Review London Hilton Bankside with Twin Beds in London and a Pool

Heated Pool London Hotel Hilton Bankside
Bankside flower design at the Hilton Bankside
Welcome to Bankside at the London Hilton Bankside arrival driveway

It was Friday morning and I was swimming in a London hotel pool without a care in the world.  The world outside was calling…it was London after all…but I wanted more time to luxuriate in the warm water of the basement pool. The pool was an added bonus as the main reason for choosing the Hilton Bankside Hotel was the twin room option.  I was traveling with a friend and finding a reasonably priced twin room in London is tough and usually expensive because it’s a King Room with the bed split into two.  We were staying the weekend at a nearby Bankside flat so needed only one night’s hotel in the area. I was expecting a Hilton to be honest – beige and blah – but imagine my surprise to walk into a design focused boutique like hotel which probably should be in the Curio collection.

London Hilton Bankside Location

I’ve become a big fan of Bankside over the past two years because of it’s great location and quiet. The Bankside Hilton (or Hilton Bankside) is situated in a prime location about a block or so behind the Tate Modern across from the Blue Fin Building (Londoners name all the buildings by what they look like – Cheese Grater, Walkie Talkie where SkyGarden is located, the Shard, the Gherkin, etc.). The Blue Fin has many ground floor level chain restaurants and cafes behind the Tate Modern.

Exterior view Hilton Bankside Hotel
Exterior view of the newly built Hilton Bankside Hotel, a short walk away from Tate Modern and Blackfriars

The Hilton Bankside is a short walk to both Blackfriars Bridge and the Millennium Bridge each taking you to The City and St. Paul’s for business travelers.

For the leisure traveler you are minutes from the Thames (with great city views) and Bankside where you can turn left to walk toward the London Eye and Parliament, Big Ben (under renovation) and Westminster Abbey before walking through St. James’s Park to Buckingham Palace.  If you turn right, you have the Tate Modern (with free rooftop view point), Borough Market, the Shard, London Bridge and further afield Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

So in a nutshell, the Hilton Bankside is in a great location for walking to the highlights of London along the Thames. If you must take transit, the bus stop is steps away and trains (to Brighton, Gatwick Airport, etc) or the tube can be found at Blackfriars Station on either side of the water.

St. Paul's Cathedral Thames Millennium Bridge
The view of St. Paul’s with the Millennium Bridge in London

The hotel also has access next door and across the road to markets such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco and CoOp to fulfill food and supply needs. In and around the Bluefin, expect Starbucks, Leon, Wagamamma, Pret Manger, Paul, Gail’s Bakery and many more dining options.

Hilton Bankside Hotel Arrival/Check In

We arrived by foot rather than by taxi in the arrival driveway so had a laugh when the bellman outside in the arrival driveway saw us and ran (sprinted) over to get our bags. They were friendly and welcoming so I happily stopped and dropped my bags.  I went to the front desk to check in while my friend plopped down on one of many comfy seating options in the designer filled lobby to use the fast and free wifi.  Check in was quick and friendly and we were quickly in the hotel elevators to our room on the 4th floor. The elevator security requires room key tap to access guest room floors.

Hilton Bankside Lobby
The design lobby at the Hilton Bankside

You’ll be surprised to learn that there are nearly 300 rooms in the hotel, including a Vegan suite (interesting) and yet on my visit it felt like a cozy boutique hotel – the lobby was never crowded, the restaurant service was timely and the elevators empty for the most part.  There’s also a penthouse apartment with a private roof terrace. I can only imagine the city views from there!

Hilton Bankside Hotel – Luxury Twin Room in London

When the elevator opened to a big 4 in the hallway, the grey design signified a more tailored experience.  Unlike the beige hallways you are used to, the Hilton Bankside had the style of a tweed banker down to the color scheme and leather appointments.  Each detail was thoughtfully designed as we would learn.

Hilton Bankside 4th floor
Hard to forget what floor we were on at the Hilton Bankside

Opening the door to the room, I was pleasantly surprised by the feeling of newness – modern style and design.  The textured walls, the metal fox sconce (see info panel about the Bankside Fox at the hotel entrance) and the concrete walk in shower were all bespoke design choices that together made for one comfortable room. Instantly I knew I would like it here and sadly wasn’t going to have enough time to enjoy it.  It screamed of a lie in with room service, alas neither would be had. Note the lighting (sun, then clouds then dark) doesn’t show the best of the room but it really was nice.

London Twin Bed Room Hilton Bankside Hotel
Twin Room at the Hilton Bankside Hotel – comfy beds and a good nights sleep
London Bankside Fox Story
Story of the London Bankside Fox outside the Hilton Bankside. They used the fox in many design features in the hotel

The twin beds took up much of the room but there was still room for a chair, working desk area and floor to ceiling windows. The minibar refrigerator contained two complimentary bottles of water and local sodas (cola and lemonade).  If you do go shopping in the area for food, the empty refrigerator is a nice amenity to have.

Hilton Bankside minibar sodas free
Complimentary local sodas in the Hilton Bankside minibar

The desk had multiple outlet options as did both bedsides. There was a mirrored box on top of the table which held the hairdryer.  No need to hunt for the hairdryer in drawers, cabinets or crawl under the bathroom vanity. Along with the various outlets which included USB ports (yeah, no need for bulky converters) there were many buttons for lighting options including a nightlight in the bathroom which illuminated under the vanity to avoid full light on in the middle of the night.

