounge staff offered to get fruit juice if required). The lounge food consisted of small canapés, spring rolls, minced lamb kofta and a small Mediterranean mezze selection.
The lounge was utterly empty and contained no more than 4 other guests during the time I spent there. The hotel staff outnumbered guests for most of the time I spent in the lounge and lounge service was very good and proactive. One nice feature of the lounge is that it is open for 3 hours between 6pm and 9pm, which makes it more useful for those arriving from work somewhat later.
By the time my girlfriend arrived, I had noted the completely empty lounge and had overheard a conversation indicating another guest had been upgraded to an Exec floor room. I had become convinced me that the Exec Floor was not in fact full. I could not be bothered arguing however and we went to our room to get changed. The “standard” room (albeit superior or whatever slight upgrade had been indicated) was pleasant enough and extremely spacious, but seemed to lack furniture. The very large space was filled by a very small double bed (slightly smaller I think than a US Queen) a char and foot stool, a desk a cupboard unit containing a minibar and tea/coffee making facilities and a free standing wardrobe. There was easily enough space for a sofa/sofabed or dining table or other furnishings, instead there was just a very large space which contrived to make the small bed look even smaller. Welcome letters had been left in the room (one standard letter and one relating to the Executive lounge), a rather nice selection of strawberries and dipping icing sugar were also provided. The TV was the (new) standard Hilton LCD screen with integrated alarm clock. It appears that this Hotel (like every other UK Hilton I have stayed at) is unable to supply a high quality TV signal to guest rooms, the resulting picture “noise” is made all the worse by the LCD screen.
The room furnishings were similar to the modern UK Hilton style but in much darker wood with a more angular (rather than curved) headboard and side tables. Carpets were grey rather than beige and the desk chair and accessory cushions were brightly coloured (blue in this room). All the wood had coloured highlights (i.e. blue on this room). The bathroom was bright and modern and reasonably spacious. Contrasting tiles could be found on most of the walls and floors with the use of frosted glass to complement mirrors above the sink. All the bathroom fixtures (bath, loo etc.) appeared to be of high quality. The shower in the standard room was found in the bath (with a glass shower screen to prevent splashing).
Although the room was pleasant enough, it was nothing special by any means and I was quite annoyed by the size of the bed. I thus went back to the lounge to enquire whether there was any King bedded rooms available and whether in fact the Exec Floors (I noted at least 3 Exec floors, from 12 floors of bedrooms) were all in fact full (given the emptiness of the lounge). I was finally offered an Executive room on the 12th floor with a King bed. This room had similar furnishings to the regular room on the 9th floor, the dark wood and furnishings this time being highlighted in red. The Exec room was quite a bit smaller than the standard room but apart from an integrated wardrobe (and a thicker plusher throw on the bed) had exactly the same furnishings. The Exec room bathroom had a separate shower and was slightly larger as a result but was otherwise identical to the normal room.
The air-conditioning to all rooms was extremely fierce and AC lovers like myself will really like this aspect of the rooms here. Whilst the Exec lounge had good (and interesting) views across London, the views from the rooms I experienced were extremely dull. The Exec room we moved to did not contain the strawberries, and we regretted not collecting them from our previous room before moving.
We then went to dinner. We examined the menu for the onsite Cinnamon restaurant (which appeared to be standard UK Hilton fare with a slight twist). We thus decided to go for dinner in nearby Jubilee Place. After a pleasant dinner we returned to our room and things started to slide markedly. We ordered some strawberries from room service (since we did not get any complimentary ones in this room) and whilst waiting my girlfriend attempted to shower.
The shower had only one temperature (around 100C). The sink and bath also appeared to run only scalding hot water. We called for assistance with this issue and also chased up room service after half an hour of waiting. Someone arrived to look at the problem and called for management support (this I took as a bad sign, since managers rarely arrive with a bag of spanners or wrenches). I was told (by a lady I assume was the Executive floor manager since I had seen her in the lounge previously) that the problem with the sink and bath was that the taps were incorrectly marked (hot was in fact cold and vice versa on the mixer tap). The Operations Manager then arrived to tell me that the shower could not be repaired (the bath shower was handheld and in any event there was no shower curtain or screen even if I could have used that).
I explained my dissatisfaction and my views of an organisation which opens a new property without conducting simple tests to verify that rooms are fully functional, before releasing them to guests. I was offered (upon my insistence) an additional room on the same floor with a functional shower (which we used for the shower only). The Operations Manager seemed keen to change my room entirely, but by now it was almost 11pm and I really did not want to repack and get dressed (we were both wearing bathrobes by this stage). Our room service order arrived after being chased twice more and thus took almost an hour to deliver some cold strawberries and cream which were not as nice as the complimentary fruit in our first room and were £10 more expensive.
It clearly struck me as strange that a hotel which had all its Exec rooms “fully booked” could ultimately provide me with 2 simultaneous rooms on the Exec floor with no apparent difficulty.
Breakfast could be taken in either the lounge or main restaurant (or I believe in the room upon payment of the £6 supplement). We opted for Breakfast in the restaurant (so I cannot comment on the lounge breakfast). The restaurant offered the standard Hilton Breakfast buffet with a slight twist. More appealing fruits etc. were available for continental breakfast and rice and condiments were available (presumably for Asian guests). There was no sign of any Porridge or Bircher Muesli being available. The whole breakfast experience was quite similar to that in a UK Holiday Inn, it certainly did not come up to the standard of the Waldorf Hilton, London Conrad or even the Trafalgar.
So how would I sum up my experience? I would say that my stay was both disappointing and frustrating. The Canary Wharf Hilton is quite an expensive property (although I secured a very reasonable rate for my stay). When I was looking to make bookings for July and August it seems almost impossible to book a room at this property for <£200 a night. Clearly the location is very convenient for those working at Canary Wharf and I am sure this property will have lots of regular customers. I personally would not stay here again. The location is relatively convenient for me but no better than The Waldorf which is an infinitely better hotel at similar cost.
milesmilesmiles
Jun 28, 06, 6:34 am
...but sorry you had to do user acceptance testing AFTER the property went live. I'm thinking of booking there for convenience to work in mid-September for 10 days and hopefully the defect rate will be minimal :)
A couple of questions:
1) How far would you say the walk is from the hotel to Canary Wharf?
