Tried & Tested

Apartment review: Cove Landmark Pinnacle, Canary Wharf

15 May 2022 by Hannah Brandler

Background

Hospitality group Edyn launched the serviced apartment brand Cove in summer 2021, joining its portfolio of brands including Locke and Saco.

The group signed a £62.5 million deal to operate this property in Canary Wharf’s Landmark Pinnacle skyscraper, which opened in autumn 2021.

While this is a new property, eight of Edyn’s existing Saco properties have been transformed into the Cove brand – in London these include Cannon Street in the City, Arne Street and St Martin’s Street in Covent Garden. There are additional properties in Manchester, Liverpool and the Netherlands.

Where is it?

It occupies the first ten floors of the 75-storey Landmark Pinnacle building on Westferry Road in Canary Wharf, located at the western end of South Dock. It is very close to a range of international banks and businesses, an 11-minute walk to Canary Wharf underground station and a seven-minute walk to Heron Quays DLR, making it easy to access London City airport and central London.

What's it like?

As you approach the building, you’ll have to tilt your head back 90 degrees to see the pinnacle of the towering glass structure, which is Europe’s tallest residential apartment tower according to Edyn. It fits in with the futuristic glass-clad cityscape, though the inside is far more leafy – in line with its sister Locke properties.

The ground floor has a reception desk, manned 24-hours a day, with the rest of the floor taken up by stylish plant-filled lounge areas where people can work or relax. There are sheer curtains for the windows, allowing for privacy from the main road while still letting in natural light, and thicker curtains act as dividers between spaces – presumably this can open up into a larger open-plan space if need be. Counter seating caters to those that prefer to work on their laptops alone.

The key cards provide access to the building, lifts, apartment and on-site facilities such as the sizeable gym and co-working spaces on the first floor. My card worked up until I reached the door to my apartment on the eighth floor, which meant I had to return to reception. It was quickly rectified and staff were very friendly, accompanying me to the apartment to make sure it worked this time.

Note that there are discounts for those staying for more than seven nights, and it’s also dog-friendly for an additional fee – just make sure to hang your ‘furry friend’ notice on the door. Check-in is from 4pm, and check-out is at 11am.

Cove Landmark Pinnacle Large Studio Apartment bedroom

Rooms

The property comprises 162 apartments ranging from studios at 25 sqm to one bedroom apartments at 57 sqm – some of the latter include an internal balcony and a sofa bed.

My large studio apartment was on the eighth floor and shared a door with room 817 – these could be combined to attain 73 sqm of space and room for four guests.

This category of apartment is very spacious and felt homely thanks to comfortable furnishings and a warm colour palette, and I could imagine staying here for several weeks. The living space has a sofa facing the TV with colourful cushions, a beautiful rug, cubist-style artwork, and a low wooden table topped with coffee books.

All apartments have large floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the city-within-a-city of Canary Wharf, which remains illuminated late into the night as people knuckle down in sky-high offices. There are thick curtains to block the light and the soundproofing is great, though the windows are in need of a good clean.

The well-equipped kitchen is small but functional with crockery, a microwave oven, kettle, toaster and coffee and tea bags (though no coffee machine). There’s also a dishwasher and a separate bin for recycling, plus a washer-dryer and iron in a cupboard upon entry to the apartment. A small table for two can be used for dining or working.

There are sockets throughout the apartment, making it easy to work or charge appliances, and various lighting options – both overhead dimmer spotlights and lamps. Smart TVs include a unique wifi username and password, which provides fast connection, as well as information about your apartment, guides on working the appliances, screen mirroring with Chromecast (which works very well), smart apps and TV.

The bedroom has ample wardrobe space, and includes a small safe and hairdryer, and the bed was comfortable. The room has a narrow full-length window in the corner of the room with a curtain to block the light.

Meanwhile the large bright white bathrooms feature a walk-in rain shower and separate shower along with lovely organic, vegan and fairtrade toiletries from Norfolk-based brand Sop. The rain shower was disappointing as the water didn’t come from many of the spouts in the showerhead, so I had to use both appliances.

While it looked clean, the bathroom floor was sticky so I wondered whether this was due to a cleaning solution. During check-out I informed reception and they immediately sent someone to have a look.

There are air-con and heating panels in both the main living area and the bedroom, as well as the option to open the windows slightly for fresh air. Rooms are cleaned every seven days as standard but you can request extra linen and other essentials at reception.

Food and drink

There are no dining venues on site, but there are plenty of restaurants and bars on your doorstep. Residents can also purchase ingredients at the Tesco down the road to cook their own meals.

Leisure

There is a 24-hour gym and yoga studio on the first floor. A gym on the 56^th floor is reserved for residents staying for more than seven nights.

Meetings

The first floor has a private meeting room and various co-working tables.

Verdict

This is a well-located property for guests working in the financial sector. The spacious apartments are comfortable and homely, with a beautiful colour palette which is echoed in the public spaces. The only downside was the bathroom, which needed some repairs.