There is certainly no shortage of hotels to choose from if you're looking for a minibreak to London, but I'll bet there are few that offer views as breathtaking as the ones I discovered on a stay in the UK's capital city – and for a surprisingly reasonable price.
On a recent trip to London, I checked into the four-star Tower Hotel right on the river, in St Katherine's Docks and a few minutes' walk from Tower Hill and Tower Gateway stations. Despite having worked down the road from this hotel for years, I'm a little embarrassed to say that, despite its size (801 rooms), I never knew if was here – however, this is what I think makes it something of an undiscovered gem.
As its name suggests, this hotel is located right next to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, on the north side of the river. Popular hotspots such as The Shard, Borough Market and Sky Garden are all a short walk away, and there's certainly something exciting about staying so near to such famous landmarks.
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The Tower Hotel)The rooms at The Tower Hotel
The Tower has 801 rooms and all have impressive views of some kind, whether it's of Tower Bridge up close or overlooking the historic pubs of St Katharine's Docks; it's great for history fans. I was lucky enough to stay in a suite up on the 11th floor, and it honestly took my breath away when I entered the room. On one side was the bedroom, which seems so close to Tower Bridge I felt like I almost could have reached and and touched it, and behind that, The Shard illuminated against the sky. Turn your head slightly and you've got all the iconic skyscrapers of The City: The Gherkin, The Walkie-Talkie and The Cheesegrater.
Down a short corridor and past the bathroom was a small kitchenette and lounge space, and out of the windows on this side you could the river ebbing away downstream and imposing Canary Wharf skyline. Visiting on a rare clear day, I managed to take some impressive photos of both the sunset and sunrise; something I never thought I'd do in London. It really did have the wow factor.
The food at The Tower Hotel
The Tower's Vicinity restaurant is located on the ground floor, right on the riverside (meaning more great views), and serves crowd-pleaser classics such as charcuterie plates, 'proper' burgers, pizzas, and fish and chips.
My friend and I braved the chill and opted for an outside table by one of the fire pits on Vicinity's covered terrace, which proved to be the perfect spot to people-watch with a glass of wine and plates of hot, crispy chips and cheesy nachos. We both agreed it would be a great spot for a date.
Breakfast at The Tower is a traditional buffet affair, good for filling you up for the day ahead. With so many rooms in the hotel, breakfast does get busy at peak times (as do the lifts; I recommend leaving an extra five minutes before you need to), but there's a handy traffic light system to indicate less busy times.
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The Tower)What else can you do at The Tower Hotel?
If you're looking to pop the question on a night away at a hotel with an extra-special backdrop, they probably don't get much better in London than this, and The Tower offers proposal packages for £1,500.
Got cash to flash and after a blow-the-budget way to see in the New Year? The Tower also does an eye-watering £24,000 New Year's Eve package, where you can watch the fireworks from the best view in town; the hotel's own rooftop.
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Laura Mulley)How much does it cost to stay at The Tower Hotel?
Rooms at The Tower Hotel start from £107 per night; pretty good value, I think, for its incredible location and amazing views, especially compared to some of the budget chain hotels in the city.
For more London hotel options, try Apex's Temple Court Hotel or City of London hotel, while for a historic building in a super-central location, The Clermont Charing Cross also gets our vote.
English (US) ·