2) As a Diamond, was the continental breakfast included and did you have the ability to upgrade for xxx pounds to a full American breakfast?
Thanks again for a full report....
A couple of questions:
1) How far would you say the walk is from the hotel to Canary Wharf?
2) As a Diamond, was the continental breakfast included and did you have the ability to upgrade for xxx pounds to a full American breakfast?
Thanks again for a full report....
Blue Roman
Jun 28, 06, 6:50 am
Interesting read. I am flying into London City Airport, week after next, so will compare notes. As stated, it is convenient for the LDR and City location.
Thanks for the "warning."
Thanks for the "warning."
Land-of-Miles
Jun 28, 06, 7:19 am
...but sorry you had to do user acceptance testing AFTER the property went live. I'm thinking of booking there for convenience to work in mid-September for 10 days and hopefully the defect rate will be minimal :)
A couple of questions:
1) How far would you say the walk is from the hotel to Canary Wharf?
2) As a Diamond, was the continental breakfast included and did you have the ability to upgrade for xxx pounds to a full American breakfast?
Thanks again for a full report....
I guess it depends where in "Canary Wharf" you are trying to reach. I walk quite quickly and would say it took approximately 4 to 5 minutes to reach Canary Wharf Tube Station if that is any help.
As a Diamond they did allow access to the lounge (it would have been difficult for them to have refused given it was completely empty). Continental Breakfast was apparently available in the lounge, with the option of a Restaurant Breakfast at no additional charge. YMMV, the normal position for properties in the UK with lounges is that only the lounge brekky is included and no credit is given towards a restaurant breakfast. For clarity it is extremely rare in the UK for any breakfast buffet in the restaurant to be provided as continental only, almost without exception hotels offering a restaurant breakfast bufet, offer the full buffet (hot and cold items). The only hotel I have ever encountered which had a "continental only" policy is the London Conrad but then at the Conrad only the continental items are buffet.
BTW at my insistence the cost of the nights stay (prepaid) was waived, I will now wait and see if I receive a corresponding credit on my Amex account. I was however charged £11 for the strawberries I should have had free :mad:
A couple of questions:
1) How far would you say the walk is from the hotel to Canary Wharf?
2) As a Diamond, was the continental breakfast included and did you have the ability to upgrade for xxx pounds to a full American breakfast?
Thanks again for a full report....
I guess it depends where in "Canary Wharf" you are trying to reach. I walk quite quickly and would say it took approximately 4 to 5 minutes to reach Canary Wharf Tube Station if that is any help.
As a Diamond they did allow access to the lounge (it would have been difficult for them to have refused given it was completely empty). Continental Breakfast was apparently available in the lounge, with the option of a Restaurant Breakfast at no additional charge. YMMV, the normal position for properties in the UK with lounges is that only the lounge brekky is included and no credit is given towards a restaurant breakfast. For clarity it is extremely rare in the UK for any breakfast buffet in the restaurant to be provided as continental only, almost without exception hotels offering a restaurant breakfast bufet, offer the full buffet (hot and cold items). The only hotel I have ever encountered which had a "continental only" policy is the London Conrad but then at the Conrad only the continental items are buffet.
BTW at my insistence the cost of the nights stay (prepaid) was waived, I will now wait and see if I receive a corresponding credit on my Amex account. I was however charged £11 for the strawberries I should have had free :mad:
milesmilesmiles
Jun 28, 06, 7:44 am
I was however charged £11 for the strawberries I should have had free :mad:
That beats the $15 the Chicago Hilton charged me last year for one scoop of vanilla ice cream :D
That beats the $15 the Chicago Hilton charged me last year for one scoop of vanilla ice cream :D
Land-of-Miles
Jun 29, 06, 2:14 am
One thing I forgot to mention in my report is that given that this is a new property (and given it's likely clientele) the Gym is really quite poor. It is labelled "Livingwell Express" and consists of a single reasonably sized room and a collection of equipment. It is difficult to describe but it is in no way a full gym. Those FT'ers familiar with the Gym at the Helsinki Strand, will have a good idea what to expect here. There were no apparent showers or changing rooms. I tried to investigate further but my key card would not allow me access :confused:
diamondman2006
Aug 25, 06, 2:21 pm
This is a two month old hotel. We spent the night there last night in an (upgraded) junior suite. From the moment we entered the hotel, we were made to feel important and welcome. It's a really impressive place; a very modernistic feel to it. The room was great, on the 8th floor. I had been worried about noise coming from the adjoining Docklands Light Railway, but there was none. Every facility was on offer and the bed could have slept five! Nice bathroom too. The Executive Lounge was superb, up on the top (14th) floor with panoramic views of London. And you could get a free, full cooked breakfast in there, which was a nice surprise. All in all, a great place to stay in London. Just 20 minutes from the heart of the City. Probably the best Hilton in the UK now (I've stayed in most of them!). Don't buy tea/coffee downstairs; it's extortionate! Use the Exec lounge instead. Highly recommended.
ac777
Aug 25, 06, 8:02 pm
Thanks Diamondman2006 and welcome to FT. Will check out the hotel--BTW how far is it from the Docklands station and is that the easiest access to the hotel? Do they let Gold's use the lounge?
diamondman2006
Aug 26, 06, 8:37 am
I have to admit that when I first logged in to FT, I was a Diamond HH. Unfortunately, illness knocked back my stay regime and now I'm down to Gold.
No problem though; I still got upgraded and was allowed into the Exec Lounge.
Getting there is easy: the Docklands Light Railway station at South Quay is literally next door to the hotel. South Quay is 2 stops down the line from Canary Wharf, on the Lewisham line, which starts from Bank station in the City. Alternatively, the Jubilee Line Underground line intersects with the DLR at Canary Wharf. Warning: buy your DLR ticket before you board, either from a machine or a DLR or Underground ticket booth, otherwise you'll get fined about (I think) £10!
I hope you enjoy your stay as much as I did.
No problem though; I still got upgraded and was allowed into the Exec Lounge.
Getting there is easy: the Docklands Light Railway station at South Quay is literally next door to the hotel. South Quay is 2 stops down the line from Canary Wharf, on the Lewisham line, which starts from Bank station in the City. Alternatively, the Jubilee Line Underground line intersects with the DLR at Canary Wharf. Warning: buy your DLR ticket before you board, either from a machine or a DLR or Underground ticket booth, otherwise you'll get fined about (I think) £10!
