Can’t say enough good things about this hotel; even though we arrived well before check-in time we were greeted warmly and into our room very quickly. I had to fight very hard the impulse to just lie down for a few moments to give my body and mind a bit of a rest.

But, at Elizabeth’s insistence we were up and out for a wee bit of exploration, but more about that later. Even though the hotel is to the east of London proper, it is ideally located. It is in a quiet neighborhood surrounded by small businesses and apartment buildings. There is a Tesco Express (Mini Market) next door and another small market a block away plus several small restaurants nearby. It is a three minute walk to the Royal Victoria Dockland’s Light Railway (DLR) station.

This, of course, is delightful for me. You see I am a railroad enthusiast and have been since I was three. My grandmothers’ homes were about 50 miles apart and the fastest and cheapest way between those two locations was by way of the Allegheny Valley Pennsylvania Railroad passenger service. We would board the train at Verona, PA and in an hour and half-dozen stops later we would be in Kittanning, PA and the warm bear-hug embrace of my Grandma Collier. But alas I digress.

The DLR is a delightful, efficient, and cost effective way to get into London city center. Best of all, one can use their Oyster Card for the journey. We purchased our Oyster Card on our first visit to London, used it for almost all of our transportation, and retained it for our subsequent visits. It’s both a bargain and a true convenience!

The location is also a one minute walk to the Emirates Air Line Cable Car which zips you across the Thames to the area of the H2O Arena and a myriad of restaurants, bars, and shops and once again a good use of your Oyster Card. The journey itself is worth the price of admission with a panoramic view of East London and the night “flight” is magical.

There is nothing really special about this hotel when it comes to their rooms. They are comfortable but typical hotel rooms. However things begin to brighten up when you begin to investigate the amenities. Typical bar, restaurant, sumptuous English breakfast and then comes the spa, sauna, steam room, pool, hot tub, and gym . One could remain on “campus” and never be bored.

We were actually forced to do that on Christmas day as there is no public transportation anywhere (how civilized). Hotel staff actually stay at the hotel on Christmas eve as many of them have no way of commuting to work on Christmas day. And here’s what brings us to give extremely high marks to this hotel; its staff!

They are some of the very best we have ever encountered in our travels. From front desk, to servers in the bar and restaurant, to breakfast staff, to concierge, to housekeeping, to spa they are stellar. They are all professional, courteous, friendly, and always in anticipation of one’s needs. On a scale of one to ten we rate them a fifteen!

Elizabeth with Anna, One of Our Favorites