Docklands setting next to ExCel conference center
Two minute walk from Royal Victoria light rail station
Five-minute drive from London City Airport
Quad Club and Spa with indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, and steam bath
Docklands Bar & Grill serves three meals a day with a bar serving local ales
All rooms come with signature aromatherapy sleep aid kit
Free Wi-Fi throughout
On-site fitness center
Expansive meeting room and event spaces
Fee for on-site parking
Inconvenient location for tourists
Wi-Fi can be sluggish
Some unrenovated rooms show signs of wear
The four-pearl Crowne Plaza London - Docklands is close to the O2 Arena, the ExCel conference center, and London City Airport, but its location in the far east of London is less than ideal for tourists. The hotel attracts a primarily corporate roster of guests and it lacks character, though it does have sleek contemporary rooms, on-site parking, and a pool. That said, rates still feel a little inflated, especially compared to the Novotel London ExCeL next door.
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Scene
Shimmering millenium facade with corporate heart
Opened in 2003, the imposing glass and aluminum facade of the Crowne Plaza London - Docklands gives the impression of a hotel built very much in the current millennium. The lobby area is bright and contemporary, though generic wall art and patterned rugs means that the interiors struggle to escape the charmless cookie-cutter aesthetic of a hotel chain. Deep red and rich crimson hallways help to redeem the lobby, but much of the rest of the property leans heavily towards the corporate. This makes sense considering the clientele tend largely towards business guests who favor the Crowne Plaza's location in the Docklands near the enormous ExCel convention center.
Location
Situated in East London's Docklands area next to the ExCel conference center
The hotel is set in a strip of modern buildings that look out over a small dock area located in East London's Docklands. It's a five-minute walk to the ExCel conference center and a couple minutes from the Royal Victoria Docklands Light Railway station, from which it's 40 minutes to London's West End. The hotel runs a free shuttle bus to Canary Wharf, which takes about 10 minutes, while the nearby Emirates cable car ride runs to the O2 Arena. London City Airport is also just five minutes away by car, but getting to Heathrow takes well over an hour.
Rooms
Clean, contemporary rooms with sleek bathrooms and free aromatherapy sleep aid kits
The hotel's 210 rooms are all being renovated to a new style and color scheme -- from current cherry reds and oranges to a palette of more fresh neutral tones -- and completion is due at the end of 2014. Free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and minibars come as standard, as does the chain's signature aromatherapy sleep aid kit. The sleek, contemporary bathrooms have black tiled walls with built-in shelves as well as shower/tub combos and both wall-mounted and individually bottled high-end toiletries. Wi-Fi is free, but can be spotty. Most rooms overlook the streets; views from the top floors are the best.
Features
Spa with well-equipped fitness center and a bar serving locally brewed ales
Features are convenient and relaxing at this property. The on-site Quad Club and Spa has a fully equipped fitness center, an indoor swimming pool with a hot tub, a sauna, a steam room, and three treatment rooms. The Docklands Bar and Grill serves traditional British and European dishes with locally sourced ingredients in modern surrounds with simple, neutral decor that echoes the corporate style found in other common areas. The bar area is open until late and serves a variety of drinks, including locally brewed craft beers from the Meantime Brewery in nearby Greenwich. The hotel also has an entire wing dedicated to meeting rooms with an open atrium lobby area. There's on-site parking (for a fee) and free -- though occasionally sluggish -- Wi-Fi throughout.