I hope you enjoy your stay as much as I did.
Land-of-Miles
Aug 26, 06, 12:16 pm
They have clearly improved since the opening then. I stayed the day after th Hilton CW opened and nothing worked (including the staff) upgrades were given grudgingly and the rooms were nicely decorated but otherwise unimpressive. I might try it again if things have improved.
Land-of-Miles
Aug 26, 06, 12:18 pm
Thanks Diamondman2006 and welcome to FT. Will check out the hotel--BTW how far is it from the Docklands station and is that the easiest access to the hotel? Do they let Gold's use the lounge?
The Hilton is approximately 4 mins walk from Canary Wharf Jubilee Line Station. It would take longer changing trains at Canary Wharf than walking.
The Hilton is approximately 4 mins walk from Canary Wharf Jubilee Line Station. It would take longer changing trains at Canary Wharf than walking.
diamondman2006
Aug 26, 06, 12:43 pm
The Hilton is approximately 4 mins walk from Canary Wharf Jubilee Line Station. It would take longer changing trains at Canary Wharf than walking.
Agreed, and you do have to walk from the Tube to the separate DLR station at C.Wharf. But, if you're coming from Bank's direction, the DLR's the option to take.
Agreed, and you do have to walk from the Tube to the separate DLR station at C.Wharf. But, if you're coming from Bank's direction, the DLR's the option to take.
Land-of-Miles
Aug 27, 06, 8:58 am
Agreed, and you do have to walk from the Tube to the separate DLR station at C.Wharf. But, if you're coming from Bank's direction, the DLR's the option to take.
DLR is far slower than the tube however so it can be quicker taking the northern line to london bridge and switching to the jubilee line.
DLR is far slower than the tube however so it can be quicker taking the northern line to london bridge and switching to the jubilee line.
Karter
Aug 29, 06, 3:16 am
DLR is far slower than the tube however so it can be quicker taking the northern line to london bridge and switching to the jubilee line.
Hmm, I didn't think this thread was supposed to be an argument about transport options, but I'll enter the ring anyway...
Coming from Bank, I'd say it's probably best to go with the DLR just to avoid having to change at London Bridge. The time it takes walking through the tunnels, up and down escalators, and waiting for a connecting train adds up. Besides, if it's your first trip to the Hilton Canary Wharf you might find it a little difficult to find your way on foot from Canary Wharf tube station to the hotel. If you use the DLR then you'll find it easily, and on subsequent trips you can use the tube.
P.S. Staying there for the first time in a few days and looking forward to it with overblown expectations!
Hmm, I didn't think this thread was supposed to be an argument about transport options, but I'll enter the ring anyway...
Coming from Bank, I'd say it's probably best to go with the DLR just to avoid having to change at London Bridge. The time it takes walking through the tunnels, up and down escalators, and waiting for a connecting train adds up. Besides, if it's your first trip to the Hilton Canary Wharf you might find it a little difficult to find your way on foot from Canary Wharf tube station to the hotel. If you use the DLR then you'll find it easily, and on subsequent trips you can use the tube.
P.S. Staying there for the first time in a few days and looking forward to it with overblown expectations!
Karter
Sep 4, 06, 4:12 am
I stayed here a few days ago and loved it. It's a brand new hotel (not a refurb) so Hilton had the chance to do things exactly how they wanted, and IMO they did it right. The design is modern, rooms are very large, beds are comfy, bathrooms are large (with separate shower cubicle and bath), the location is great, the breakfast buffet is typically good... Style-wise it reminded me a of a newer Doubletree, with the same dark woods, greys, and taupes, except that it was all a bit more special. There was a subtle Oriental trim to the room design and some unique pieces of furniture that you won't have seen in other UK Hiltons.
As for Diamond treatment, I had booked a standard double room and was upgraded to a King Executive Room. My in-room welcome amenity was a tray of fresh cherries with a pot of icing sugar, and two bottles of water. The hotel seemed almost empty, so there were bound to be suites available, but probably my rate was too low for the hotel to want to give me "too much" of an upgrade.
The executive lounge here was very nice. It is on the top floor (14) and has views of The City. Inside the lounge is a little living room area with sofas in the front, some high dining tables and a small business centre in the middle, and a full dining room in the back that could accomodate the breakfast rush. The lounge is open from 6:30am until 10 or 11pm; free alcoholic beverages are available for Happy Hour (between 6pm and 9pm) which also includes some hot and cold snacks. On my visit there were smoked salmon rolls, mini chicken sandwiches, hot vege spring rolls, lamb shish-kebabs and very thin pizza bread. What I liked most about the lounge was that children under 12 are not allowed! :D
P.S. I was told at check-in that lounge access was not given to Diamonds unless they were upgraded to an exec floor room. This seems to be a growing trend.
As for Diamond treatment, I had booked a standard double room and was upgraded to a King Executive Room. My in-room welcome amenity was a tray of fresh cherries with a pot of icing sugar, and two bottles of water. The hotel seemed almost empty, so there were bound to be suites available, but probably my rate was too low for the hotel to want to give me "too much" of an upgrade.
The executive lounge here was very nice. It is on the top floor (14) and has views of The City. Inside the lounge is a little living room area with sofas in the front, some high dining tables and a small business centre in the middle, and a full dining room in the back that could accomodate the breakfast rush. The lounge is open from 6:30am until 10 or 11pm; free alcoholic beverages are available for Happy Hour (between 6pm and 9pm) which also includes some hot and cold snacks. On my visit there were smoked salmon rolls, mini chicken sandwiches, hot vege spring rolls, lamb shish-kebabs and very thin pizza bread. What I liked most about the lounge was that children under 12 are not allowed! :D
P.S. I was told at check-in that lounge access was not given to Diamonds unless they were upgraded to an exec floor room. This seems to be a growing trend.
Land-of-Miles
Sep 4, 06, 4:32 pm
I stayed here a few days ago and loved it. It's a brand new hotel (not a refurb) so Hilton had the chance to do things exactly how they wanted, and IMO they did it right. The design is modern, rooms are very large, beds are comfy, bathrooms are large (with separate shower cubicle and bath), the location is great, the breakfast buffet is typically good... Style-wise it reminded me a of a newer Doubletree, with the same dark woods, greys, and taupes, except that it was all a bit more special. There was a subtle Oriental trim to the room design and some unique pieces of furniture that you won't have seen in other UK Hiltons.
