Ibis hotel - London Docklands, Canary Warf

In used to have this review on HubPages but as this site is shutting down I'm moving my hotel reviews on there to here.

 

Introduction

I was staying overnight in London after attending an event with friends and did not want to worry about last trins etc. This hotel was a short trip on the DLR and was in my price range. It is about a 5-minute walk from Blackwall DLR station, so this does provide good links to London. The night’s stay cost me £109. However, I booked via a cash back site so I got 20% cash back on this so in all it was around £87 for the night.

Now, despite the name, the hotel is quite a walk form Canary Warf DLR station so it is best to go to Blackwall station and walk from there.

Arrival and Check in

On arrival there was no dedicated check in desk that I could see but one person on a laptop to do it which was fine. Now I am not certain that the red tee-shirts as a uniform gives a professional appearance in a hotel but then again this is not the Ritz so I may be being a little fussy. The person who checked me in was helpful and polite and it was done quickly.

The lobby area was clean and tidy and had a small bar area.

The lift up to the floor my room was on was small – very small, but it was fast.

The Room and Shower Room

With the exception of a few small spots on the carpet the room was clean and tidy. I suspect the spots were bleach spots as they were close to the door to the bathroom. The room size was good for the price I paid, and it was well laid out. There were enough power points which were well positioned. There was the usual tea and coffee making facilities and a hair dryer. Although then fact the kettle had water in it already was a bit disconcerting.

The room did have one of those slot things where you put the room key card so you can put the lights on. Whilst I appreciate this is an energy saving system it is a bit annoying if you are not aware of this to begin with. However, I did experiment a little and any card in your wallet/purse will work so I used a little used store card for this.

There were no ceiling lights but 3, sort of, lamp things, two at the bed head and one closer to the window. Whilst the ones on the bedhead can be raised higher and lower, I felt ceiling lights would have been better. There was no actual wardrobe but a sort of doorless pod thing which had a rail and a few coat hangers and a few shelves. This storage area is fine for a day or two but perhaps not enough for a longer stay.

There was a desk chair, but the room could have done with an actual armchair rather than a wooden bench with a single seat vynal covered pad with two half cylinders of wood on the wall as the back rest – this did not look comfortable at all.

The view from the window was of the carpark but I could hardly expect Sydney opera house or the hanging gardens of Babylon or see herds of wielder beasts sweeping majestically… OK I’ve watched Fawlty Towers too often.

The bed had clean linen, but this was a fairly cheap mattress on a slatted base. There was a mattress topper which added some comfort, but I felt the sheets should have gone round both this and the mattress itself rather than just the topper. Also the 'wood' laminate type headboard could have done with a little bit of padding on the lower section to prevent banging your head.

The shower room was clean and functional but the fact it was up a small step was a little odd and if a little less steady on your feet inconvenient. I am sure other rooms without the step up here would be available form those who needed it. The shower had a glass door to it which I always think is better than a curtain as they are easier to clean. However, I felt there should have been a plastic ‘seal’ type thing at the bottom of the door to prevent spray coming from under it. There is shower gel provided in larger bottles attached to the wall. Whilst this did not smell terrible it wasn’t for me so taking your own is advised.

Sleep Quality and Breakfast

The bed was comfy enough, but the mattress topper did make the bed a little too soft for me. The curtains were good and kept any light. The hotel was quiet, but I suppose being on the third floor did help here. The room wasn't overly warm, which is an issue I have in some hotels.

Whilst it did take a while to drop off, I did sleep well when I did get to sleep.

I didn’t have breakfast as I needed to leave the hotel early as I had other things on. It was to be the usual cook breakfast served buffet style.

Check out and Score

Check out.

This was quick and easy as there was a key drop off box. I do prefer a personalised check out, but no one was available to do this at the time I checked out.

Score:

Check in/out: 3.5/5

Room/shower room: 3/5

Sleep quality: 4/5

Room facilities: 3/5

Breakfast: N/A (As I didn’t have breakfast it would be unfair to comment)

Total: 13.5/20

Would I stay here again? Yes, I probably would for a night or two, possibly not for a longer stay.