Hilton Bankside Hotel room features
In room desk, seating area, entertainment and minibar Hilton Bankside Hotel

The closet contained an umbrella (this is London and it was raining), robes, slippers (yeah!) and enough space to unpack a large suitcase.

Hilton Bankside Robe Umbrella in room
Standard room features at the Hilton Bankside Hotel – plush robe, umbrella and lots of closet space

When we returned from dinner, turn down service was done to the room and slippers, mat and a bottle of water were set out for each bed. That was a nice and unexpected touch.

Turndown Service London Hilton Bankside Hotel
Turndown service at London Hilton Bankside

The Bathroom at the Hilton Bankside

The bathroom was  winner!  Walk in shower, spacious vanity, lighted make up mirror, side shelf and multiple towels were highlights in the bathroom.  The amenities were by Crabtree & Evelyn.  The bathroom had adequate hooks for the robes or towels and the under vanity nightlight was awesome.

Hilton Bankside Bathroom
I really liked the bathroom at the Hilton Bankside
Hilton Bankside Shower
Walk in shower at the Hilton Bankside
Hilton Bankside Bathroom Night Light
The night light feature in the bathroom from under the vanity was great

Hilton Bankside Gym, Spa and Hotel Pool in London

This is the first hotel with a pool in London that I’ve ever stayed in and now I’m spoiled.  On our tour of the pool and gym we decided we would wake up early and go for a swim.  The lap pool along with a therapeutic water area with jets was empty when we arrived.  There are locker rooms along with showers and amenities to use the pool and get changed if you can’t go back to your room.  The locker rooms and pool require key card access.  There is staff at the desk during posted hours.  There is also a small gym (not supervised) and two spa treatment rooms at Spa To You.

Heated Pool London Hotel Hilton Bankside
Heated basement pool at the London Hilton Bankside

The next morning we arrived to only one man in the pool and then as we were exiting a man put on his swim goggles and began his laps of the pool for the next ½ hour which shattered the quiet.  Choosing lounge chairs we relaxed in the warmth of the room along with another couple. We were told that the pool is busy on the weekends with families.  Lucky for us it was a Thursday/Friday stay.

Hilton Bankside gym rowing machine london
The gym was small but packed full of useful machines, weights and accessories

 

Breakfast at Oxbo Restaurant

There is a restaurant onsite, Oxbo Bankside, as well as a bar, The Distillery, which serves nibbles (snacks).  I visited the restaurant for breakfast – they do a buffet as well as ala carte.  I had the avocado toast ala carte as I’m not keen on the price of a buffet breakfast (nearly $30+).

Oxbo Restaurant London Hilton Bankside
Oxbo Restaurant at London Hilton Bankside
Breakfast at Oxbo Restaurant Avocado Toast London Hilton Bankside
Breakfast Avocado Toast at Oxbo Restaurant in the Hilton Bankside

 

Happy Hour at The Distillery Bankside

Prior to happy hour, I was hungry and ordered a club sandwich and chips (fries) at The Distillery Bar.  We stayed for  Happy Hour when a friend came to meet us.  We were offered complimentary snack bowls.  We were then explained the 2 for 1 deal.  You can get 2 of the same drinks for the price of 1. So two glasses of the same wine or two glasses of x cocktail (there are limits on the cocktails and liquor brands) or two pints. I ordered one glass of wine and when closing out the check, the server almost insisted on getting another glass of wine (it’s free she said!) and taking it to my room, which I did. They also offer a Gin Masterclass which looks fun, sadly we didn’t have time to do it this visit. On the friday afternoon, the staff were grilling burgers outside for takeaway which was fun if you are in the area.

The Distillery Bar Bankside Hilton Hotel London
The Distillery Bar at Hilton Bankside hosts happy hour specials and a Gin Masterclass
Hilton Bankside Lunch The Distillery Club Sandwich and Chips
Lunch at The Distillery – Club Sandwich and Chips
Hilton Bankside Distillery Happy Hour snacks
Free bowls of nibbles during happy hour at The Distillery Bankside Hilton

Final Thoughts – London Hilton Bankside Hotel

I was really impressed with the Hilton Bankside Hotel.  To be honest, I don’t know the last time, I stayed with Hilton but this was a wonderful experience. The only hiccup was the concierge and his very touristy recommendations for food when there are many local options nearby I would have preferred he recommend. Overall though the room was comfortable, the staff were friendly, the pool fabulous. I slept well in what is already a quiet part of town – Bankside continues to welcome new hotels and restaurants to the area but still retains its quiet nature and empty streets (for now).  Since this is a Hilton, there tends to be many promotions and discounts on offer plus you can use your Hilton HHonors points to redeem for a room.  I think you’ll love it and be surprised as much as I was – this is the new Hilton – design focused and in a fantastic part of London for business or leisure travelers.

Bankside flower design at the Hilton Bankside
Welcome to Bankside at the London Hilton Bankside arrival driveway
Heated Pool London Hotel Hilton Bankside
Heated basement pool at the London Hilton Bankside