Choosing where to stay in London is a tough decision as the city has so many areas and numerous hotels to choose from. Traveling with our two teenage daughters, we were looking for a place that balances location, amenities and home from home comforts when visiting London.
On our recent visit, we booked into the Hilton London Canary Wharf, staying in a family interconnecting suite for two nights. With executive lounge access and breakfast included each morning in the hotel restaurant, this stay offered the perfect balance of comfort, convenience, and a touch of luxury.
This is our in-depth review of our experience at the property and what you should know if you’re considering staying at the Hilton Canary Wharf.
First Impressions
Located in the heart of Canary Wharf, the Hilton Canary Wharf is across the river from the towering, gleaming skyscrapers of Canada water.
On arrival at the hotel, you enter the spacious and modern lobby area, which made a good first impression. We loved how the Hilton Canary Wharf had a professional business-like atmosphere whilst being really relaxed and family friendly. There were lots of stylish communal spaces to relax in, with a bar and restaurant off the lobby area with lots of comfortable seating areas.
Arrival
We arrived mid-morning and had a really warm welcome from staff on reception. The hotel had several check-in desks including a separate priority check-in for Hilton Gold and Diamond members. We were welcomed back as Hilton Honors Gold members and went through an overview of the hotel amenities and my benefits.
As we arrived a couple of hours before the hotels check-in, our room was not ready, but we were able to store our luggage securely with the hotel and made the most of our first day in London.
Check-in was seamless, and when we arrived back at the hotel late afternoon, we headed up to check out our room for our time in London.
Rooms
The hotel has 282 rooms across the following different categories – standard, executive and suites all of which were modern and sleek.
Executive rooms occupy the top floors of the hotel and our junior suite on the 12th floor was impressive! If you have a family (and have the points and Hilton status), then their interconnecting family rooms and suites are well worth looking at.
Our rooms were elegant yet cozy, featuring dark wooden furniture, crisp white linens and had fantastic views of the skyline of Canary Wharf. The girls were thrilled to have their own space, complete with two comfortable beds and we loved the huge master suite with an incredibly comfortable king-sized Hilton serenity bed.
The white drapes and thick, blackout floor-to-ceiling curtains (made for a dark room) and the comfortable beds with super soft bedding ensured we all had a great night’s sleep!
Spanning multiple rooms, the suites boast two bedrooms and bathrooms, with the two rooms separated by a lounge area. This was a great space to relax as a family and was also home to the rooms third TV – all of which were smart TV’s complete with Netflix, making it feel more like a home away from home. Power outlets were plentiful in both of our rooms and had USB outlets.
The suite provided apartment size space and flexibility, but still with all the benefits of the hotel. It was a relaxing retreat after busy days in the city. Executive level rooms also have other benefits including bathrobes, slippers and more importantly, lounge access.
Another reason why I really like interconnecting family rooms and suites is the fact that you have more than one bathroom, so it’s perfect for a family of four. Both of the bathrooms in our rooms were spacious and modern with a separate walk-in shower and bath making it great for families with younger children.
In addition to the suites, the hotel also offers a range of hotel rooms to cater for all types of travellers. For young families, their special glamping package might be worth considering, which includes an in-room teepee set up with safari decorations which looks really fun!
Our rooms were clean and well-appointed with lots of seating, spacious work desks and all the essentials: Nespresso coffee machine, fridge, safe, air conditioning, hairdryers and bath products courtesy of Crabtree and Evelyn. Having robes and slippers was a nice touch in our executive category rooms – and if you are a Hilton Honors member, you get free wifi. For gold guests you also receive two bottles of water daily.
As our readers will know we never tend to travel light so it was pleasing to find that both of our rooms had ample wardrobe space with more than enough hangers for our needs.
The floor-to-ceiling windows added brightness to the room, and one of my favourite things during our stay at the Hilton London Canary Wharf was opening the curtains each morning to see the views of the skyline. I could never get tired of it and is one of the lasting impressions we have of our stay!
Executive Lounge
One aspect that we really enjoyed at the Hilton Canary Wharf, was its 14th floor executive lounge, which we were fortunate enough to have access to with our room.
