London's up-and-coming Canary Wharf commercial and financial area now has a 283-room Hilton hotel. The £53 million property opened on June 26 and is already doing good business during the week.
Located next to South Quay DLR (Docklands Light Railway) station and a short walk to the Jubilee line Canary Wharf station the 15-floor hotel is easily accessible from the capital's City and West End. The most convenient airports are London City (ten minutes drive) and Stansted (forty to fifty minutes drive on a good day).
It's the first of three Hilton "new look" properties scheduled to open in the UK this year all of which are contemporary in style. Main features of the Hilton Canary Wharf include a 55-room executive section (including 23 junior suites) occupying the property's top three floors with splendid views over the city. A spacious lounge provides breakfast, light meals and drinks throughout the day. There's free wifi within the executive lounge (but not the rooms) and in the hotel's public areas.
Rooms are spacious (30 to 35 sq metres) with quality bathrooms, flat screen TVs and other modern features including precisely controlled air-conditioning. There's a single restaurant and bar, Cinnamon, serving fresh and sophisticated food and drink. A Living Well Express health club comes without a pool but is open only to hotel guests.
Room rates reflect midweek (rather than weekend) occupancy bias. For a stay next Tuesday (July 11), hilton.com quoted an online Value rate (this comes with restrictions) of £197 with a Flexible rate of £219. Executive floor rates were £242 and £269 respectively.
But it was a different matter at the weekend. For a stay on Saturday July 15, hilton.com quoted £89 and £99 respectively for normal rooms with executive accommodation priced at £134 and £149. All rates are subject to 17.5 per cent tax.
The two other Hiltons opening this year are the 245-room Hilton London Tower Bridge scheduled for September and the Hilton Manchester Deansgate due to open in October.
Hilton London Canary Wharf, South Quay, Marsh Wall, London E14 9SH. Tel +44 (0)20 3002 2300.
For more information go to hilton.com
Report by Alex McWhirter
