The world is a wonderful place now I know you're in it. xx
The world is a wonderful place now I know you're in it. xx
Member since:28.04.2004
Reviews:65
Members who trust:42
On choosing a hotel I tend to go for nice architecture and/or a historic building which has lots of interest, nooks and crannies to explore and rooms which you know you shouldn't go in but you do, however, after finding no available accommodation like this at short notice in London and needing to book quickly I opted for what seemed the next best option, the Thistle Tower which overlooks Tower Bridge in London, (like you hadn't guessed) Getting there from Kings Cross seemed like a hike but the tube takes you there after 2 changes at Bank and Monument to Tower Hill in around 10 minutes. (Circle or District lines will take you there).
Upon arriving from Tower Hill tube which is just a short walk from the hotel I was initially disappointed with the exterior which resembled a large municipal library built in the 1970's, overlooking such a superb view they could have used a better architect, however it was booked so
I wandered in to reception, which was bustling with people and staff. First impressions inside were positive and staff at reception were friendly and happy to help, although I don't think English was a first language for many of them after a query concerning my booking couldn't be understood. The manager came along and cleared up the query super fast and finished the checking in, I arrived a little early and they allowed me to go to my room even though check in was 2pm.
My room was classed as an executive double which would have set me back 224 GBP per night including breakfast, the cheaper single is 188 GBP, but as with all hotels you never pay full price, I got a deal from LondonTown.com which cost 90 GBP per night including breakfast, this was very reasonable considering I was there by myself and no single supplement was charged and the fact it is after all a 4 star hotel in the central part of London. The room itself was adequate size with everything you could wish for, internet connection, tea making facilities, safe, minibar and air conditioning. The air con is something I can never quite get the hang of, being British and being November we never have such need for them, but in this hotel it was rather stuffy so I wished I had used it to full effect. The window resembled a ships cabin porthole, a kind of lozenge shaped affair which didn't open quite enough, probably due to safety reasons for the long drop down, all in all this was the only minus about the room as it was tastefully furnished and very clean. I adored the bathroom which was compact but very clean and modern with all the little bits and bobs you get in hotels. I was very impressed.
Room service is my favourite part of hotels and immediately checked out the menu, which was rather limited in it's selection and quite obviously pricey, nachos and accompanying dips with 2 bottles of Bud came to 16 GBP which was one of the cheaper options, you could perhaps spend 25 GBP plus on an actual meal. Wine wasn't an option at 16 GBP a bottle for a brand I wasn't quite sure of. However, there is a selection of bars and cafes throughout the hotel which offer a more varied selection at around similar prices, including a Haagen-Dazs Cafe which I didn't want to tempt myself to try. The Thames bar on the first floor has fabulous views over Tower Bridge and the widescreen TV kept us informed of the Rugby scores. There is an unsupervised gym open 24 hours for anyone wishing to get fit, I declined after the fire alarm incident left me tired but another guest praised the equipment available.
The big plus for this hotel is that it is near to the financial district and to major London sights such as Tower Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London Dungeons and St Paul's Cathedral. It also is a large hotel with over 800 rooms on 8 floors, this could be a plus or minus after a fire alarm at 1am meant the whole building had to be evacuated, I'm pleased to announce it was a false alarm but the whole evacuation was handled very smoothly and after waiting in sub zero temperatures for 15 minutes we were all ushered back in with a reassuring message on our TV's when we arrived back to our rooms.
I pre-ordered my breakfast to arrive after 9am and this is the only other aspect that I didn't enjoy, I love my food and eat almost anything, however, this was inedible, overcooked and rubbery, I drank some tea and took a muffin to eat on the train, which wasn't particularly appetizing either. Having working in (bad) restaurants I know its all pre cooked to save time, however, even on such a grand scale I would have assumed something better. To ask for a replacement wouldn't have helped as they are all of the same quality. Upon checking out I mentioned the breakfast but the receptionist just smiled knowingly, I left it at that and said my goodbyes, after all for 90 pounds a night what should I expect, glad I didn't pay full price then.
Overall I felt very comfortable in this hotel and enjoyed the atmosphere of a busy hotel being used to smaller run ones and I think I would stay here again but only at the same price I paid this time. Try using London.com or Hotelconnect.co.uk for getting great deals in this hotel or many others.
St Katherine's Way London E1W 1LD
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great review. Glad you enjoyed it...except the brekkie! I haven't found a decent hotel in Central London yet...I even took a cat with me last time just to see if I could swing it...I couldn't...so I usually stay in the outskirts and take a cab. But I'll definitely peruse the sites you suggested. Cheers, John
purplelynne 29.01.2005 17:33
It sounds like a good hotel to stay in. Lynne x
jonesri 23.11.2004 17:49
I stayed here before. It is in a nice part of London. All I remember about the place is that my room was really hot. Rich
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Advantages: Good locations, good offers for weekend breaks, pleasant rooms Disadvantages: Can be a bit samey from one hotel to the next. Staff unsure of how to handle complaints
Nov 16th, 2004
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