Hilton London Bankside Review – The Best Hilton In London?

We needed a one night stay in London at short notice and always wanted to try the Hilton London Bankside after hearing excellent reviews of the hotel. We booked in about a week before staying paying £189 for a one night stay in a King Guest Room. After our previous trip to the Waldorf Hilton London we were a little worried about what to expect but thankfully the two couldn’t be more polar opposite! Here is our review of the Hilton London Bankside…

Getting to the Hilton London Bankside

The Hilton London Bankside is located on the South Bank a mere 5 minute walk from Tate Modern and within walking distance of both Southwark tube station (5 minutes) and Blackfriars (10 minutes.) You are within walking distance of Shakespeare’s Globe, the Shard & Borough market to name a few locations.

Our Hilton London Bankside Review

The first thing we noticed when we entered is that the hotel still feels very new despite now being open for around 8 years now. The lobby/public space was very modern and a step above the normal Hilton offering (the Bankside is a 5* Hilton whereas most Hiltons are 4*.) As you enter you’ll notice various seating straight in front of you and then beyond this you have the reception area. There was a few people checking in at the same time as us but there was plenty of staff to ensure we were checked in quickly before heading to our room.

To the left are lifts and to the right behind the reception you have access to the Executive lounge & Oxbo bar and restaurant where breakfast is served.

The Room

We booked a King Guest Room and were upgraded to a King Deluxe Room as Diamond members with Hilton.

As you walk into the room you enter a small hallway before the main space of the room. Immediately on your right you will find a small wardrobe with a limited amount of storage space. In here you will find the room safe, iron and ironing board.

This is followed by the entrance to the bathroom. After this is a wardrobe (with mirrors on the inside of the doors) where you will find space to hang clothes and a shelf immediately above this. In addition you will also find your robes, slippers and an umbrella in here.

After this you enter the main space of the room. Immediately on your left is the TV (which is mounted on the wall) and a cabinet which was empty on top except for the tv remote. There are two plugs here so it is a good space to charge your devices. The first cabinet draw has a tray with your tea/coffee making facilities and biscuits, the second one is empty for storage and the 3rd one is a mini fridge that had two waters in it and two other drinks (local sodas.)

Immediately after this by the window (not much of a view) is a small desk, chair and lamp. On the table was a small box which contained a hair dryer and mirror. The desk unfortunately showed all the scratches it’s picked up over the years (although the picture makes it looks worse than it appeared to the naked eye.) To the right (in the other corner of the room) is a small sofa and lamp.

Next to the sofa and opposite the TV is the bed with bedside tables on both sides and a reading lamp for each side. The bed was exceptionally comfortable and a got a great night sleep for a one-night stay (normally I don’t really sleep!) Both sides had both plug sockets and USB ports to charge devices and switches to control the lights/night light. On the wall is a small unit to control the air conditioning, as we stayed on a fairly cool day we left the setting on the default on.

The Bathroom

The bathroom was small as a large chuck of the space was taken up by the shower. This is located on the left hand side as you walk in and was excellent both in temperature control and pressure. In the centre is a single sink with a large mirror behind it and a small illuminated moveable mirror to the side. There is a small shelf to the left for toiletries. Underneath was a towel tack. Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries were provided. To the right was a small toilet and bin.

The Executive Lounge

Located on the ground floor is the Executive Lounge. Like the hotel and the room we stayed in it has a very modern feel to it and is a nice open space but still felt cosy in the evening we visited.

The lounge here had a good selection of canapes in the evening (and even rustled up something Gluten Free on request.) There was also a good range of alcohol on offer but wasn’t self-pour like some lounges. We unfortunately wasn’t around to see the selection for breakfast or afternoon tea. The lounge also has a dedicated arrivals area and pre-check in shower facilities.

Breakfast

As Diamond members, we had the option to take breakfast in the Executive lounge or the main restaurant on the ground floor. As you tend to get a better selection in the restaurant we opted to eat there over the lounge.

In the restaurant, you’ll find a good selection of pastries, bread, continental meats, salad, fruit, yogurts, cereal, and cooked options such as sausages, bacon, and eggs, etc! Unfortunately like most Hilton’s in the UK if you ask for Gluten-Free you’ll get some bread/toast and a muffin. Obviously, you can help yourself to items on the buffet that are Gluten-Free also e.g. yogurts, etc!

Other Facilities

The Hilton London Bankside has fitness centre with a 17 metre heated indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, fitness studio and treatment rooms. We didn’t get a chance to check it out but having a London hotel with a decent size pool is obviously an added bonus for anyone who stays here!

Conclusion – Is The Hilton London Bankside The Best Hilton In London?

Our stay at the Hilton London Bankside was fantastic, with excellent and friendly staff who were always happy to assist us. The room was lovely, clean, and modern, and the breakfast was great. Additionally, the hotel boasts probably the best executive lounge in London. Although the hotel is a little away from the more touristy areas of London we enjoyed this. I think it is definitely a contender for the best Hilton in London. Rooms are available from around £180 or 68,000 points. Click through here for booking and more information – https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/lonsbhi-hilton-london-bankside/