Introduction

In London I’m staying at the CitizenM Tower of London, mainly due to its proximity to London City airport, which is about 30 minutes away on the DLR which serves Bank station. From Bank it’s about ten minutes on foot to the CitizenM.

As far as location is concerned, you can hardly beat this hotel, which is also why I’m posting it here. It sits right next to the complex of buildings that make up the old tower of London, on the other side of the road. Also, the entrance to Tower Hill station on the District Line is literally right next door. Tower Bridge is not too far off either. The stop for the ferry running up and down the Thames is close too, although the service is somewhat unreliable.

The Hotel

This is probably the largest CitizenM I’ve ever stayed at, which is hardly surprising. I’m sure the exclusive location of the hotel means they must pay an astronomical figure on the lease. Accordingly, the lobby area on the ground floor is about twice the size of what you can usually expect at a CitizenM. Other than that, though, the lobby is decked out in the usual mix of Vitra Design furniture, such as the famous Eames lounger.

Dining – Breakfast

I always enjoy the breakfast at the CitizenM. They have a few staple items that you find wherever in the world you stay at a CitizenM. And then, additionally, they have a few local items. Here in London, one of the local foods available for breakfast are the bangers.

The Room

The hotel is built around an atrium. There are rooms looking into the atrium that have no direct natural light. And then there are the rooms facing the outside. Of course, the rooms facing the tower of London are the most expensive ones. There are eight floors in the hotel. Rooms are located on floors one to six. Floor seven is where the meeting rooms are, while the eighth floor is the bar with rooftop terrace.

My room is on the sixth floor and I intentionally chose a room facing the tower. And I must say, the view certainly doesn’t disappoint. Of course, it also helps that I arrive after dark, when the tower complex and the bridge behind it are spectacularly illuminated. What a view to wake up to!

Conclusion

Obviously, the choice of location when picking a hotel in a city depends a lot on where your interests lie and what your plans are. The Tower of London is certainly worth it if you’re into history and sightseeing. However, even if you’re planning to hit the shows and shops in the West End, it’s not a bad location. The District Line will take you there in about fifteen minutes. For example, from Embankment station it’s only a short walk to Covent Garden, and then from there into Soho.

As you may have noticed if you regularly visit this blog, I get around quite a bit, and I will always be very grateful to have that privilege. No matter where I go, though, I think London will always be my favourite. I couldn’t even say why exactly, but there’s something about the city that draws me in, something that sits below the surface.

If you’re interested in what I would consider an alternative guide book on London, I can highly recommend Ben Aaranovitch’s PC Grant series of books. It’s a fictional series that traces the adventures of police constable Grant, who is one of only two members of a special branch of the London Metropolitan Police that deals with supernatural crime. Apart from being very entertaining and very funny, the setting of the books in London gives you a lot of fascinating information and history of London. What is also very noticeable as you read the books, is that the author clearly loves the city. The books are, in a way, a unintentional declaration of love to old London Town.