There are a plethora of options for Hilton members in this city. It depends on where you want to base yourself and how it all fits into your sightseeing plan. Of course, the more polished ones are like the Conrad. I also love some of their newer ones out there. Usually, my first filter will be a lounge in Europe as they can be really handy for my travels. I booked this trip rather last minute and was just keen to get something that is rather central and affordable. That is my concern. To me, London is a city that you just need to stay near a Tube station. Anything within the usual central enclave works! Before this, I have only stayed at the Hilton London Metropole near Paddington years ago. I chance upon the DT near London Bridge which seems to be decent for its price during my stay.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I booked directly with Hilton for the stay and got the base-level rooms. I will be staying here for 2 nights. The hotel is a short walk away from the Tower of London and the tube station. This makes it rather convenient to travel around the city and to Heathrow Airport too. DoubleTree by Hilton London – Tower of London comes with 583 guest rooms and suites spread across 5 categories. You can check out the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Executive Lounge Access | Bathtub |
|---|---|---|
| Guest | No | No |
| Deluxe | No | No |
| Executive | Yes | No |
| Atrium Suite | Yes | Yes |
| City Suite | Yes | Yes |
Checking In
I arrived at the hotel at around 5pm after taking the Tube from Heathrow. It is quite an easy and affordable journey since the traffic is light due to the holidays. It does take quite some time since there are several stops. The hotel is easily accessible from the station and just a short walk away. Upon arrival, you can find the check-in counters straight ahead. There are not many people at this hour. They also have an elite line available. I was helped by a friendly associate who then proceeded to check me in. I was also thanked for being a Hilton Diamond member.
I enquired about an upgrade and was upgraded to either a king room or a queen executive of my choice. This would have gone for around 221 pounds a night. All the information is also provided including the special arrangement during the festive period.
Queen Executive Room
I was assigned a room on the 10th floor. This is the highest floor in the hotel. I got room 1012 to be exact. It is one of the highest room categories. The room is quite a walk from the elevators. Upon entering, you can find a short entranceway with the bathroom to the left. It is not overly spacious but nicely appropriate. It comes with only a single sink but plenty of counter space. Toiletries are provided and as per usual, it is in large pump-size bottles from Crabtree and Evelyn.
The bathroom comes with only a standing shower and it is nicely located behind a glass screen. This prevents water from splattering all over the place. The water pressure and temperature control from the handheld shower head is excellent. This makes it excellent for a lovely shower all the time.
By the side of the entrance, there is a full-length mirror. It would also be nice if they had some hooks by the side over here. That will be very handy for some coats or outerwear. Which is a common thing in London. The main space of the room itself is in a rectangular configuration. It is a rather nice place and property set up. You have the plush queen-size beds in the middle. The bedding is top-notch and smooth. Plenty of pillows can be found and extras can also be requested from the staff. On both sides of the bed, you can find nightstands with controls for the lighting. There are also USB ports and power outlets conveniently located. It does make me wonder why a King size bed isn’t equipped here as they have the space for it.
Opposite the bed is a large high-quality smart television. It comes with a good number of local cable TV channels and you can also connect your devices via HDMI to the television. The TV is a good size for the room when viewed from the bed.
Next to it is a portable luggage rack that you can use to put your suitcase.
There is a small sitting area to the side of the room by the window. It comes with an armchair and a coffee table. It is nice to have additional space in the room be it for lounging or to place your items.
There isn’t much of a view from the room so we just kept the curtains drawn. It faces the nearby office and residential building. The working desk is in the corner with power outlets within reach. The wifi connection is very good and fast. The armchair offers great back support for short periods of work. In the drawers below, there is a minibar which consists of a small fridge that is left empty for your use. There is also a kettle with instant coffee and tea sachets. I would love a proper espresso coffee machine but with an executive lounge here, I can just pop by anytime for some freshly brewed coffee.
Over in the other corner of the room, there is a small wardrobe. It does come well equipped with plenty of hangers, bathrobes, bath slippers, a safe and a hairdryer.
I am pretty happy with the room. It might not seem much but it covers the basics well. Clean, comfortable, great temperature and climate control. The heater works very well which is important in this season. I was just wondering with they did not install a king-size bed over here when there is space.
Fitness Centre
The 24-hour fitness centre is located on the second floor. You can access it with your room key. It is a rather lovely facility and well-equipped with high-tech equipment. Towels and water are provided. The place doesn’t come with any view or natural light but will suffice for a workout anytime.
Executive Lounge
The executive lounge is open from 7am to 12am daily. Breakfast and evening cocktails are offered. It is located in a room by the side of the lobby. It is unmanned and just a space for guests to enjoy. You can access it with your key cards. The space is very small and it gets crowded at times. You can have all-day drinks at other times of the day.
Evening drinks and canapes are served from 6pm to 8pm. I checked out the evening cocktails briefly during my first night and it was packed to the brim. I could not get much pictures of the place. You have some soft drinks, coffee, tea, beer and wine.
There are some fried items, cheese, and fruits to do with it. Nothing too fancy.
The breakfast selections are much better as compared to the evening selections. It is also a great alternative with a quieter environment as compared to the restaurant. You can find some hash browns, bacon, sausages, pastries, cold cuts, cheese, fruits and toast. There are scrambled eggs offered.
Breakfast at City Cafe
Breakfast is served at City Cafe. Breakfast is buffet style from 7am to 11am. I appreciated the extended hours which might be handy for both corporate and leisure guests. Gold and Diamond’s members enjoy complimentary breakfast. The restaurant is located right next to the lobby area. It was busy when I was down for breakfast. It is still so gloomy at this hour. I was welcomed in and ushered over to a table. Drink orders were taken.
Here are some pictures of the buffet line. There are pastries, juices, water, yoghurts, continental selections, eggs, cheese, cold cuts, salads, fruits and typical English breakfast items. The mushrooms were really good.
Conclusion
The location to me is close to perfect and it is quite unbeatable. It offers a good balance of quality and price. The hotel offers easy access to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. You are also near the Tube which allows you to scoot all over the city. To me, London hotels are all over easily access to tube stations. The places of interest are all very spread out anyway. This is not a Waldorf or a Conrad but the hard products are very good and I enjoyed my stay. The lounge might be very busy but still a rather lovely spot for you to grab a glass or two right before dinner.
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