As for Diamond treatment, I had booked a standard double room and was upgraded to a King Executive Room. My in-room welcome amenity was a tray of fresh cherries with a pot of icing sugar, and two bottles of water. The hotel seemed almost empty, so there were bound to be suites available, but probably my rate was too low for the hotel to want to give me "too much" of an upgrade.
The executive lounge here was very nice. It is on the top floor (14) and has views of The City. Inside the lounge is a little living room area with sofas in the front, some high dining tables and a small business centre in the middle, and a full dining room in the back that could accomodate the breakfast rush. The lounge is open from 6:30am until 10 or 11pm; free alcoholic beverages are available for Happy Hour (between 6pm and 9pm) which also includes some hot and cold snacks. On my visit there were smoked salmon rolls, mini chicken sandwiches, hot vege spring rolls, lamb shish-kebabs and very thin pizza bread. What I liked most about the lounge was that children under 12 are not allowed! :D
The bathrooms are larger with seperate shower in Exec rooms only.
As for Diamond treatment, I had booked a standard double room and was upgraded to a King Executive Room. My in-room welcome amenity was a tray of fresh cherries with a pot of icing sugar, and two bottles of water. The hotel seemed almost empty, so there were bound to be suites available, but probably my rate was too low for the hotel to want to give me "too much" of an upgrade.
The executive lounge here was very nice. It is on the top floor (14) and has views of The City. Inside the lounge is a little living room area with sofas in the front, some high dining tables and a small business centre in the middle, and a full dining room in the back that could accomodate the breakfast rush. The lounge is open from 6:30am until 10 or 11pm; free alcoholic beverages are available for Happy Hour (between 6pm and 9pm) which also includes some hot and cold snacks. On my visit there were smoked salmon rolls, mini chicken sandwiches, hot vege spring rolls, lamb shish-kebabs and very thin pizza bread. What I liked most about the lounge was that children under 12 are not allowed! :D
The bathrooms are larger with seperate shower in Exec rooms only.
olivetti
Oct 28, 06, 4:10 pm
Stayed here two weekends ago for two nights. It's only been open about 4 months or so. I'm only HH Gold but on check- in I was advised to proceed to the top floor for check in at the Exec Lounge. Assigned an exec room on this being the 14th floor which is exclusive for Exec Rooms. Lounge had fantastic views overlooking city.
The room I had reserved on-line was originally a standard guest room; however we were upgraded to an Executive Room. The room was larger than your standard hotel room.
On entry to the room a large reception area greeted you with a triple wardrobe to the left containing iron /board and safe. In the middle of the room was a huge dark wood bed with a leather headboard and matching bed side tables. At the end of the room was a large dark wood desk (with internet connection), coffee table and lounge chair.
The room is decorated in a very modern and minimalist way, the main theme is read and dark oak veneer with the same colours reflected with accessories. Also on the side board was a flat screen TV and a neatly arranged dish of fresh strawberries and icing sugar!
Other novel items in the room included:
Large Floor to Ceiling mirror Minibar ( 330ml Can of Coke £3.50)!!!!
DAB Alarm Clock/Radio 3 x Very Large Scatter Cushions
Hairdryer Large LCD Clock
Air Conditioning Tea / Coffee Facilities Inc Teapot!
The room was able to be lit using various lamps, spotlights and mood lighting'
Our bathroom was massive! It contained a walk-in shower cubicle and a very deep bath.The toilet was so ultra modern that as you looked at it it seemed it was floating in the air?!
The hotel has a Livingwell Express Health Club on site which is complimentary to guests; however we chose to have a 'fat' weekend and thus ignored it. I do believe it has all the usual gym things just no pool though.
FOOD DRINK
The restaurant and bar area is called 'The Cinnamon Bar & Restaurant' this got its name from the chef's trademark use of cinnamon in his dishes; it can also be seen throughout the restaurant in various table decoration. The restaurant offers two options… A la Carte or buffet.
We opted for the buffet on our first night, not sure of the price as this was included in our rate for the 1st night. We had a huge choice on offer, 2 meats, 5 veg, and 3 potatoes. Choices of 4 starters were available followed by a choice of 3 hot puds and 4 cold puds Inc cheese and biscuits or fruit platter. We did have a bottle of white wine which cost £22.95, it was more than we would have paid in Tesco its' a hotel so we expected it.
Service we recieved by all staff we came across was excellent and very personalised.
Total paid £179 two nights B&B with dinner included on 1st night.
The room I had reserved on-line was originally a standard guest room; however we were upgraded to an Executive Room. The room was larger than your standard hotel room.
On entry to the room a large reception area greeted you with a triple wardrobe to the left containing iron /board and safe. In the middle of the room was a huge dark wood bed with a leather headboard and matching bed side tables. At the end of the room was a large dark wood desk (with internet connection), coffee table and lounge chair.
The room is decorated in a very modern and minimalist way, the main theme is read and dark oak veneer with the same colours reflected with accessories. Also on the side board was a flat screen TV and a neatly arranged dish of fresh strawberries and icing sugar!
Other novel items in the room included:
Large Floor to Ceiling mirror Minibar ( 330ml Can of Coke £3.50)!!!!
DAB Alarm Clock/Radio 3 x Very Large Scatter Cushions
Hairdryer Large LCD Clock
Air Conditioning Tea / Coffee Facilities Inc Teapot!
The room was able to be lit using various lamps, spotlights and mood lighting'
Our bathroom was massive! It contained a walk-in shower cubicle and a very deep bath.The toilet was so ultra modern that as you looked at it it seemed it was floating in the air?!
The hotel has a Livingwell Express Health Club on site which is complimentary to guests; however we chose to have a 'fat' weekend and thus ignored it. I do believe it has all the usual gym things just no pool though.
FOOD DRINK
The restaurant and bar area is called 'The Cinnamon Bar & Restaurant' this got its name from the chef's trademark use of cinnamon in his dishes; it can also be seen throughout the restaurant in various table decoration. The restaurant offers two options… A la Carte or buffet.
We opted for the buffet on our first night, not sure of the price as this was included in our rate for the 1st night. We had a huge choice on offer, 2 meats, 5 veg, and 3 potatoes. Choices of 4 starters were available followed by a choice of 3 hot puds and 4 cold puds Inc cheese and biscuits or fruit platter. We did have a bottle of white wine which cost £22.95, it was more than we would have paid in Tesco its' a hotel so we expected it.
