a&o London Docklands Riverside Hotel

The one real plus is the location. It’s in a quiet, cosy area away from the busy streets, and getting into central London takes a while, though it’s manageable. We stayed in what seemed to be the older part of the building. The room was alright but clearly dated. Towels weren’t changed and the room wasn’t cleaned automatically. The windows only tilted open, which was enough for ventilation in ours, but our friends’ window was completely broken. We reported it on day one; a staff member checked it and said maintenance would come by that evening. Nothing happened during our three days there, despite us bringing it up several times. The service was awful. The staff always seemed in a bad mood, and while I’m sorry they have to work there, that isn’t the guests’ fault. We were also cold much of the time. We had a double bed, but the actual blanket was only wide enough for one person, even though it was put inside a larger sheet. One of us ended up with just the sheet. Breakfast was basic, with little suitable for someone who’s lactose intolerant and vegetarian, though gluten-free toast was available. We’ll pick a different hotel next time.

The receptionists were really friendly, and Mr. Moi from maintenance kindly helped when I had trouble with one of my suitcases. Very good customer service, highly recommend.

I’d read some reviews that made me a bit unsure, but the low price, clean look and location near where I needed to be persuaded me to book. Once there, I found the hotel and room very clean, and the staff were polite and friendly. Honestly, I can’t think of anything bad to say. We also got free rides on the uber boat as hotel guests. The only small hassle was having to fill something in online when we arrived. I’d have preferred to do that beforehand, but it wasn’t a big deal. Five stars from me 😄⭐️

The bed made this one of the worst hotel stays I’ve had. It was so uncomfortable that I stuffed extra pillows and duvets around the mattress, and still only managed about an hour of sleep each night over our two nights. When we asked reception for more pillows, the manager on duty ignored us and made the other person at the desk deal with it. He didn’t speak to us, just grunted something to his assistant. Other staff seemed frightened, and the atmosphere was awful. When we left, we put our key in a box and weren’t acknowledged at all. We’d stayed several times when it was a Hilton, so seeing how A&O Hostels now runs the place was a real disappointment. Communications were by email because nobody answered the phone, and we never got useful help. The booking site was complicated, especially for extras, and some sections were in German with no way to switch that section to English. Even though we’re UK citizens, had prepaid for a UK hotel, and had entered our contact details including phone number, we were still required to provide a driving licence or passport. The room and bathroom were clean, but that was the only good part. We skipped breakfast after reading the reviews. The new owners seem to have stripped out comforts and put in staff who don’t care to save money. I can’t recommend staying here. Try the Premier Inn near Tower Bridge or Waterloo and use the Jubilee tube or the 381/C10 bus instead. It’s cheaper than a Premier Inn, but I’d rather sleep. We don’t often leave bad reviews, but after two nights without sleep, we were furious.