Last weekend, we had a family minibreak in London. To make the most of our visit we decided to stay overnight in a hotel. After a year of travel restrictions, we wanted to catch up on some much-missed sightseeing in the capital and wanted to make the most of the weekend. In our review of the Ibis Styles Hotel in Southwark, London, you can read what it’s like to stay in this London hotel and our honest opinion of our stopover.
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Welcome to the Ibis Styles Hotel
On arrival our first impressions of the Ibis Styles London Hotel were excellent. The hotel has a theatreland theme and the foyer has an eclectic selection of theatre memorabilia. Imagine oversized velvet chairs, spotlights, and old record players.
The main reception has a warm inviting feel, which is a contrast to some of the more sterile hotel entrances in London.
The rooms
After checking in, we took the lift to our room on the fifth floor. We booked a family suite, which was ideal for a stay with teenagers.
The main bedroom had a double bed and ensuite bathroom, with walk-in shower. The adjoining room had a sofa bed for the kids. Both rooms had a television, with a good choice of channels.
However, they were oblivious to their surroundings, as they’d spotted a welcome plate with mini donuts, muffins, and fruit. Plus, a couple of bags of popcorn!
With its central location not far from a train line, I was expecting a noisy evening. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The room was quiet, dark and I had one of the best nights sleep in a long time. Mind you, this could be due to sheer exhaustion after a day of trekking around London!
Eating at the Ibis Styles Hotel
In the evening, we headed downstairs to the bar area, where we enjoyed a welcome drink. The bar is small, but cosy and the staff were friendly.
Then, we headed out to Borough Market, which is just 5-minutes’ walk away. There are several options for international cuisine here and a great atmosphere in the evenings.
We stopped at Mei Mei, an authentic Singaporean restaurant and had an amazing duck dish. We would all highly recommend this – it was delicious!
Another option for nearby dining is the Flat Iron Square, a casual food court with a beer garden and food stalls under one roof.
The following morning, we had breakfast in the hotel dining area. They offer a buffet style breakfast, with a choice of cereals, pastries, yoghurt, and fruit.
The selection was fairly basic, but met our needs. The breakfast options are currently limited because of covid restrictions, but the choices were individually packaged and very covid-secure.
The location
One of the best reasons to stay at the Ibis Styles Hotel is its central London location.
The hotel is near Southwark, just a short walk from the River Thames. It is perfect for getting to the Southbank, where you can visit The Clink Prison Museum, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Shard, or the Tate Gallery.
Alternatively, you can cross London Bridge and easily get to some of London’s most iconic buildings such as The Monument, St Paul’s Cathedral, or the Tower of London.
Click here to find out how we spent two days in London with kids
How to get to the Ibis Styles Hotel in Southwark
The Ibis Hotel in Southwark has good transport links to the rest of London. The nearest tube is London Bridge which is 5-minutes’ walk away in the direction of the Shard.
Other nearby stations are Borough, Monument London, and Canon Street. However, we took a longer riverside stroll to London Waterloo (about 25 minutes).
Booking the Ibis Styles Hotel
We booked our room in advance online. It is mid-range London hotel and we felt it was good value for money.
Click here to book the Ibis Styles London Southwark.
The Ibis Styles Hotel belongs to the Accor chain, and we have previously stayed at the Novotel in Geneva and Sofitel in Singapore.
Left luggage
Another convenient feature of the hotel was the late check-out time. You don’t have to leave your room until midday. In fact, we left earlier but used the free left-luggage facility.
Would we recommend the Ibis Styles Hotel in London?
As a family, we definitely would. For me, the room size and hotel’s location get the thumbs up. Plus I loved the warm, quirky style.
For the kids, “it was cosy and had a good vibe”. Plus, they like the little extras like the popcorn machine and hot chocolate bar!
Please feel free to comment below.
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