Service we recieved by all staff we came across was excellent and very personalised.
Total paid £179 two nights B&B with dinner included on 1st night.
bearkatt
Nov 4, 06, 6:42 am
i just returned from a 6 night glon award stay at this hotel. checkin was done at front dest and took about 1 minute. i was given an exec room on the 13th floor. was given access to exec lounge and fitness room as well as a newspaper each morning.the very large exec lounge was on 14th floor and had great views of london back to the west. especially at sunset. breakfast was served in exec lounge and included hot and cold items. i was only in the lounge once in the evening and they offered soft drinks and beers, sandwiches, and some desserts. the place was almost empty whenever i was there. they also provided several computers there with free internet access. staff was very friendly and helpful. as this is a new hotel, everything was nice. rooms also contain a free safe and robe and slippers. fitness room was small but also had a steamroom and sauna. access to the jubilee line was very easy. exit station, turn left, go through building, crossover footbridge, and you are there. all in all, i was very satisfied with this hotel and it was a great use of points.
The _Banking_Scot
Nov 17, 06, 2:26 pm
Hi,
I stayed there on Friday 10th November ( prior to the Do).
As my BA flight was 90mins late I did not get to the hotel until 1115pm ( so missed the evening drinks). Although the South Quay DLR is just outside from the Canary Wharf Jubilee line it was easier to go to bank street through the glass lobby and across the water with a bridge. ( hotel is then to the left and then right down a street)
I had been upgraded to an executive level room (1315)
There is a building going up across the street and I could hear some noise from the DLR but it was not too bad.
My amenity was a plate of strawberries with icing sugar.
As Karter mentioned in his excellent review, the rooms are very nice and I thought the bathroom floor was heated slightly. The bed was good. The slippers now have a blue band around them which I found added a bit more class.
The Executive lounge (14th floor was very good, large with hot scrambled eggs and bacon) with views towards central london. Lounge was not busy ( Saturday 9am).
On chekc out I was told that Diamonds would not be allowed lounge access unless upgraded ( or invited) but if not they would be given breakfast in the restaurant.
The small fitness center is on the secon floor with a weight machine, bike, rowing machine and two treadmills ( Living Well express and open till 11pm) there is a steam room and sauna also ( the steam room had blue lighting and pinpricks of light ( stimulated starlight) in the ceiling-very nice
Overall a very nice hotel ( from Paddington to Canary Wharf Jubilee station ( changing at Edgeware road ( same level change- no need to go up steps) was about 30mins
Points posted within 2 days.
Regards
TBS
I stayed there on Friday 10th November ( prior to the Do).
As my BA flight was 90mins late I did not get to the hotel until 1115pm ( so missed the evening drinks). Although the South Quay DLR is just outside from the Canary Wharf Jubilee line it was easier to go to bank street through the glass lobby and across the water with a bridge. ( hotel is then to the left and then right down a street)
I had been upgraded to an executive level room (1315)
There is a building going up across the street and I could hear some noise from the DLR but it was not too bad.
My amenity was a plate of strawberries with icing sugar.
As Karter mentioned in his excellent review, the rooms are very nice and I thought the bathroom floor was heated slightly. The bed was good. The slippers now have a blue band around them which I found added a bit more class.
The Executive lounge (14th floor was very good, large with hot scrambled eggs and bacon) with views towards central london. Lounge was not busy ( Saturday 9am).
On chekc out I was told that Diamonds would not be allowed lounge access unless upgraded ( or invited) but if not they would be given breakfast in the restaurant.
The small fitness center is on the secon floor with a weight machine, bike, rowing machine and two treadmills ( Living Well express and open till 11pm) there is a steam room and sauna also ( the steam room had blue lighting and pinpricks of light ( stimulated starlight) in the ceiling-very nice
Overall a very nice hotel ( from Paddington to Canary Wharf Jubilee station ( changing at Edgeware road ( same level change- no need to go up steps) was about 30mins
Points posted within 2 days.
Regards
TBS
denis in denver
Jan 17, 07, 2:16 pm
booked 5 nights on a point stretcher, arrived 16 Jan, departing 21 Jan.
Award stay was for a standard Hilton single room. Was upgraded to an executive room on the 12th floor. Room is quite nice, great amenities, robes, slippers, etc. Recieved the strawberries and powdered sugar later in the day (after arrival). Also two bottles of water were in the room on arrival, and two more left after housekeeping today (second day of stay). nice touch is one is still water the other is lightly carbonated.
Am sitting in the exec lounge on the 14th floor as I write this. broadband wireless is available free in the lounge (there are also two wired pc's available for use for free here as well). It is evening and the snacks and bar are available. limited but nice selection of snacks available. chicken satay skewers tonight as the principal, last night it was salmon skewers. also canapes, olives, etc. There is a limited selection of beers as well as one white wine and one red wine. A basic selection of liqours (gin, vodka, scotch, brandy and mixers).
Staff is quite nice and the lounge is very pleasant with great views.
We have never stayed in east London before, but are quite delighted. Picked the hotel because of the availabilty of point stretcher award. This area is really something. Nothing like West End of course, but PLENTY of restaurants and stuff going on. We particulary enjoyed the Docklands Museum. One of the best of its type we have ever visited. Well thought out, very helpful staff, informative and chock full of stuff. We spent nearly three hours and were not able to finish. Nice thing is that when you purchase the tickets (5lbs per adult) they are good for a full year, so we will be going back this trip to finish viewing everything.
The shopping area just a couple minutes away is very complete. It is actually a series of connected indoor shopping malls. If you don't want to you would never have to go outside.
lots and lots of restaurants and bars. The Canary Wharf Tube stop is also just a couple minutes walk away as is the DLR rail station.
All in all, very happy we made this choice. The hotel is newish and very pleasant.
Award stay was for a standard Hilton single room. Was upgraded to an executive room on the 12th floor. Room is quite nice, great amenities, robes, slippers, etc. Recieved the strawberries and powdered sugar later in the day (after arrival). Also two bottles of water were in the room on arrival, and two more left after housekeeping today (second day of stay). nice touch is one is still water the other is lightly carbonated.
