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A lot of my recent London hotel bookings have been for one-night stays, but for once, I had a two-night stay at the London Marriott Canary Wharf, and as this is a property I haven’t reviewed for a few years, this was a good opportunity to take a refreshed look at what the property has to offer.
The admin
- Length of stay: 2 nights
- Actual cost of stay: 1 x Free Night Certificate (worth up to 35,000 points) + 63,000 Bonvoy points.
- Cash cost of the booking (had I booked with cash): $556 (inc. taxes)
- Elite status at time of stay: Bonvoy Titanium (details)
- Points earned from the booking: 1,000 (welcome gift)
- Upgrade instruments used: None
- Room booked: Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed
- Room received: Executive Room, 1 King Bed
- Upgraded: Yes
Getting there/location
The Marriott London Canary Wharf sits at the top end of the ‘Isle of Dogs’ in London’s east end and within 1 West India Quay – an apartment complex built in the early 2000s.
The hotel takes up floors 1 through 8, Marriott’s Executive Apartments take up floors 9 through 12, and the apartments take up floors 13 and up.
The property is conveniently located for the Canary Wharf financial district (the heart of Canary Wharf is just a 7-minute walk away), and with Canary Wharf Underground station just a 10-minute walk away, you can get from the Marriott to the very heart of London (Westminster/Green Park/Bond Street) in 20-25 minutes.
Despite Canary Wharf being known as a financial center, the area has changed enormously since it was first conceived and is now busy 7-days a week thanks to the proliferation of apartment complexes, the presence of two indoor shopping malls, and the area’s array of restaurants, cafes, and bars.
Also, with the O2 arena just one stop away on the Jubilee Line in North Greenwich, the area and the local hotels can get even busier when there’s a big event on.
If you’re arriving from Heathrow and using public transport, the one of the cheapest ways to get to the hotel would be to take the Underground (subway) Piccadilly Line to Green Park, change there to the Jubilee Line, go 7 stops to Canary Wharf, and then walk to the property (total journey time ~80 minutes).
The quickest way to the property from Heathrow Terminals 2,3, or 4 (using public transport) is to take the Elizabeth Line direct to Canary Wharf and to then walk to the property (total journey time ~50 minutes).
The quickest way to the property from Heathrow Terminal 5 (using public transport) is to take the Elizabeth Line to Paddington, change there to a second Elizabeth Line service to Canary Wharf* and to then walk to the property (total journey time ~60 minutes).
If you’re arriving from Gatwick and using public transport, one of the easier ways to get to the hotel would be to take the Thameslink service to London Bridge station, change there to the Jubilee Line and travel 3 stops to Canary Wharf station from where you’ll have a ~10-minute walk to the hotel (total journey time ~58 minutes).
Be aware, that the hotel has two entrances. The main entrance is on Hertsmere road (indicated by the black arrow on the map below) and is best place to enter if arriving by car/taxi.
The second entrance faces the pedestrianized area of West India Quay (indicated by the red arrow on the map above) and is the best entrance to use if arriving on foot.
*At the time of writing, there are no direct Elizabeth Line services between Heathrow T5 and Canary Wharf.
The upgrade
A is the case with the majority of my stays, I had booked a entry level room for this stay and, as is usually the case with my Marriott Canary Wharf stays (I’ve stayed here at least a dozen times), I was upgraded to an Executive Room a day or two before I was due to check-in.
Size-wise, there isn’t much difference between a 1-King Deluxe Room, a 1-King Superior Room Quayside, and an Executive Room, but there are a couple of other key differences.
An entry-level Deluxe Room will almost certainly give you a view looking north and overlooking the Docklands Light Railway line that runs just behind the hotel.
A Superior Room Quayside will give you a view overlooking West India Dock on one of the lower floors of the hotel.
An Executive Room will give you a view overlooking West India Dock on one of the higher floors of the hotel (usually floor 7 or 8) and will give you access to the hotel’s Executive Lounge (more on that later).
