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Hotel Apex London Wall (London)
by frangliz Situated in the financial and business area of London, the Apex London Wall Hotel is aimed mainly at city gents. Not many of them are around at the weekend, of course, so it is quite easy to get a discount on Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights. This is a four-star hotel that would normally be far beyond my pocket, but I was lucky enough ... to win £100 to spend on a hotel room from the website Secret Escapes. With a discounted rate of £115, including breakfast, I only had to pay £15 for the luxury of a room on a Friday night in August at Apex London Wall. I can't comment on the booking procedure through the hotel itself, as I booked through Secret Escapes. Their online booking process is very straightforward, but you do have to pay upfront by either debit or credit card. Soon after I had paid my £15 balance, I received an email confirming my reservation along with a reference number. I printed out the email to take with me on the day. Apex London Wall is less than five minutes' walk from Moorgate tube station and also close to Liverpool Street railway station. It is within walking distance of St Paul's Cathedral, and I went on from there across Millennium Bridge to Tate Modern. The Guildhall and the Gherkin are nearby too. Although I wasn't familiar with this area of London, I found my way easily from Moorgate station. I arrived at the hotel at about 3pm and went to the reception desk to the left of the entrance. The décor is quite sombre but very stylish; I loved the bonsai tree in the window. The receptionists are very friendly and welcoming. I showed my email and had to fill in a few contact details on a form. I also had to present a debit or credit card; the hotel takes a payment of £30 to cover any extras, but this is of course refunded if you don't have to pay for anything else. I was given a keycard and an Internet user ID; one big advantage is that the hotel offers free wifi, although I did not personally use it. I was offered an upgrade to a superior room, but this would have incurred an extra charge and I didn't need a lot of space. I was given a room on the first floor and decided to take the stairs; there is of course a lift as well. The keycard serves a double purpose, as you put it into a slot by the door to make the electricity in the room work. Not only does this economise, but it means you don't forget where you put the card! The lights came on, and I loved the look of the room. The curtains, cushions and bedspread were all in a turquoise and brown colour scheme, either with stripes or a floral pattern. The stylish armchair and footstool were turquoise velvet; the carpet was a two-tone grey and the walls fairly neutral. The 40-inch flat screen television looked very impressive although I wasn't personally interested in it. Bedside tables provided room for an iPod dock, a telephone, paper and pen. In one corner of the room were a desk and chair; the desk provided space for a mirror, three magazines (not to be removed) and a tray with several glasses, two bottles of water, one of red wine, a small tub of Pringles and a packet of jelly beans. Everything but the wine was complimentary. I was puzzled, however; what about hot drinks? I hung my coat up in the wardrobe and noticed a laundry bag, an ironing board and an iron to one side. Then I opened a cupboard door, and there was the kettle along with a leather tray filled with sachets of coffee, tea, sugar, sweetener, hot chocolate and some biscuits. I was glad to see that decaffeinated coffee was included, and there were fruit and mint teabags as well as breakfast tea. Also in this cupboard was a safe, a hairdryer, a clothes brush and a shoe-shine cloth. The full length mirror was beside the television, and there were three beautiful photographic prints on the walls. My only reservation so far was that the window was rather small, but it looked out onto a narrow street with an office building opposite, so it would make more sense to draw the curtains across. Would the bathroom live up to the room itself? Quite simply, yes; I was amazed to find a walk-in shower as well as a good-size bathtub. The beige tiles were quite large, and everything was spotless. Toiletries were by Elemis and had a subtle fragrance that could suit either men or women. As well as shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, bar soap and body cream there were tissues, cotton buds, a cleansing pad and a shower cap. I didn't try the shower as I haven't got a bathtub at home, so I enjoyed relaxing in the bath which was big enough to lie back in. I got back to the hotel just after 8pm and noticed that the bar was quite busy. From my room I could hear one or two people being rather rowdy, but by midnight all was quiet. I didn't sleep particularly well, but that's normal for me. The king-size mattress was firm and very comfortable; just one of the plump pillows was enough. The room is air-conditioned and the temperature was just right. When I got up on Saturday morning I found a copy of The Guardian outside my door; you can ask for any newspaper you like, and there is no extra charge. Breakfast is served from 7am until 11am at weekends; you can have it in your room, but there would be a £5 surcharge. I was ready to go down at about 8am. Here the problem started; I couldn't close my door behind me, and when I waved the keycard over the panel, I got a red light rather than a green one. In the end I decided I would have to take all my belongings with me and go down to reception. When I got to the top of the stairs, a member of staff was there and greeted me. He came back to my door to try to solve the problem. He asked me if I had already checked