What do you get when you combine the aesthetics of a contemporary art gallery with a slick central London hotel?
If you answered Bankside, then you would be correct. This luxury family-friendly and art-focused hotel sits right in the heart of the capital providing visitors the ideal address for their stay in London.
We recently spent the night at the Bankside Hotel, Autograph Collection and had a wonderful time. The central location, friendly hotel staff, dreamy beds and eclectic artworks made this a really unique hotel.
If you’re looking for a place to stay in London with kids, then Bankside could be the perfect address.
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Bankside Hotel Autograph Collection London
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Housed within a glass-fronted cube, Bankside sits one road behind the River Thames on London’s South Bank near London Bridge.
It is ideally positioned to enjoy the best of London’s art and culture from modern day street art in the Graffiti Tunnel at Leake Street to contemporary works in the Tate Modern.
Not only does the hotel’s location encourage you to get out and explore, the contemporary hotel is a gallery in itself.
The public spaces and bedrooms are carefully decorated with handpicked furniture and artwork and the hotel has its very own art studio, the Art Yard Maker’s Studio. The studio champions up-and-coming artists and is a permanent space where an ever-changing roster of artists can create and showcase their work.
Hotel guests and non-residents are welcome – and encouraged – to visit the workshop and see the artists at work.
Bankside also encourages guests to get out and enjoy the local neighbourhood offering 20 per cent off meals at the hotel’s Art Yard Bar and Kitchen if you show a ticket to any of London’s galleries, theatres or cultural landmarks.
Now, a hotel that masquerades as an art gallery might have some people hightailing it across Blackfriars Bridge in search of a more generic place to stay.
But I can confidently say that even the most art-wary of guests will love Bankside. My sceptical teenager daughter who announced that she simply “doesn’t get art” loved her stay here and has already asked when we can return.
Our stay at Bankside
There’s something incredibly enjoyable – and perhaps a little indulgent – about taking a staycation. Packing your bags for a quick trip down the Northern line for an overnight stay in the heart of London is not something we do often.
However, we were invited to spend a night over February half term at Bankside and checked in on a sunny Thursday afternoon.
There’s no stuffy reception desk at Bankside, rather a curved central front desk sits on the ground floor where staff greet you like long lost friends.
We were then shown to our rooms, two inter-connecting King Rooms that are ideal for families. As with the public spaces, the hotels rooms are all decorated with pieces of art and every one comes with a drawing pad and pencils, should you be inspired to get creative yourself.
An easel for kids had also been placed in one of our rooms with colouring pencils, just one of the many family-friendly touches we encountered during our stay.
Altogether Bankside has 161 guest rooms including seven suites, set over six floors. They range in size from a Modest King Guest Room which is 24sqm and sleeps two people. The largest is the Biggest Guest Suite which is 55sqm.
All enjoy floor-to ceiling windows (with clever privacy blinds and blackout blinds to hide the view from any potential nosey neighbours) plus everything that you might expect in a luxury hotel including flat-screen tv, free wifi and an incredibly comfortable king-sized bed in each room.
Despite being in the heart of London the Bankside bedrooms are incredibly quiet and we all slept well past our usual waking time.
There’s a smart coffee machine with capsules and tea from Joe’s Tea Co as well as a fridge with cans of bottled water. There was also a plate of chocolates although they did not last very long.
Every room has a water jug that you can refill at the water station located along the corridor, choosing from chilled, filtered, tepid or sparkling water.
The hotel corridors also hide a luxury vending machine that dispenses, among other things, Tom Ford Aviator sunglasses (£365) and adjustable emergency engagement rings (£125). Neither of which we purchased but had fun wondering whether or not the ring recipient would be happy or disappointed!
The Neighbourhood
One of the things we loved the most about Bankside is the great location. You really are in the heart of London here within walking distance to some of the city’s best sights.
We started off at nearby Borough Market and then, despite my daughter’s protests, headed to the Tate Modern where we admired the latest Turbine Hall installation, Behind the Red Moon by El Anatsui.
The following day we crossed the river and visited Somerset House and then wandered around Covent Garden.
If none of those are on your radar, however, then there are plenty of other major London landmarks just a short walk away including the National Theatre, Southbank Centre, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the Royal Festival Hall.
The London Eye sits just across the river offering some of the best views of London.
Dinner at Bankside
After returning to Bankside we were invited to join ‘Wine Hour’ in the lounge area on the mezzanine level where I enjoyed a complimentary glass of white wine and the kids were offered a soft drink each.
It’s these small attention to details that really set Bankside apart.
Shortly afterwards we headed to the Art Yard Bar and Kitchen, the hotel restaurant designed with Cubist-patterned floor tiles, low leather banquettes, black overhead lamps and walls covered in paintings and drawings. During warmer months you can dine on the outside terrace.
The menu has a distinct Mediterranean flavour and, between us, we enjoyed a range of dishes including beetroot cured salmon, an onion tart tatin with plant-based burrata, braised ox cheek with mashed potato and an excellent sirloin steak served with a rocket and parmesan salad.
My youngest chose from the art-themed kids’ menu, which is aimed at diners aged 12 and under and priced at £10 for two courses. This is fantastic value for anywhere, let alone the centre of London. The menu also features an art-themed quiz, which kept Sam occupied until his salmon and green beans arrived.
Breakfast at Bankside
After waking much later than we had originally planned we rushed down to breakfast, that is also served in the Art Yard Bar & Kitchen. The fantastic breakfast buffet is included in room prices and features everything you might need to set you up for a day exploring London. The kids piled their plates high with croissants, scrambled eggs, sausages and, somewhat reluctantly, a piece of fruit.
I ordered from the menu (these dishes are charged separately) and had an excellent bowl of overnight oats. The other thing that I loved about Bankside’s breakfast is the coffee station where a barista whips up freshly brewed drinks.
When it came time to wave goodbye to our boutique hotel we all a little forlorn. Perhaps we should take a staycation more often.
Bankside Hotel: What you need to know
Bankside is a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel with 161 bedrooms including seven suites. It is one of those rare hotels that works for every kind of traveller whether you are flying solo for work, travelling as a couple or are on a family holiday to London.
It’s even dog-friendly; pups are welcome in all public areas throughout the hotel and there are pet-friendly rooms complete with beds, toys and added gourmet treats. Bankside also has its own Canine Concierge service who can recommend on the best dog- friendly attractions, restaurants and walks in London.
Available until 31st December, families with up to 2 adults and 2 children aged 12 or above can take advantage of the all-new Family Friendly Bankside Stays offer and receive up to 50% off a second room.
Getting to Bankside
Southwark tube station (Jubilee line) or Blackfriars station (District and Circle lines) are the nearest underground stops for Bankside. Waterloo station is a 15 minutes’ walk from the hotel.
If you are flying into London then the hotel is around thirty-five minutes from London City Airport. From London City you can catch the DLR and change at Canning Town for the Jubilee Line that will take you to Southwark tube station. From Southwark it is an eight-minute walk to the hotel.