Am sitting in the exec lounge on the 14th floor as I write this. broadband wireless is available free in the lounge (there are also two wired pc's available for use for free here as well). It is evening and the snacks and bar are available. limited but nice selection of snacks available. chicken satay skewers tonight as the principal, last night it was salmon skewers. also canapes, olives, etc. There is a limited selection of beers as well as one white wine and one red wine. A basic selection of liqours (gin, vodka, scotch, brandy and mixers).
Staff is quite nice and the lounge is very pleasant with great views.
We have never stayed in east London before, but are quite delighted. Picked the hotel because of the availabilty of point stretcher award. This area is really something. Nothing like West End of course, but PLENTY of restaurants and stuff going on. We particulary enjoyed the Docklands Museum. One of the best of its type we have ever visited. Well thought out, very helpful staff, informative and chock full of stuff. We spent nearly three hours and were not able to finish. Nice thing is that when you purchase the tickets (5lbs per adult) they are good for a full year, so we will be going back this trip to finish viewing everything.
The shopping area just a couple minutes away is very complete. It is actually a series of connected indoor shopping malls. If you don't want to you would never have to go outside.
lots and lots of restaurants and bars. The Canary Wharf Tube stop is also just a couple minutes walk away as is the DLR rail station.
All in all, very happy we made this choice. The hotel is newish and very pleasant.
Markie
Jan 17, 07, 11:50 pm
I stayed there between Christmas and New Year and had a very poor experience.
- Refused service at HHonors Checkin as agent was too busy chatting to serve.
- No upgrade
- Promised Wine instead of upgrade never appeared
- Had to haggle at check out for the Diamond 10% off catering
Filled in a complaint form and heard nothing.
However, two days ago I received an electronic survey which I scored appropriately and received a call yesterday from a Manager apologising that I had not been treated very well. Promised to 'do something for me' if I chose to stay again
- Refused service at HHonors Checkin as agent was too busy chatting to serve.
- No upgrade
- Promised Wine instead of upgrade never appeared
- Had to haggle at check out for the Diamond 10% off catering
Filled in a complaint form and heard nothing.
However, two days ago I received an electronic survey which I scored appropriately and received a call yesterday from a Manager apologising that I had not been treated very well. Promised to 'do something for me' if I chose to stay again
yorweb
Feb 27, 07, 1:12 pm
Stayed here 2 nights last weekend (24th-26th Feb) on the £179 package which included evening meal on first night.
I didn't have any status so just checked in pleb style and took room that was offered. Arrived 2.45pm (check-in time was supposedly 3pm onwards) and no problems. Liked the room, 11th floor, good view and clean. The comments of the OP regarding poor picture quality of LCD TV is true.
Evening meal was just crap. No other word to describe pretentious nouveau cuisine which was simply an excuse to offer miniscule portions of awful tasting food. I would have complained but the alternatives looked as equally unappealing. There was no buffet just ala carte.
In contrast, the breakfasts were good and I am real fan of the traditional English breakfast. Eggs (fried, poached or scrambled), bacon (tasty and not salty), sausage, hash brown, black pudding, tomato, baked beans and mushrooms. They also had smoked fish including salmon and even masticating juice machine to make your own veggie/fruit juice drinks. Gosh.. I more than made up for meagre offerings of the first night.
Service was good throughout. Very customer oriented, note some of the negative early comments and this wasn't case during our stay. Wonder if someone has quickly come in and kicked arse???
Mini-bar prices were ridiculous. £3.50 for a 330ml can of Coke I think is taking the p*ss out of guests. My advice is if your staying 2 days or more is to request an empty fridge and simply go to Waitrose which is 5 mins walk away and stock up on soft drinks. (Go out of doors by reception, turn right, cross over bridge and then go through shopping centre.)
Location is excellent. Right outside DLR station and you can't miss the hotel as it has a big Hilton sign which is visable from the train.
Overall quite happy with my stay and wouldn't hesitate to stay again if the price was right.
I didn't have any status so just checked in pleb style and took room that was offered. Arrived 2.45pm (check-in time was supposedly 3pm onwards) and no problems. Liked the room, 11th floor, good view and clean. The comments of the OP regarding poor picture quality of LCD TV is true.
Evening meal was just crap. No other word to describe pretentious nouveau cuisine which was simply an excuse to offer miniscule portions of awful tasting food. I would have complained but the alternatives looked as equally unappealing. There was no buffet just ala carte.
In contrast, the breakfasts were good and I am real fan of the traditional English breakfast. Eggs (fried, poached or scrambled), bacon (tasty and not salty), sausage, hash brown, black pudding, tomato, baked beans and mushrooms. They also had smoked fish including salmon and even masticating juice machine to make your own veggie/fruit juice drinks. Gosh.. I more than made up for meagre offerings of the first night.
Service was good throughout. Very customer oriented, note some of the negative early comments and this wasn't case during our stay. Wonder if someone has quickly come in and kicked arse???
Mini-bar prices were ridiculous. £3.50 for a 330ml can of Coke I think is taking the p*ss out of guests. My advice is if your staying 2 days or more is to request an empty fridge and simply go to Waitrose which is 5 mins walk away and stock up on soft drinks. (Go out of doors by reception, turn right, cross over bridge and then go through shopping centre.)
Location is excellent. Right outside DLR station and you can't miss the hotel as it has a big Hilton sign which is visable from the train.
Overall quite happy with my stay and wouldn't hesitate to stay again if the price was right.
ssullivan
Mar 1, 07, 5:23 pm
I stayed at this hotel one night in late January. I was stayed on a Saturday on a Net Direct rate. After approaching the main reception desk in the Lobby, I was told that I had been upgraded to an Executive Room and was directed to the Executive Lounge for check in. The Lounge attendant was very helpful when checking me in, and walked me down to my room. The room was great — very comfortable bed, nice large bathroom with a large walk-in shower separate from the tub, and nice furnishings. I took advantage of the complimentary computers in the lounge to check e-mails that evening. The evening snacks were not that impressive, but not at all bad either. The evening lounge staff was very nice. I slept in the next morning and missed the breakfast in the Executive Lounge, so I can't comment on it. Overall, I was very pleased, especially since I paid less than £100 for my stay. The location isn't that close to any of the major London sights, but the convenience to the DLR and Jubilee Line made getting into central London tolerable. I would stay here again if I'm looking for a nice upgraded room at a pretty affordable price. The main trade-off is the time it takes to get into the central part of the city.
