London’s Novotel Canary Wharf is a stylish, contemporary hotel only minutes from both the DLR and the Canary Wharf underground station (Jubilee line). It’s a renovated hotel with a state of the art fitness centre, meeting rooms, executive lounge, and an airy restaurant that boasts stunning views of London. I stayed recently for two nights with my best friend, Elena, during a short excursion to the city.
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The Location
The Novotel Canary Wharf is located a short distance from the Canary Wharf Tube station, east of the Tower of London. Canary Wharf is part of the historic Docklands, and the hotel draws a lot of inspiration from there, both in design and in food/beverage areas. It’s right in the middle of a fabulous commercial district but is also just a twenty minute metro ride to the Oxford Street shopping district. There are plenty of great bars and restaurants near the hotel.
Check in at the Hotel
Reception, which they call a Gallery, is bright and modern, with a terraced outdoor space perfect for morning coffee. The design is very industrial, which is a nod to the area’s maritime history. Despite the dark metal, dark wood, and the exposed pipes, the reception area feels cozy, bold, and hip. The vibe is fun and young.
There is no reception desk; check in and check out happens on a tablet, and then there are greeters who assist and show guests to their rooms. Our check in went quickly, as expected, and we were upgraded to an executive room on the 32nd floor. This luxurious room afforded us great views of the city and Thames River. We were also granted access to the executive lounge, where we enjoyed wine and appetisers before dinner each night.
Our Room
Our room was spacious and comfortable; the king-sized bed was plush and we had a large chaise lounge near the large window. There was also a small desk, with a 55” flat screen television above it.
The room style at the Novotel Canary Wharf is modern, although very comfortable and bright. There’s plenty of light in the rooms, both artificial and natural. Floor to ceiling windows offer beautiful views over the city. Because of the hotel’s location on a curve of the Thames, rooms that look toward Westminster have some of the best views of the city and the Shard. There are 313 rooms, all with great views, and there are 26 suites on the executive floors.
The bathroom was large too, with a separate toilet, Nuxe amenities, and thick towels. Dark tiles compliment the modern wood in the room and there is no shortage of light – perfect for putting on makeup! A spacious closet revealed comfortable bathrobes, slippers, iron and ironing board, and a small safe.
Upon our arrival there was a welcome gift of chocolates in the room; we also received chocolates each evening at turn down! In addition, there was a well-equipped mini bar, complimentary waters, and a Nespresso machine with plenty of options for our morning coffee.
Technology at the Novotel Canary Wharf is seamless. Wifi is free, and it’s possible to plug your phone in the television and stereo system in the room.
You might want to check out: How to spend 7 days in London.
Dining Options at the London Novotel Canary Wharf
The main bar and restaurant at the hotel is Bokan, which takes up the top three floors of the hotel. With 360 degree views of the City of London, it’s a great place to begin your day as well as the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail in the evening. There is also, for people on the go, a cafe on the ground floor that serves pastries, artisan coffee, and stone baked pizza.
On our first night, we simply enjoyed the complimentary wine and appetizers at the executive lounge. On the second night, though, we went to the bar, called Bokan38 (the numbers refer to the floor it’s on), after a glass of wine. The menu is full of specialty cocktails that pay homage to the maritime history in the Docklands and the many ingredients that once arrived by ship into port here. While they might be exotic ingredients, they’re all sourced from within the UK. One cool thing we learned from the bartender was that the hotel makes its own honey from the beehive they have on the roof!
Elena and I chose to have breakfast in Bokan both days. Breakfast is served buffet style, and there are so many options, from fresh fruit and pastries to bacon and eggs, the makings of an English breakfast, and cereals.
Upon check out, which also occurs with the wireless tablets, the staff offered to hold our bags while we enjoyed our last day in London.
The Novotel Canary Wharf
Other amenities at the hotel are a large, state of the art fitness centre, a New York style pool, and a concierge service who can arrange anything from theatre tickets to dinner reservations and taxi cabs.
We enjoyed our stay at the Novotel Canary Wharf very much. This brand new, hip hotel certainly has the makings of being one of London’s best new hotels for travellers in London for business or pleasure.