out, and I told him I hadn't. He then asked me to wait a couple of minutes inside my room while he went to check with reception. He soon came back and said everything was fine and apologised for the problem; the green light now showed with the keycard. The breakfast area is just round the corner from the bar and is divided into small sections. A waitress checked my name and room number and showed me to a small table by a huge window. Again, though, there was just a narrow street and tall buildings to look out on. The waitress fold the linen serviette diagonally and placed it on my lap. I ordered a glass of orange juice and had a look at the menu. I was tempted by the kippers but had had mackerel the night before, so I decided to go for the Great British Breakfast - so called, I think, as it includes black pudding. I asked for just one egg, scrambled, rather than two, and declined the offer of toast. I also asked for some freshly brewed coffee; I'm not easy to please where coffee is concerned, but this was one of the best I've had. It wasn't long before my breakfast arrived, absolutely piping hot. There were two rashers of bacon, half a tomato, a Cumberland sausage, two slices of black pudding, a large portobello mushroom, the scrambled egg and some baked beans in a separate little pot. I was offered ketchup or brown sauce, and salt and pepper were already provided. I can't criticise the food in any way; while I was eating, two of the waitresses came at intervals to ask if everything was all right, and it certainly was. As well as cooked breakfasts, Apex offers cereals, porridge, yoghurt, fruit, continental breakfasts, in fact almost any kind of breakfast you could imagine. The waiting staff are all very friendly and polite, and even if you are on your own you don't feel awkward having breakfast in the dining room. If breakfast is not included in the price you are paying, it would work out rather expensive; the Great British Breakfast, for example, is £10, and toast and drinks would be extra. There is also a restaurant within the hotel called Off the Wall where you can have lunch or dinner. Check-out was even simpler than check-in, especially as I didn't have any extras to pay for. The two receptionists on duty that morning were, like the others, extremely polite and friendly. I left saying that I hoped I would be able to come back one day. The rack rate for the Apex London Wall is around £360, but the hotel does have special offers, especially at weekends and for two-night stays. The availability of free wifi is a big plus, and there is a gym in the basement that you can use free of charge. Even though I didn't take advantage of all the facilities, I felt that £115 including breakfast was very good value for a hotel of this standard in central London. The Apex London Wall is stylish, clean and comfortable. All the staff make you feel welcome, being friendly as well as efficient. I would definitely recommend this hotel for a weekend in the city. Apex London Wall Hotel 7-9 Copthall Avenue London EC2R 7NJ Tel. 0207 562 3030 Fax 0207 256 2180 Email london-reservations@apexhotels.co.uk www.apexhotels.co.uk/hotels/london-wall/ Read the complete review |
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Hotel Custom House (London)
by amyjade90 I have stayed in this hotel on two occasions now, once in December and the second time in February. Both times I have been extremely pleased with my stay. I needed a hotel close to the o2 arena on both occasions and after hours and hours of looking at various hotels and studying tube maps I decided that this would be my best bet. ... I paid just under £50 for two people both times, this works out at under £25 a night which in my opinion is a bargain. The second time I stayed here this even included a buffet breakfast! This hotel is nearly almost always available on sites like lastminute.com and various others, its worth searching around a bit until you find the one that includes the breakfast. The hotel is located right next to the Excel centre and from London Victoria station I think it took on average about 40 minutes of tubes and the DLR. Its very easy to get too and after getting off the DLR you cannot miss it and it could not be closer to the station as it is directly opposite. To get to the o2 from here it takes about 10 minutes and is two different trains which are very easy and run frequently. Checking in was very easy and pain free, they were very friendly and we asked about which tubes to get to the o2 arena as several were not running that evening, the girl on reception said she would look it up for us and call our room if we wished. We had been in the room no longer than 2 minutes when we got the phone call and she was extremely helpful and had even written it down for us so we could collect it at reception on our way out. Inside the hotel itself it has its own Chinese restaurant, a pub type restaurant, a place for snacks and lighter meals and then another area where they serve breakfast. The food is about average price wise and there is nothing too fancy, fish and chips, burgers, sandwiches etc. The hotel itself is set out on what I believe is 3 floors and is serviced by two lifts, neither of which you have to wait for more than a couple of minutes for and they are easily accessible from all floors. Next to the lift on the ground floor is a little table with complementary magazines and the daily newspapers, some of the magazines cost £3 to buy in the shops and the free newspapers I thought was a lovely touch. Both rooms that I stayed in were almost identical, very big, clean and just the amount of facilities required. I have found the beds to be quite firm but comfortable, the bathrooms look like a spaceship (lots of molded plastic) but are clean and have