My Bonvoy elite status already gives me access to the Executive Lounge so the key benefits of this upgrade (for me) were the better view and the guarantee that I wouldn’t have a light railway line running underneath or past my room’s window.
Check-in
The property’s check-in desks are on the ground floor and sit across from the hotel’s bar.
On this stay, the property didn’t appear to have a dedicated check-in line for Bonvoy elite members (I seem to recall that there was such a line the last time I visited), but I was lucky enough to arrive at a quiet time of day and didn’t have a long wait before I was assisted.
At busier times of the day (e.g. between 10:30 and 11:30 and between 15:30 and 16:30) you may find that there are quite a few people waiting to check-in/check-out and things can get a bit slow, so try to avoid arriving around those times if at all possible.
An Executive Room
On this stay, I was assigned a room on the 7th floor of the hotel (the floor on which you’ll find the Executive Lounge) and it was suitably far enough enough away from the main elevators (of which there are two) to ensure that I wasn’t bothered by the comings and goings of other guests (I have “quiet room” set as a preference in all my hotel profiles).
Most of the non-suite rooms at the London Marriott Canary Wharf are set out in a similar way and look very much like a lot of other hotel rooms you’ll find around the world.
Upon opening the door to the room, you’re faced with a small corridor.
On one side of the corridor is the entrance to the bathroom and on the other side are the closets and other storage areas.
Directly ahead, as you enter the room, is the sleeping area (complete with a UK King-size bed – these are slightly narrower than US King beds) and past the sleeping area are the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the world outside.
Between the bed and the windows is a chaise longue with a small table.
And opposite the bed is a good-size desk and the customary flat screen TV.
Thanks to the amount of natural light coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows and the size of the desk, I find this an easy room in which to get some work done when I need to.
A lot of hotel rooms can feel dark and confining when you sit down at their desks, but this room doesn’t suffer from the same drawback … at least not when there’s some light outside.
The desk is where you’ll find the room’s kettle, mugs and tea selection, and as you can see from the image below, behind this paraphernalia is where you’ll find two UK-style 3-pin power outlets (bring an adapter if you’re not from the UK – affiliate link) and two USB-A ports.
There’s more access to power elsewhere in the room with both sides of the bed having access to a UK-style 3-pin power outlet and a USB-A port.
As mentioned a little earlier, the room’s short hallway is where you’ll find the closets.
There’s ample hanging space in these closets and it’s nice to see the usual iron, ironing board and in-room safe offered, but a few more drawers would have been nice.
Next to the closets is where you’ll find the coffee maker, the coffee pods and the mini bar which, thankfully, is left empty (I far prefer having an empty mini bar into which I can put whatever I want rather than a mini bar filled with vastly overpriced items that I’ll never use).
The Marriott London Canary Wharf no longer provides guests with bottled water in the rooms as standard. Instead, each room now comes with a reusable bottle which can be filled from the taps in the bathroom or the Executive Lounge (assuming a guest has access to the lounge).
I assume this is a move to try and promote the hotel’s environmental credentials, but I find it interesting that on all of my recent stays, only one bottle has ever been provided even though on most of those stays Joanna was staying with me and the reservation was for 2 people.
I had some success getting a second bottle delivered to the room, but that was only after calling guest relations on three separate occasions.
In the interest of balance, I should note that I had a bottle of water included in the welcome gift that was waiting for me when I arrived …
… but as most guests probably won’t be receiving a gift, the hotel needs to make sure that the number of reusable bottles in the room equals the number of guests in the room.
Anyway, moving on …
The final area of the Executive Room left to show you is the bathroom, and this is where I think the property lets itself down a little.
While the rest of the room hasn’t aged too badly (I think the last renovation was done in 2017), the bathroom looks dated and low-end.
Looking back through some of my older reviews, I couldn’t help but notice that the bathroom at the Courtyard By Marriott New York Chelsea/Manhattan looked more modern (by today’s standards) back in 2017 than the bathroom in this Executive Room looks now.
That’s not really great, is it?
