Our Verdict: Dated but comfortable Hilton with a solid location.
We booked the Hilton at Canary Wharf around a concert at the nearby O2 Arena, drawn by the promise of consistent Hilton standards and a chance to earn Hilton Honors points. That was the plan, at least. What we found was a well-located hotel with a great room upgrade, comfortable bed, but ageing decor and service that swung between attentive and stretched. Read on, because our review of Hilton London Canary Wharf landed on a gap between brand expectation and reality – it made for an interesting stay.
In this review:
Hotel Details
Name: Hilton London Canary Wharf
Location: Canary Wharf, Docklands, East London
Hotel Class: ☆☆☆☆
Chain: Hilton
Loyalty Programme: Hilton Honors
Room Type: Executive King Room
Room #: 1311
Price bracket: ££££
Competing brands: InterContinental, Marriott (West India Quay), Radisson Blu
Good for: Business, Couples, Family
Accepts pets? No
Location
The hotel sits on South Quay, just across the bridge from Canada Square and the heart of Canary Wharf. That puts the Canada Square and Cabot Square malls within easy reach for shopping or a quick bite. We found Canary Wharf Jubilee line station about a 5-minute walk away, with the Elizabeth Line a further five minutes on.
For our stay, the location proved a handy base. The DLR and Jubilee line made getting to the O2 Arena simple, and the wider connections into the City and out to Heathrow are hard to beat from this part of East London.
Check-in
Check-in was very busy when we arrived, with staff working through a queue. Parking was available but limited, and chargeable at £30 per 24 hours, so factor that in if you are driving. We were offered an upgrade to an Executive King Room from our booked King Room, which we were told also included access to the executive lounge. A good result from Hilton Honors recognition.
The buckets of Lego in the lobby caught our attention – all junior guests are invited to borrow as much of it as they like to build their own docklands skyscrapers in their room. Mum and dad should wear shoes when walking to the bathroom!
Our Room
We stayed in Executive King Room 1311 on the 13th floor, a dedicated executive floor one below the lounge on 14. First impressions were of dated furnishings, all faux wood and faux leather, plus curtains that firmly said hello to the 90s. Everything was functional, clean and tidily presented, though. The king bed came with four pillows and premium cotton bedding that was comfortable and cool. Annoyingly, power sockets sat on only one side of the bed. The air-conditioning worked well.
Storage was generous, with a double and single wardrobe holding the safe, iron and ironing board. Yorkshire tea bags earned a nod, but there were no sockets near the tea and Nespresso kit, so we had to move it to the desk to use it.
In the bathroom was a bathtub with a separate shower – water pressure and temperature were good. Towels were plentiful in various sizes. We also found a handy shaver socket beside the single sink.
A key point for our Hilton Canary Wharf review: book a high floor to escape the DLR track noise. We had a very quiet night.
After we reached the room we received an SMS message from a UK number asking whether everything was to our liking. That was a useful follow-up, although WhatsApp would be a better platform for an international hotel to use.
Facilities & Services
The public areas felt surprisingly small for a hotel of this size. After returning from the O2, we had a couple of glasses of wine at the bar, which did the job. A function/banqueting suite on the 2nd floor was hosting a school prom on the evening of our visit, which added a bit of life to the place.
There was a small fitness suite that looked well equipped, backed up by a sauna and steam room, though we did not have time to use it. We chose the Greenwich Peninsula Parkrun on the Saturday morning instead – highly recommended!
The executive lounge sat on the top 14th floor, open from 7am to 9pm daily. Access covers all executive room guests plus Hilton Diamond status holders. No breakfast is served up there, but complimentary drinks and canapés run from 6pm until 8pm.
We arrived at 6pm to find it about 25% full, with more people drifting in once the food began. Drinks covered white wine, red wine, basic spirits, beers and juices, with water, tea and coffee available all day. The food was light: two warm options of fish goujons and vegetable gyoza, mini prawn cocktails in shot glasses, hams, cheese, biscuits and fruit. It worked fine alongside a couple of drinks, though as we were heading out to dinner, we were not looking to eat there.
Bars & Dining
Breakfast
Breakfast was served in a restaurant at the rear of the lobby, behind the bar. The room was fairly small and busy during our visit. The format mixed a buffet with paid à la carte items.
There was an ample selection of fruit, yoghurt – the Greek yoghurt was particularly good – cereals, cheese, ham and pastries spread across stations. Hot plates covered three kinds of eggs alongside the usual English breakfast items, and an omelette station stood ready, though it appeared unstaffed.
The machine cappuccino was not really a cappuccino, but the barista coffees brought to the table by staff were far better. We spotted three milk substitutes and four fruit juices, although the orange and grapefruit tasted like low-quality long-life products, lacking flavour and heavy on acidity. Overall food quality was acceptable.
Beyond breakfast, the hotel runs a separate bar and all-day dining venue called TwoRuba, and room service is also available. The most distinct thing we noticed came at 4pm, walking up to our room. Several neighbouring doors had used room-service trays sitting on the floor outside, and there was a strong smell. We have no idea how long they had been there, but smelt like a while. Assuming they were from lunchtime would suggest that floors aren’t been walked periodically by housekeeping or room service staff.
Check-out
Standard check-out was at 11am. The process was handled efficiently, with no issues over the bill or timing. Quick and straightforward, which is exactly what you want on the way out.
BG1 Verdict
This was a surprising stay. The hotel feels more suited to the DoubleTree or Hilton Garden Inn portfolio than the flagship Hilton brand. The rooms are comfortable and perfectly functional, but they’re showing their age and need an update. Service standards were variable, with staff often appearing busy and stretched. It works for business travellers, couples and families thanks to the location, room layout and hotel amenities, but the ageing decor and operational slips undercut the value at this price. Would we return? Probably not right away. We would try the nearby Lincoln Plaza London, Curio Collection by Hilton, plus the local Hampton and DoubleTree properties before booking this Hilton again.
If you want to see a Hilton at the other end of the spectrum, read our Hilton Sofia Review
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