complimentary shampoo, body wash, soap and plenty of towels. There is extra bed linen provided such as an extra blanket and two pillows which I find is a nice touch as I'm always cold at night and the first time we went it was December and snowing! They provide two keycards for each room, you have to place your keycard in a little slot once you are inside the room for the lighting and heating to come on, both times we have been a bit sneaky and left one keycard inside the room with the heating on so when we got back in the evening it would be nice and warm for us. They have their own Wi-Fi service which is an extra added charge but each time I visited I didn't use this so I cannot comment on the speed and service. The rooms are well equipped with kettles, a few biscuits, tea, coffee and hot chocolate and even a hairdryer which is a rarity and it was actually quite a powerful one unlike some of the others provided in hotels! They also all contain a flat screen tv which you can rent movies through the hotels system, it had good signal and a good choice of channels were available. The second time staying breakfast was included and I was quite looking forward to having a big breakfast having not eaten much the day before and I was not disappointed there is a large selection of food from rolls, toast, fruit, cheese and meats, yoghurts and cereal to the usual cooked breakfasts. As its all served buffet style sometimes the food isn't replenished enough and its not very hot but this definitely wasn't the case. They also have a good selection of drinks such as tea, coffee and various juices if your not a morning eater! The breakfast area was large and clean and tables were cleaned quickly. The surrounding area to the hotel is run down and we never ventured out around the area but a short tube ride away is Canary Wharf which we spent some time looking at all the things we couldn't afford and Greenwich Village is also about a 5 minute DLR ride away. Check in is at 2pm and check out is at 11am. A lot of hotels check out is usually at 10am but this gives you a little extra time especially if you are having breakfast here. The second time we stayed here we got back at around midnight and as we hadn't eaten anything for dinner we asked at reception if they knew anywhere in the area that might still be open. The guy on reception couldn't have been more helpful, he presented us a huge range of takeaway leaflets and said that if we decided what we wanted he would be more than happy to ring it through for us and bring it up to our room when it arrived. I really couldn't believe this at first because most hotels will charge you if you bring a takeaway into your room. We just opted for pizza which arrived really quickly and was brought straight to our room. Its definitely the extra small touches that count and I really cannot fault this hotel in anyway. Its not a luxury stay but for the price and the incredible service I have received on both times I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone. Read the complete review |
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Hotel Custom House (London)
by morticiaaddams Today I feel like writing so I will give another review - this time about the London hotel Custom House. Why did I choose this hotel? Tricky question because I didn't get to choose. I am from Germany but a Great Britain fanatic, so I come to England as often as I can. The cheapest way is to go with a tourist group ... that travels by bus and stays in a cheap hotel. The company I went with is called Rainbow Tours. They book the hotel shortly before the journey when they know for sure how many people are in the group and then they take the best offer a hotel makes. I have gone with them four times and ended up at Custom House twice. Where is Custom House? The address is: 272-283 Victoria Dock Road, London, E16 3BY. Since I rode on the bus I can not tell you for sure how easy it is to get there, but the bus driver seemed to be fine. However, parking seemed not as easy. There was a parking space where you were able to let people on or out, but the parking was a little further away. Costum House located in the docklands, next to the ExCel buildings - perfect for business trips. The best thing about this position is that the tube station is just across the street. You just cross the street, walk up a few stairs and there you are! It's not exactly the tube - it's the DLR train station, but when I was there last time, construction work was going on and I think the point of it was to create a better connection between DLR trains and the tube. Anyway, this train will take you to Stratford where you can change into a tube to Central London. The journey to Stratford only takes a few minutes. Although the hotel is so close to the station, there was absolutely no noise to be heard at any time. In general I found it to be calm and professional. The hotel itself First sight The outside looks clean and modern, but at the same time quite plain and boring. The reception is a long desk and there is always someone who will help you out. When you come in you turn right to reach the elevators. A chinese restaurant and a door to a concluded space outside (safe and circled by the hotel) are also situated in the ground floor. I have not tried out the restaurant, but other guests told me it was nice. I had a look at the menu and the prices where your usual restaurants, starting at 4 to 5 pounds for a meal and 7 to 9 pounds for more posh dishes. The restaurant looked fancy and clean, probably a good place for a business meeting or if you want to have a nice meal without going somewhere. For me it wasn't an option since I wanted to eat all the special things you can get in Central London instead of something I can get eveywhere. When