London is one of my favorite cites in the world. I have been fortunate enough to travel there many times over the years and recently returned to cap off an amazing road trip across the UK. My trip started in Edinburgh, through Scotland, down to Liverpool and finally completing the journey in London.
I have stayed in a number of neighborhoods in London over the years but this was my first trip to Canary Wharf and now I wonder why I waited so long. Canary Wharf is located on the East End of London and a short ride on the tube to many of the top sites on London. However, Canary has a lot to offer itself and I was pleasantly surprised to discover this.
Four Seasons Canary Wharf Review
I have stayed in Four Seasons around the world and most recently in Amman, Jordan. The level of detail and friendliness is always some of the best in the world. This is why I was excited to check out a new location in London.
Since I drove into London with my friend we knew we were going to have to worry about parking if we stayed in downtown London. Luckily, the Four Seasons Canary Wharf has parking right on site which made life easy on arrival.
First Impressions
I arrived later than planned but it was perfect timing to enjoy the sunset. The hotel is located along the bank of the Thames. The photo above was the view from my room. Not a bad view 🙂
Please excuse the terrible quality of the photo below but you get the idea. I managed to take no quality photos of that view and my window seat!
My favorite part of the room was the large window seat. The first thing I did was sit down there and enjoy the view with a cold beverage. After a four drive from Liverpool I needed a break before heading out for dinner.
The Location
As I mentioned this hotel was located on the East End of London and most tourists seek hotels in the West End. After a long day exploring the city coming home to the less busy neighborhood of Canary Wharf is a relief. The Underground is simple to use and takes directly to all of the top sites in 25 minutes, which is nothing for a big city.
From my apartment in Brooklyn it takes the same amount of time to get to SoHo in NYC as it does to get to SoHo in London. No problem and it’s a lot more fun using the Tube. It is a great way to get to know a city.
The Tower London was accessible by water taxi right in front of the hotel. The Clipper, as it’s known, was incredibly fast and dropped me off door to door in about 15 minutes. The added bonus was taking a boat down the Thames and under the Tower Bridge. This was faster and cheaper than a taxi.
Bottom line: Yes you need to expect a longer commute to the main sites of downtown London but it is a great way to see more of the city and learn the transit system. And Canary Wharf has a lot of great sites.
Dining & Amenities
You can always expect a wonderful breakfast and great dining options at a Four Seasons and Canary Wharf is no exception. Quadrato Restaurant offers authentic Italian cuisine and the bar features an outdoor terrace with a menu of it’s own.
One of the best features is the pool alongside the river. Two scenes from SkyFall were actually filmed at this location. The scene takes place is Shanghai but was filmed at The Virgin Active Canary Riverside Health Club. The health club is available for free to all Four Seasons guests which is another enormous perk for staying at Canary Wharf.
Overall Impressions
Although hesitant to stay in Canary Wharf since I was unfamiliar with the neighborhood in London I would now happily return. Canary Wharf offers so much to see and do and I would recommend it to anyone on their next trip to London.
For more info about the Four Seasons Canary Wharf head over to FourSeasons.com
