Stay at the Hilton Bankside - enjoy the VIP treatment

Last weekend LondonCityGirl was lucky enough to enjoy an overnight stay at the Hilton Bankside.

The first thing you notice when you walk into the hotel’s reception is just how luxurious everything is. It’s like stepping into a glamorous movie set.

The hotel is a the perfect place for a romantic couple’s getaway, where you can leave the hustle and bustle of London behind and enjoy all the amenities the place has to offer, from the heated indoor swimming pool to the lush morning breakfasts.

The rooms

There’s been so much thought put into every aspect of the room - from the light fixtures, to the huge shower / wetroom to the hair dryer tucked away in a hidden drawer with convenient plug points - that you can’t help but sit back and admire.

Another thing that really stands out about the rooms is just how clean they are.

We at LondonCityGirl are lucky enough to have stayed in quite a few nice places over the years and this Hilton easily makes our top 3 in terms of experience and cleanliness and we can’t deny that the latter adds so much to the former.

Another HUGE advantage of staying at this Hilton is that their checkout is at noon which is a rarity these day. It’s normally 11am in most places, or even a dreaded 10am!

Food and drink

The Distillery - The hotel’s bar is a popular destination for sophisticated urbanites. It feels like a well kept secret for the lucky few because even though the bar was abuzz with conversation and people enjoying themselves, it managed to avoid the horrible overcrowding that happens in the every bar and pub in the heart of London on a Friday evening.

OXBO Bankside - The hotel’s restaurant is possibly the jewel in their crown. It’s fine dining without a doubt and in a city like London where we are spoiled with some of the best restaurants in the world, this is up there.

Sourcing the best of British ingredients and serving traditional British dishes, highlights of the menu include the fillet of Aberdeen Angus served with braised beef hash, Lyonnaise onion, mistral sauce and baked sea bass served with saffron squid, charred baby leeks, chorizo, calaspara.

The waiting staff are excellent and on our night we were looked after by a gentleman named Kamal who recommended a great South African wine and settled the debate of white or red (I love white, but my partner loves red).

If you choose to include breakfast with your stay the OXBO restaurant is where it will be served and there is so much to choose from that you could spend hours deciding what to go for. There are cold meats, cheeses, cereals, pastries, the traditional full English with omlettes and pancakes made to order by the chefs. 

The amenities

The pool - the indoor heated pool is beautiful and tranquil. Soft music piped in through the speakers, ambient blue lighting and the fact that there’s a good chance you’ll get it all to yourself makes you feel as if you’ve stepped into your own private mansion. There’s even a whirlpool if you want to relax in bubbles and pretty white lounges for those who want to take a moment to read a good book in peace. 

The gym - the gym is small but perfectly formed and has everything you’ll need in terms of equipment to get a full body workout; treadmills, bicycles and weight machines.

The location

The hotel has a great location, a fifteen minute walk from Waterloo of a 5 minute walk from Southwark tube station.

There’s plenty to see and do and for a tourist it’s the perfect place to enjoy London. Close enough to all the sightseeing highlights but far enough away to get the taste of a slower, more relaxed London which we think is the best London.

Bankside is also quite arty and hipster in it’s own way - think  independent eateries, talented artisan baristas, gin distilleries, and foodie markets. If you manage to tear yourself away from the Hilton experience there’s plenty to see and do right on the doorstep.

The staff

One final thing we had to mention was the staff and the service.

Nothing is too much trouble and the staff are friendly, knowledgeable and charming.

As you can probably tell by now, we LOVED our stay at the Hilton Bankside and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to tourist or Londoner alike. It’s the perfect place to put your feet up, be pampered and enjoy all the finer things in life.

Hilton Bankside really know what they are doing!

For more information visit: Hilton Bankside