This lounge was certainly one of the larger executive ones, offering plenty of seating. Even during the evening drinks service, which is usually the busiest time, it never felt overcrowded. The staff were incredibly attentive, ensuring that everything was well-stocked and that guests were well looked after.
The lounge was open from 7am to 9pm and provided a quiet space to relax, with complimentary water, soft drinks, tea, coffee, biscuits, cookies, and fresh fruit throughout the day.
In the evenings between 6pm and 8.00pm, a selection of hot and cold dishes and alcoholic drinks were also available, which was a lovely touch before heading out for dinner.
I’m a big fan of hotels with executive lounges as it offers a convenient and comfortable spaces to unwind away from the busier areas of the hotel. Whether catching up on emails or just enjoying a quiet moment with a hot drink, the lounge was a lovely family friendly area to call back, take in the views, unwind and relax after busy days exploring London.
Dining
The Hilton Canary Wharf has an expansive lobby area, with various seating areas for relaxing, working or eating and drinking. Just in front of the hotel’s restaurant is their main bar, serving a wide range of drinks and was popular with business travellers.
Using our Hilton Gold benefits, we had breakfast at the hotels Cinnamon restaurant each morning.
The breakfast, as you would expect at a Hilton, was excellent! Having everything you could possibly want including fresh fruit, pancakes, pastries such as croissants and pain au chocolate, a full English – with eggs cooked by a chef on request, a selection of meats and cheese, yoghurts and a selection of cereal.
It was so nice to see that staff brought our orders of hot drinks to our table and I liked that fact that takeaway cups were available so we could enjoy our drinks as we explored Canary Wharf.
With so many restaurants in close proximity of the hotel, we didn’t have dinner at the hotel. Instead, we booked into the Ivy at Canary Wharf which is one of our family favourites.
Location
We absolutely loved staying in Canary Wharf, a part of London that many tourists overlook, assuming it’s too far out. However, with the Elizabeth and Jubilee Line, getting around the city has never been easier. If you’re arriving into London Paddington by train, like we did, it’s a straightforward and quick journey down to Canary Wharf using the Elizabeth line.
The hotel is also a fantastic base for exploring East London. We took the tube to Stratford, home to the enormous Westfield Mall, which was a big hit with the girls.
Whilst we didn’t have time to visit the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, home to West Ham’s London Stadium and Zip World Helix (the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide, located on the iconic ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture), it’s all in Stratford as is the ABBA experience, so the hotel is a good choice if you are visiting London for these attractions.
One of the highlights of our trip was taking the IFS Cloud Cable Car from IFS Cloud Royal Docks to IFS Cloud Greenwich Peninsula. This short but scenic ride provided incredible views of Canary Wharf and was a fun way to get across the river.
From there, it was a quick walk to the O2 Arena, where we explored the designer outlet and tried Toca Social, the world’s first interactive football experience, competing against each other in different football challenges.
Thanks to Canary Wharf’s excellent connections, we simply hopped back on the Jubilee Line to return to the hotel.
Beyond its convenience, Canary Wharf felt safe, clean, and modern—it’s often compared to Singapore for its sleek skyline and underground shopping malls, which reminded us of Toronto’s PATH system. There’s also a fantastic choice of restaurants within walking distance of the hotel, including one of our favourites, The Ivy.
With its great transport links, we found it just as easy to explore central London. We spent an evening in the West End, where we watched a musical, and also ticked off another MOCO Museum, after visiting its Barcelona sister site last year. If you’re travelling with kids, the Paradox Museum was great fun, located right opposite Harrods, which is packed with optical illusions and interactive exhibits.
Overall
Our stay at Hilton London Canary Wharf was exactly what we needed for a comfortable and stress-free family trip to London. The spacious suite, executive lounge access, and excellent service made all the difference, offering both luxury and practicality.
If you’re looking for a family-friendly hotel in London, then it’s well worth checking out the Hilton Canary Wharf. Whether you’re visiting for a weekend getaway or an extended city break, this hotel tick’s multiple boxes.
Ready to book?
Prices at the Hilton London Canary Wharf when booking direct at Hilton.com start from £298 per night for family interconnecting room.