CheapSk8
Mar 3, 07, 12:15 am
I stayed there between Christmas and New Year and had a very poor experience.
- Refused service at HHonors Checkin as agent was too busy chatting to serve.
- No upgrade
- Promised Wine instead of upgrade never appeared
- Had to haggle at check out for the Diamond 10% off catering
Filled in a complaint form and heard nothing.
However, two days ago I received an electronic survey which I scored appropriately and received a call yesterday from a Manager apologising that I had not been treated very well. Promised to 'do something for me' if I chose to stay again
We had a similarly negative experience -- tried to charge us for free breakfast (lounge closed due to low occupancy) -- we were there between Christmas and New Year's as well -- tried to charge us for free drinks from bar, then denied promising us free drinks at the bar (I had it in writing). Finally had to call US customer service to handle it because the staff at the hotel clearly didn't care and were usually busier talking to each other than helping guests.
Can be convienent but the neighborhood has no place to eat late at night (at least over the holidays) other than the overpriced, gross room service.
- Refused service at HHonors Checkin as agent was too busy chatting to serve.
- No upgrade
- Promised Wine instead of upgrade never appeared
- Had to haggle at check out for the Diamond 10% off catering
Filled in a complaint form and heard nothing.
However, two days ago I received an electronic survey which I scored appropriately and received a call yesterday from a Manager apologising that I had not been treated very well. Promised to 'do something for me' if I chose to stay again
We had a similarly negative experience -- tried to charge us for free breakfast (lounge closed due to low occupancy) -- we were there between Christmas and New Year's as well -- tried to charge us for free drinks from bar, then denied promising us free drinks at the bar (I had it in writing). Finally had to call US customer service to handle it because the staff at the hotel clearly didn't care and were usually busier talking to each other than helping guests.
Can be convienent but the neighborhood has no place to eat late at night (at least over the holidays) other than the overpriced, gross room service.
aaac
Apr 14, 07, 6:03 pm
I checked in over the Easter weekend for a 3 nights on Points Stretcher Awards. I arrived at the hotel pretty early around 10:30 AM and at the front desk was notified that I have been upgraded to the Exec floor. As it is too early in the morning, my room has not been readied and I was invided to have breakfast in the exec lounge while my room is being prepared. The exec room is a large size with furniture in dark modern oriental color, quite pleasing to the eyes. Bathroom is with separate shower and bath, stocked with Crabtree & Evelyn products.
The morning breakfast is a combination of cold cuts, scramble eggs, sausages and English bacon. The afternoon tea has cookies and some cakes. Evening snack is canapees, egg rolls, chicken wings and satay skewers pedending on the day. There is a Capucino machine, still and sparking water as well as a mini-fridge with assorted sodas. The morning breakfast also have orange, grapefruit and pinaples juice available.
The lounge is clean bright and modern look. It also has a skyview to the London skyline abeit from afar. The hotel is kept very tidy and service is done in a quiet manner. It is one of the better Hilton that I have been in so far. The location is also good with a quick 15 minutes tube ride to central London away to the hussle of downtown London. It certainly deserves the category 6 level for me.
The morning breakfast is a combination of cold cuts, scramble eggs, sausages and English bacon. The afternoon tea has cookies and some cakes. Evening snack is canapees, egg rolls, chicken wings and satay skewers pedending on the day. There is a Capucino machine, still and sparking water as well as a mini-fridge with assorted sodas. The morning breakfast also have orange, grapefruit and pinaples juice available.
The lounge is clean bright and modern look. It also has a skyview to the London skyline abeit from afar. The hotel is kept very tidy and service is done in a quiet manner. It is one of the better Hilton that I have been in so far. The location is also good with a quick 15 minutes tube ride to central London away to the hussle of downtown London. It certainly deserves the category 6 level for me.
Flying Lawyer
Apr 15, 07, 12:11 am
Had to haggle at check out for the Diamond 10% off catering
OT but what is a "Dimaond 10% of catering" about??
OT but what is a "Dimaond 10% of catering" about??
PrivatePilot
Jun 5, 07, 4:05 pm
Does anyone know how far this hotel is from the Morgan stanley office at 20 Cabot square in Canary Wharf? Is it walkable?
The _Banking_Scot
Jun 5, 07, 4:27 pm
Does anyone know how far this hotel is from the Morgan stanley office at 20 Cabot square in Canary Wharf? Is it walkable?
Hi Private Pilot,
The Hilton CF is just 5mins walk from the Canary Whraf Jubilee line station and IIRC cabot square is close by so it should be a 10min walk.
Regards
TBS
Hi Private Pilot,
The Hilton CF is just 5mins walk from the Canary Whraf Jubilee line station and IIRC cabot square is close by so it should be a 10min walk.
Regards
TBS
xooz
Jun 13, 07, 3:46 am
Think I might give Canary Wharf a try this weekend. Any recommendations on interesting things to do in that area? Or restaurants worth visiting that are in walking distance?
cwm143
Jun 13, 07, 3:36 pm
We spent the recent Bank holday weekend at this hotel and found it to be one of the best values for Hilton in London. Stayed at a special weekend rate of 82 GBP, included dinner for two the first night, and full breakfast each day.
Our only complaint was the room was warm and we could not get it cooled down, I would expect they had not switched over to AC/as no cool air came out. Also parking is very limited and expensive, we parked in the residential area across the street for free, never a problem finding space.
A great location and the staff could not do enough to make our stay go well.
This Hilton compares well against others in the city!
Nearby is one of our favorite Itailian cafes:
http://www.carluccios.com/caffes/default.asp?func=where&caffe_id=6#
There are other location in London!
Have a good time!:-:
Our only complaint was the room was warm and we could not get it cooled down, I would expect they had not switched over to AC/as no cool air came out. Also parking is very limited and expensive, we parked in the residential area across the street for free, never a problem finding space.
A great location and the staff could not do enough to make our stay go well.
This Hilton compares well against others in the city!
Nearby is one of our favorite Itailian cafes:
http://www.carluccios.com/caffes/default.asp?func=where&caffe_id=6#
There are other location in London!
