Locke London Canary Wharf

We were woken after 2am on the second night by what seemed to be a fire alarm or drill. From the 18th floor we had to walk down 18 flights. That was inconvenient but understandable given the unexpected alarm. What worried us was that, once on the first floor, the door to the last flight down to ground level was locked, so we had to use the lift. If there had been a real fire, that would have been very concerning and, as I understand it, against fire safety codes. There were other problems from the start. Arriving late at night, we were spoken to quite rudely and told we needed a different card for a £50 security hold. We hadn't been told about this and were confused because they already had a card on file. There were two of us, so we could manage it, but I don’t know how a solo traveller would have handled it. After a long travel day, we found there was no power in our room and had to go back to the desk. The only option was for a male staff member to come troubleshoot in the room. That was okay with two of us there, but it’s a clear safety concern for someone travelling alone, as I often do for work. The room layout also felt poorly thought through for two people. There was no privacy screen around the shower, and the TV was mounted behind the couch, far from the beds, with nowhere to sit and watch it. Neither detail was visible in the online room photos. The property seemed unfinished and unprepared to open, with aspects that felt unprofessional or unsafe. I emailed guest services about the issues and got a lackluster reply. I also found it hard to trust some of the reviews, since nearly every time we were at the desk, other guests were raising problems or asking for help.

The rooms were immaculate, and I’d stay again once the air conditioning issue is fixed. I was there for two nights during a very hot weekend, but the AC wasn’t working and the room got extremely hot. That really matters in summer, so please check the system. The hotel is brand new and a bit disorganized, which seems normal for a new place, but apart from the AC I thought it was great.

We found the staff really helpful, and the café-style brunch bar was a nice option for breakfast. Our apartment-style room had an oven, hob, fridge, dishwasher and washer-dryer, plus a huge sofa and big double bed. The hotel has a smart, modern feel and looks out over one of the Canary Wharf docks. It’s about a five-minute walk from the tube, and the air conditioning worked well.

The views and location are stunning, and the staff were attentive and welcoming. Connor was especially enthusiastic and friendly. It’s a gorgeous new hotel, though our room hadn’t been cleaned thoroughly.