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