Have a good time!:-:
MarkXS
Jun 15, 07, 9:10 pm
I just did a 2-night Point Stretcher stay there earlier this week, wrapping up a mixed London/Paris trip. Pleasant enough hotel. I didn't mind the location at all, since I'd been to London a couple of times during the past year and knew my way around the Tube.
Didn't get an upgrade, but they were apologetic about it at check-in, and to be fair I checked in about 23:30 having gotten off the late Eurostar from Paris. They offered up a bottle of wine, suggested I'd enjoy it more the 2nd night considering how late it was, and the next night there was a rather decent Malbec in my room when I came back from my day out. Free breakfast in the Cinnamon restaurant since I wasn't upgraded, and it was a quite nice selection. Frankly I'd rather have the access to the full breakfast buffet in the restaurant than what sounds like the more limited selection in the lounge.
Decent sized room for a London hotel, all very modern and quite comfortable.
All in all a good value at 24,000 points/night. Staying at Canary Wharf reminded me of when I lived in NYC and was thinking about getting a place near the World Financial Center - essentially the same architecture and "urban financial village with retail" vibe.
Probably wouldn't be my choice for a first trip to London as a vacationer, just due to not being a central / walking distance to sites. But a very nice property.
Didn't get an upgrade, but they were apologetic about it at check-in, and to be fair I checked in about 23:30 having gotten off the late Eurostar from Paris. They offered up a bottle of wine, suggested I'd enjoy it more the 2nd night considering how late it was, and the next night there was a rather decent Malbec in my room when I came back from my day out. Free breakfast in the Cinnamon restaurant since I wasn't upgraded, and it was a quite nice selection. Frankly I'd rather have the access to the full breakfast buffet in the restaurant than what sounds like the more limited selection in the lounge.
Decent sized room for a London hotel, all very modern and quite comfortable.
All in all a good value at 24,000 points/night. Staying at Canary Wharf reminded me of when I lived in NYC and was thinking about getting a place near the World Financial Center - essentially the same architecture and "urban financial village with retail" vibe.
Probably wouldn't be my choice for a first trip to London as a vacationer, just due to not being a central / walking distance to sites. But a very nice property.
xooz
Oct 6, 07, 4:12 pm
Staying at Canary Wharf and leaving Sunday morning to Gatwick. Looks like no way to get there early other than taxi to Victoria. Anyone done this trip? Looks like weekend tube schedule won't allow getting to LGW for 0900 departure.
Land-of-Miles
Oct 6, 07, 6:01 pm
Staying at Canary Wharf and leaving Sunday morning to Gatwick. Looks like no way to get there early other than taxi to Victoria. Anyone done this trip? Looks like weekend tube schedule won't allow getting to LGW for 0900 departure.
Can't you get to London Bridge and take the Thameslink from there?
Can't you get to London Bridge and take the Thameslink from there?
xooz
Oct 12, 07, 12:16 pm
Not in time to be at LGW in time to check in for an 855am flt. First Thamselink train doesn't get to LGW on Sundays until 750am.Looks like the only way to get from Canary Wharf to LGW in time would be taxi to Victoria, or taxi to LGW... and God only knows how much either would cost.
Land-of-Miles
Oct 12, 07, 2:16 pm
Not in time to be at LGW in time to check in for an 855am flt. First Thamselink train doesn't get to LGW on Sundays until 750am.Looks like the only way to get from Canary Wharf to LGW in time would be taxi to Victoria, or taxi to LGW... and God only knows how much either would cost.
A Taxi at that time to Victoria would probably be about £20. You would be better off with a service like Addison Lee than taking a black cab all the way to LGW. Under no circumstances allow the CW Hilton to sort you out with a cab. The last time they did that for me we ended up in some dodgy minicab.
A Taxi at that time to Victoria would probably be about £20. You would be better off with a service like Addison Lee than taking a black cab all the way to LGW. Under no circumstances allow the CW Hilton to sort you out with a cab. The last time they did that for me we ended up in some dodgy minicab.
xooz
Oct 21, 07, 4:34 am
Well.. lesson learned perhaps...
Mrs Xooz and I ended up taking cab from Canary Wharf to Victoria at 30£. With Gatwick Express tix at >20£ per person, I could have likely just gotten a car or cab to LGW for the 70+£ I paid. What I have learned is not to stay here the night before an early departure.
Mrs Xooz and I ended up taking cab from Canary Wharf to Victoria at 30£. With Gatwick Express tix at >20£ per person, I could have likely just gotten a car or cab to LGW for the 70+£ I paid. What I have learned is not to stay here the night before an early departure.
diamondman2006
Mar 31, 08, 10:05 am
Just a quick post to advise that all remains very well at the Canary Wharf Hilton. Upgraded to a junior suite, very friendly staff, good exec lounge facilities with nice snacks, this remains one of the best Hiltons in the UK, IMO. Recommended.
dabee69
Apr 27, 08, 10:59 am
I am one of the happy relocated Hilton Tower Bridge guests. There was some flooding the basement and (therefore?) no electricity. It was an interesting experience to climb to the 10th floor and back via two different stairs ;) I found another good use of iPhone - it is a good source of light when it's dark out there and staff memebers' battery is dry ;) They organised transport from Hilton TB to Canary Wharf at no extra cost. Check-in was smooth, lounge guard very nice and very good looking ;)
I fully support the view that Hilton Canary Warf is a very good Hilton in London. I got an upgrade to executive room with an access to the lounge. Very nice extra is that during the tea time they serve mini sandwitches in addition to the sweets European Hiltons usually serve. Room is big. Huge for London ;) No issues to install an additional extra bed in TWIN EXECUTIVE room for a kid.
Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf have more in common than differenet. I like the Tower Bridge location slightly better. I would assume financial sector guests on bussiness would choose Canary Wharf ^
I fully support the view that Hilton Canary Warf is a very good Hilton in London. I got an upgrade to executive room with an access to the lounge. Very nice extra is that during the tea time they serve mini sandwitches in addition to the sweets European Hiltons usually serve. Room is big. Huge for London ;) No issues to install an additional extra bed in TWIN EXECUTIVE room for a kid.
Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf have more in common than differenet. I like the Tower Bridge location slightly better. I would assume financial sector guests on bussiness would choose Canary Wharf ^
diamondman2006
Jun 18, 09, 9:07 am
Another one-nighter there this week. As good as it always has been. No complaints, apart from the £20 car parking charge! For that though, you do get secured underground parking.