Hilton International

...a Gold member of the Hilton Honours loyalty scheme would entitle me to a more beneficial service such as upgrades and priority check-in. The reward programme can be joined on-line at the Hilton website, in doing this you can earn points on nights stayed and other services added to your bill. These points can then be exchanged for free accommodation at Hilton hotels worldwide.

======= HILTON - CANARY WHARF LONDON =======

...property in the group for Hilton in the UK. At 14 floors high it is right next door to South Quays DLR station.
Located next to Canary Wharf in the London Docklands, we reached here via tube and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) from Central London within 20 minutes.
Canary Wharf is most known for its financial connections, home to Barclays, HSBC and of course Canary Wharf Tower itself. There are many shops in the vicinity located in underground ... more

I received tickets for my birthday to see 'Spamalot' in Central London so I wanted to stay somewhere decent, being a Gold member of the Hilton Honours loyalty scheme would entitle me to a more beneficial service such as upgrades and priority check-in. The reward programme can be joined on-line at the Hilton website, in doing this you can earn points on nights stayed and other services added to your bill. These points can then be exchanged for free accommodation at Hilton hotels worldwide.

= HILTON - CANARY WHARF LONDON =======

~ Location~

This hotel is only 4 months old and is the newest property in the group for Hilton in the UK. At 14 floors high it is right next door to South Quays DLR station.
Located next to Canary Wharf in the London Docklands, we reached here via tube and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) from Central London within 20 minutes.
Canary Wharf is most known for its financial connections, home to Barclays, HSBC and of course Canary Wharf Tower itself. There are many shops in the vicinity located in underground malls that also connect to the offices and DLR stations.

~ Check-In ~

As a Hilton Gold member, I was invited to by pass the queue in the lobby and proceed to the Executive Lounge on the 14th floor for check in. On arrival into the lounge we were asked to take a seat whilst the necessary formalities were dealt with. The lady serving us informed us of the exec lounge opening times and the hotel gym times.
The lounge offered us the following complimentary features:
6am to 10am - Continental Breakfast
3pm to 6pm - Afternoon Tea
7pm to 9pm - Canapés and Wine

In addition to this newspapers, books and Sky TV were available along with panoramic views across the London skyline as we were on the top floor of the hotel.

~ Room ~

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?!
All manner of complimentary toiletries were on display on a stone shelf. Including gels, creams, lotions and even toothbrush and toothpaste. It seemed that whatever toiletries you had forgotten, Hilton had put them in the bathroom!

Hotel Facilities: ~

GYM
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.

BUSINESS FACILITES
The hotel has a fully equipped business centre located on the 1st floor. The usual suspects may be found in here….. fax, scanner, internet etc.
A total of 9 meeting/conference rooms are also available.

~ Prices ~

We stayed for two nights checking in on a Friday and out on a Sunday. Check in is after 3pm and check out by 12 noon. I found a deal on the Hilton website under autumn deals for £179
This included two nights' bed & breakfast and dinner on the 1st night. Not a bad price I thought.
If walking in off the street their basic room is £265 room only!

~Nearby Attractions / Landmarks~

Excel Exhibition Centre Thames Barrier
London City Airport Canary Wharf Complex
Millennium Dome (!) Central London (approx 6 miles)

~ Getting Here / Transportation ~

Hilton Canary Wharf
South Quay, Marsh Wall
London, E14 9SH

Journey time to central London we found could be done in approx 15-20 mins
From central London take tube to Bank, change to DLR and get off at South Quay station.
The hotel is next door to station. Hotel is in Zone 2 of the underground so still cheaper to buy 1 day railcard covering zone 1 and 2.
Limited car parking is available but at a cost of £15.00 per night.

Overall I would certainly recommend this hotel to anyone, the service provide by all was exceptional and nothing was ever too much trouble for any of the staff. If you fancied a stay in London away from the hustle and bustle then a hotel in the London docklands is worth a try.
One tip if booking here though is see if you can get a room on the opposite side of the hotel to the DLR station. Although it's not loud and there's no actual noise from passengers, it's just that as the train approaches the station the noise as it goes round a corner does grate slightly.

Book on-line at www.hilton.co.uk/canarywharf

(I know this is is the wrong category... Am awating Ciao to move!) 

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