me and a friend smoked in front of the hotel, we were asked not to smoke there but go to the terasse-like space they had. It was like a little space sorrounded by the hotel itself with two picnic benches. Although we found the proposal a bit strange, we were happy to sit there, safe from the wind and the people who wandered the streets (more about that later). The rooms There are three floors, if I remember it correctly. The two rooms I have been in were completely identicial. They were fitted with a twin bed, two bedside tables, a table with a blow dryer and a kettle, a little tray with tee, coffee, sugar, instant milk and a biscuit. This tray was replaced everyday. The blankets and the pillows where satisfactory. The light switches were operated strangely. If you turned one on, the other one wouldn't work, and then there were ones that would only work if they other one was on. But that was just a little odd and not really bothering me. The room had a carpet. One morning on my carpet had a wet spot. I thought it was from my feet after I showered, but when I came back I was worried because it had grown and taken over half of the room. Luckily it was my last night. When I told the stuff, they said it was fine and I didn't have to worry. The bathroom is en-suite, of course, but don't expect a regular bathroom. The bathroom are pretty much plastic cabins with a toilet, a sink which is lowered into a table-like board, a big mirror and a shower unit. The shower curtains are round plastic boards with a handle and you close it around you once you are in. I was fine in them, but I am quite skinny. If you are a very big person, it might get problematic. There was a sachet of shampoo and conditioner and a little piece of soap. I tried the conditioner and it was quite nice but of course I recommend bringing your own - but if you are stopping there at surprise, they are convenient and satisfying. The soap was also fine. There were two plastic cups for brushing your teeth as well. The staff The staff is very polite and mostly Indian. While the leader of my travelgroup told us that they love to keep you waiting and tend to be bossy if they notice that you are in a hurry, I have not experienced such a thing. I was quite satisfied with the staff. Breakfast I booked a continential breakfast for both stays and was very satisfied. I was allowed to choose from rolls, toast, fruit mix out of the can, regular fruit like bananas, oranges and apples, cheese and meat, different flavours of low fat yoghurts (huge plus in my opinion!), muesli and milk. As drinks you could have as much tea, coffee, cappucino, water and juice as you like. The breakfast room was bright and clean. There was a machine through which you could run your pieces of toast to have them toasted. There was a sign next to it telling you to not put rolls inside, but people did it anyway so the rolls were grilled to death in the back of the machine and we had a good laugh. ;) The staff member who managed the breakfast and checked us up on his list was very kind and friendly. He explained everything to us. There was also a full English breakfast buffet to be had if we'd have paid extra. The area A turn-off is the sorrounding area. While you can witness what is slowly happening everywhere in London - and with that I mean everything being modernized and sold to more fortunate people - this is an area is still a little rundown and looks less then inviting. Upon turning into the street next to the hotel, you encounter a few, small rundown shops, a supermarket which always seems to be closed. There is a small Caribbean shop which does not smell too nice and a run-down shop selling birthday cards and other useless things. There is also a smelly take-away. If you chose to not turn into that street but go further down Victoria Dock Road, you eventually end up at a rundabout which is not too easy to cross. There is a street with restaurants and supermarkets, as well as a McDonalds - but that place is uninviting too and when my friend and me went there in search of a beer around 9 in the evening, every single place was closed and we settled for McDonalds, which was closing at 10 as well. Scary people were trying to chat us up a lot although the area didn't seem that shady, but still we didn't like it. But after all, if you are staying at this hotel, you are either travelling London or making a business trip - so you don't really need to wander around the neighbour hood. Prices Since my hotel was included in the price for the whole trip, I can't tell you how much I paid, but from what I read prices go from 30 to 70 pounds, depending on what kind of room you want and how early in advance you book. The early bird gets the worm! Summary: Advantages - Closeness to Central London - Very good access to trains - Good continental breakfast compared to what I have seen in other hotels - Nice and formal service - Quick check-in - Clean, simple rooms - Tea making facilities - TV - Cheap! Disadvantages - It's nothing special. - The neighbour hood is a bit shady and there is nothing to do - The bathroom is almost completely made out of plastic. Conclusion If you are simply looking for a clean place with a nice bed that is not too far away from Central London, this is the place for you! I can only compare it to Travellodge, and find Custom House more welcoming. The breakfast is nice too and the staff is much more helpful than the one in Travellodge. I think the rooms are the best for you if you are travelling alone or as a pair. I heard the family rooms are a tad too small and thus uncomfortable. 4 stars - I am taking one off for the not-so-nice neighbourhood and the water leak that I had in my room last time. Read the complete review |
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