I’d been seeing The Tower Hotel (a Thistle property) all over TikTok. Ever the pessimist about anything viral, I booked a night to see if this hotel was in fact worth the hype, and a place I would be able to recommend to my Trip Planning Consultation clients.
Read on to hear my brutally honest review.
Quick facts:
- Area: Tower Bridge/ St. Katherine Docks
- Closest station: Tower Hill
- What’s nearby: Tower Bridge, Tower of London, St. Katherine Docks, River Thames, City Hall
- Main draw: Unmatched views of Tower Bridge and the River Thames
Location
This hotel is right next to Tower Bridge and the River Thames, giving an amazing view, so most people will likely be booking it because of that.
It’s also just a couple minutes walk from the Tower of London and Tower Hill tube station.
This area is ok if you’re only in London for a day or two, but longer than that, it lacks good dining options in the immediate area and doesn’t have much life to it.
St. Katherine Docks is sometimes a bit of a draw for people, but how many times can you look at some stationary boats and eat at the crap restaurants that line the area?
First impressions of The Tower Hotel, London
I walked up with my suitcase to the huge, brutalist structure that is The Tower Hotel, noting that, while Brutalist architecture has grown on me since moving to London 12 years ago, that this particular building was, in fact, butt ugly.
But as with many of the flats I’ve lived in in this city, it’s not about what’s on the outside as much as it is on the inside.
As I made my way to the hotel entrance doors, I passed a restaurant patio that had faded signs and precisely zero vibes. I knew I wouldn’t be choosing to have dinner there that evening, for my own sanity.
The lobby
When I made my way into the lobby, almost instantly, a smell hit me that told me that this was not going to be the most enjoyable stay. Was it a bad smell? No, but it also wasn’t good, and as I got closer to the massive check-in desk, I understood that it was the smell of a building that hadn’t been renovated in decades, and I could see that there weren’t even attempts to mend the excessive wear and tear around every corner.
Check-in
After waiting about 10 minutes, since there were a ton of people trying to check in at the same time as me, a staff member pleasantly greeted me and started to get me checked in.
The process was slow, but I know that many hotels are still working with old systems that can take a while.
“Would you like a high floor?” I was asked.
I replied that I just wanted the view of Tower Bridge.
“Ok, I’ve put you on the 10th floor, it’s really nice there.”
Great, I thought. And once I was officially done being checked in, I made my way to the lifts, and pressed the number “10” once the doors shut.
I then got to the 10th floor and I noticed that the number in my key card was “362”.
So… I was not put on the 10th floor.
Not a huge deal, but it’s very odd to tell someone you’re putting them on 10, and then write their room number in their key card, knowing that’s not where they’re staying.
My room at The Tower Hotel in London
Let’s start with the good.
The room was sizable, with plenty of space for two large suitcases and even with the provided table and chairs. It’s really hard to find this in London without shelling out a ton of cash.
And thanks to the large windows, it was also super light and bright, also not easy to come by in London, even in luxury hotels.
There was a Nespresso machine and a kettle.
And of course, the star of the show is the view of the river and Tower Bridge. It’s unique, not many hotels can offer this.
Sadly, the pros stop there.
The bad…
Continuing from the theme outside of the room, everything but the linens was so incredibly worn, I actually couldn’t believe what I was looking at.
Stains, marks, worn and chipped wood… it was all there, making my skin crawl.
Especially the mildew in the tub, and the dust in the air vent. URGHHH.
I dread to think of how many thousands of people have shed their skin particles in that room before me, over the last 20+ years.
The bad…
Continuing from the theme outside of the room, everything but the linens was so incredibly worn, I actually couldn’t believe what I was looking at.
Stains, marks, worn and chipped wood… it was all there, making my skin crawl.
Especially the mildew in the tub, and the dust in the air vent. URGHHH.
I dread to think of how many thousands of people have shed their skin particles in that room before me, over the last 20+ years.
Amenities
In terms of food options, there was a self-service snack mart which I think is a good idea and is honestly very much needed due to the lack of food shops in the area.
There are a couple of very lack-lustre dining options in the hotel, both of which I’m sure draws a certain type of crowd who want the water and bridge views, but that I can almost guarantee serves the most mid food on this side of the river.
I usually try to give the breakfast option a go when I try a hotel out, and I’ll explain why this wasn’t the case later on, but there were multiple signs around the hotel telling you how to “avoid the breakfast rush” which was giving sheeple-eating-luke-warm-eggs vibes, and like it would be the worst way to start a day in London.
There’s no fitness centre but the hotel has an exclusive partnership with Fitness First at St. Katharine Docks where hotel guests can have full use of the gym, pool, steam room, sauna, and attend classes. That’s something I would definitely use.
And that’s where the amenities end.
Price and value
I booked this room on Booking.com and paid £179 (approx 244 USD at the time of publishing) for a Friday night in late January, one of the cheapest weeks of the year for hotels in London.
Having now seen it, you couldn’t pay me £179 to stay in this hotel overnight. No view is worth it, especially at that price point.
If you book a Friday night in July, that’ll run you £229 ($313).
My final verdict
As you might have worked out already, I checked out an hour after I checked in.
Seeing the room, I knew I would, one, not feel clean after a shower and two, I had so much work to do on my laptop but I would not feel at all comfortable sitting in that room to do it, never mind also sleeping there.
While I’m aware I have a bit more upmarket taste than some, I always ask myself “would I recommend a client on a budget to stay here” when trying lower-end hotels. And for this hotel, it’s a big, fat, hard NO.
However, if I have not managed to put you off The Tower Hotel, you can book it here.
Image Courtesy of CitizenM Tower of London via Booking.com
A better alternative
If you do like the area around the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, I would instead suggest increasing your budget a bit (trust me, it’s worth it) and booking the CitizenM Tower of London. You can choose to book rooms with a view of the tower, bridge and river, plus there’s a great rooftop bar that only guests can access. Keep in mind though that there’s only one room size at CitizenM hotels and they’re cosy.
And if you’d like me to listen to your London hotel needs and find you some great options, you can book a Trip Planning Consultation with me.
