Hampton by Hilton London Waterloo

This Hampton by Hilton is a large but quiet chain hotel with sleek contemporary decor. The highlight is the cozy lobby, with its chic, high-end retro-style seating, and large floor-to-ceiling windows that give the space an airy feel. There’s gorgeous hardwood flooring, modern canvases on the walls, and elegant tripod floor lamps, plus big communal tables and chic computer terminals framed by tall bookshelves. The long, all-white front desk has sleek under lighting, and doubles up as a snack bar, with cute green-padded retro stools. The in-house Assado restaurant goes for a modern industrial look, with exposed ceilings and blond-wood tables and chairs; it’s a light, airy design that lends itself to the casual dining approach. The bland and rather dark hallways are the only part of the hotel's interiors that falls down. This property draws a mixed bag of families, couples, and business travelers. 

Located close to London’s busy Waterloo area, the hotel is in a quieter and more residential setting just a five-minute walk south of the mainline railway and tube station. Other tube stations within a 10-minute walk include Lambeth North, Southwark, and Elephant and Castle, and there are plenty of restaurants and coffee shops in the vicinity. The Old Vic and Young Vic theaters are within a five-minute walk, while the BFI IMAX 3D cinema is an eight-minute walk, and it’s a 12-minute walk to the National Theatre. It’s under a 15-minute walk to Waterloo Bridge, the London Aquarium, and the London Eye. The Tate Modern, Big Ben, the Strand, and Borough Market are all within a 20-minute walk or 15-minute tube ride. It’s a five-minute drive to Covent Garden, and a nine-minute drive to Piccadilly Circus. Leicester Square is 13 minutes by tube, and Oxford Street is a 17-minute tube ride; Hyde Park is a little farther, 26 minutes away by tube or 18 minutes by cab. London City Airport is the closest to the hotel, just a 24-minute drive; it takes 35 minutes by taxi to Heathrow, while Gatwick is a 56-minute drive.

Spacious and quiet guest rooms at the Hampton by Hilton are modern, stylish and well appointed, but they’re still relatively generic and play second fiddle to the more impressive decor in the hotel’s public spaces. Standard Rooms have large, comfy beds with gray headstands set against dark-wood accent paneling. Built-in bedside tables are in a matching shade and come with individual reading lights, while spotlights around the room’s perimeter add ambience. Each room also has an elegant tub seat (Family Rooms switch this out for a basic built-in purple sofa), and an attractive curved built-in desk. The purple-gray patterned carpet add more color, and large windows have white curtains and pleasant views. Large bathrooms have cream floor tiling, white wall tiling with black mosaic detailing, and standalone vanities with gray marble tops. Well-sized walk-in cubicles have power showerheads, and there’s hand wash, body wash, shampoo, conditioner and moisturizer in wall-mounted pumps.

All rooms have individual air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and phones; power sockets are plentiful and well placed, too. Other amenities include coffee- and tea-making facilities, safes, lap desks, hairdryers, irons and ironing boards, but there are no fridges. There’s free Wi-Fi, and keycard-controlled access to elevators.

The Hampton by Hilton’s facilities start with the gorgeous ground-floor lobby and snack bar, open 24/7 for simple food like sandwiches, chocolate bars and chips, and a well-stocked bar serving beverages. The hotel’s free cooked and continental buffet breakfast offers a great variety of dishes, including DIY waffles -- but it can get busy, particularly on the weekend. The on-site Assado restaurant, headed by celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala, serves good Indian food in a modern casual setting. The modern, well-maintained fitness center has a decent range of free weights and weight-lifting and cardio machines, though it’s on the small side. There’s reliable free Wi-Fi access throughout, plus computer terminals and printer, fax, and photocopy facilities in the lobby, and meeting facilities can host up to 80 people.