Last weekend I headed to London for a little festive getaway with Tom. We were lucky enough to stay a night in the stylish CitizenM Bankside hotel near London Bridge, read my thoughts on our stay and see what we got up to here…
Location
CitizenM Bankside is right in the heart of London, near to London Bridge and the Southbank so it was an ideal base for us to explore the city. It is within a 5 minute walk of the best food market in London, Borough market and close to other tourist attractions such as the London Eye and the Tower of London. The closest tube station to the hotel is London Bridge, making it around a 10 minute train ride from Euston or Kings Cross. We caught a 20 minute Uber ride from Euston which cost around £8 for two of us.
The Room
Check in was so simple and easy, we were greeted by a friendly member of staff who showed us how to use the quick electronic check in system at the entrance. She also gave us a complimentary drink at the bar which was a bonus. The system let us choose our room preferences based on availability so we picked a double room with a city view on a lower floor. The other options were the courtyard view and a higher floor, I am glad we chose a city view in the end as the courtyard room windows looked to be facing other rooms and although we were close to the road, you could barely hear the passing traffic from the road. The room was sleek, stylish and modern with everything we needed for a weekend away. Each room makes the most of a small area, with the window the full length of the cosy, king sized bed allowing for plenty of light to come in and the bathroom with an overhead rain shower, neatly fitted on the other side. We were welcomed in the room by a personalised message on an iPad which controlled most functions in the room from mood lighting, blinds and TV. The thing about the room I loved was that it didn’t feel like your standard hotel. The small quirks such as free fridge goodies and the Ipad controller made it feel like the focus was on us, and having a good stay rather than the more formal, impersonal feeling you can get in some hotels. We were out most of the day on Saturday but would have loved to snuggle up and take advantage of the films on offer as they were all free.
The Breakfast & Bar
Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and the citizenM didn’t disappoint. We headed down after a peaceful nights sleep the next morning to find a banquet of fresh pastries, fruit and cooked food ready and waiting for us. I had natural yogurt, fruit and granola with some toast and jam on the side, Tom had a cooked breakfast with fresh bread and a cappuccino. All enticingly displayed and included in our room price. The bar and breakfast area was surrounded by seating areas to suit your mood, from a relaxed cafe area to modern library snug the atmosphere was calm and upbeat. I loved the quirky decor that ran through the hotel, there was a real focus on retro art, music and culture with quotes, painting and unique ornaments filling every shelf or wall. I love being in a stimulating environment and the citizenM certainly sparks the creativity.
I would definitely recommend citizenM to anyone looking for a cheap but stylish stay in London, the large beds, free movies and compact layout of the rooms make it perfect for couples but equally I would happily stay again with my mum or for a girly weekend with friends due to the close proximity to major London attractions.
Rooms start from £109 a night at the citizenM Bankside. If you would like to find out more or book a room, visit their website here…
Citizen M Bankside
20 Lavington Street
London
SE1 0NZ
I hope have enjoyed my latest travel post, I would love to hear any hotel recommendations you have, share them in the comments below.
Thanks for stopping by,
Anna
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