Ibis London Docklands Excel - London, United Kingdom 

Good Enough
Posted: Thu, Jul 17 2008
It's an Ibis hotel, so be prepared for loads of teenage tour groups! I was in one of them. This isn't really a problem since the walls are thick enough, and the teens seem to contain their frivolity to the lobby. Unfortunately, there's only one telephone in the lobby and if you happen to need that phone, be prepared to have to yell to hear yourself over the billions of Columbian adolescent girls squealing in your ear. Well, that's what happened to us. The bar is nice though. They have a decent selection of beer and a large television showing random bar type programing. The rooms are clean, and big enough for my roommate, me, and our suitcases. The location would have been terrific since there is a train station just steps away from the hotel, but there happened to be some Christian revival going on at the Expo, which the station empties into, and we couldn't get back to our hotel either nights! We had to walk blocks and blocks around and over the river to eventually get back. This isn't anything against the hotel, but the British cops can be a bit wacky when it comes to events. The service seemed okay. The bartender was a bit slow, but it was busy, so I understand. I'm not sure about other services as I didn't require anything special. Although, when my tour group was going to stay out late, my parents returned to the hotel early by taxi, and they were able to get their key, and luggage from the storage room (we had to check in early). So they were accomodating in that regard. So, busy, but decent. I'd stay there again. I'd just make sure nothing is happening at the expo next door before I book a room.

It's an Ibis!
Posted: Thu, Jul 10 2008
This is an Ibis hotel. That means you pay a reasonable amount and get the standard Ibis service - fine but no great frills. If you want great luxury then go someplace else. If you want a fair price for an OK bed in London with reasonable services then this is fine. For me, three major plus points: fairly easy to get to and from the centre; air con; quiet (didn't hear a plane at all inside the hotel). A desk to work at, a bar to get a beer at and a reasonable shower were good bonuses. The food's not great, but it's an Ibis so it's what I expected. I obviously didn't get caught up in huge tour parties which could be a problem I guess, but I'll stay here again when I need to be in London working.

Avoid!!! Avoid!!
Posted: Sun, Jul 06 2008
Arrived at hotel just past midnight, having booked it four months in advance, to be told that they had no room for us!!! They taxied us to their Barking hotel, which was no where near any underground station and gave us a mere ?10 reduction for our trouble!! So if you book this hotel, I recommend, you telephone on the day to check they have not given your room away to someone else. I thought this sort of thing only happened in Spain!!!