Yes, everything in the bathroom worked just fine, and we even had miniature toiletries provided …
… but I don’t expect to feel like I’m in a low-level US airport Marriott when I walk into the bathroom of an Executive room at a full-service property in the middle of one of the world’s major financial centers.
And especially not at a property that allows Google to refer to it as a 5* hotel.
It’s shame that the bathroom lets the room down because other than that, there isn’t much to dislike here.
The bed isn’t too hard or too soft. The view from the room is nice. There’s plenty of natural light. The desk is a great size. There’s plenty of access to power (for guests who need to charge their devices). There’s no issue with noise from outside interrupting a peaceful night’s sleep and even though it’s just 334 sq ft (~31 sq m) in size, the room doesn’t feel small.
If you ignore the bathroom, this is a very nice room. If you include the bathroom, the room feels like it needs an update.
Dining & the bar
The Marriott Canary Wharf has one restaurant – the Manhattan Grill – which is located on the ground floor and which looks out towards West India Quay.
The restaurant is open at the following times:
Monday – Friday:
- 06:30 – 11:00
- 17:30 – 22:30
Saturday – Sunday:
- 07:00 – 11:30
- 17:30 – 22:30
This is where breakfast is served for all guests (more on that in a separate section) and where, in the evening, the venue turns into a steakhouse (as its name would suggest).
- Appetizers/starters start from £8.00 and go up to £14.00
- Steaks start at £34.00 and go up to £46.50
- A burger with fries costs £19.00
- Sides start from £6.00 and go up to £8.50
Vegetarians and Vegans will have to look elsewhere for their dining needs as this is a very “meat heavy” restaurant.
Despite numerous stays at this property, I’ve never had an dinner at the Manhattan Grill as, mostly, I prefer to eat my afternoon and evening meals outside of whatever hotel I’m staying at when I travel.
This means that I’m not I’m a position to tell you how good or bad the food and service here is, so I advise you to do a quick google search and see what the real-world reviews look like before deciding whether to eat here.
The bar at the Canary Wharf Marriott is called G & Tea and is open daily between 10:00 and 00:00.
This is both a bar and a lounge, so you’ll find alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks on offer (lots of different Gins) as well as “quick bites” (think Halloumi fries and chips & dips), “shareables” (think nachos, and charcuterie boards), “strips & wings” (self explanatory), burgers, fish & chips and various desserts.
If you need a break from your room but still need to get some work done, this can be a good place to come to. It’s not often busy (especially in the mornings or afternoons) and a few of the chairs/sofas have access to power outlets, so you don’t have to arrive with a fully charged laptop/device.
Breakfast
Breakfast is offered in the Manhattan Grill and is, primarily, a buffet affair but there is a small a la carte menu as well.
At the time of this visit, the Manhattan Grill was where Bonvoy Platinum elites and higher were offered a complimentary breakfast. Right now, however, this FAQ section on the hotel’s website suggests that the property isn’t offering complimentary breakfasts at all.
Hopefully, this is either an error or it is referring to a complimentary breakfast other than the one given to eligible Bonvoy elites and I have emailed the property seeking clarification. I’ll update this review when I hear back.
Now back to the breakfast offering …
At one end of the restaurant, you’ll find a selection of cold/continental options including juices, fruit, pastries, breads, cold cuts, cheeses, salad items and cereals …
In the middle of the dining area you’ll find a self-serve coffee machine as well as a self-serve pancake and waffle station.
While at the far end of the dining area you’ll find the hot buffet items alongside an egg/omelet station.
The buffet breakfast is ok. It’s not great and it’s not bad.
Most of the hot options are disappointing and not made with the best of ingredients (that’s reflected in the £25 price which is “cheap for London”) so, if something hot is what you’d like, I suggest choosing from the a la carte menu or ordering something from the egg/omelet station.
The cold/continental options are much better than the hot options and there’s quite a good choice of items. The pastries and breads aren’t always replenished in a timely manner so you may have to show a little patience, but, overall, I’d give this part of the breakfast offering a thumbs up.
The Executive Lounge
The Executive Lounge at the London Marriott Canary Wharf is located on the 7th floor and occupies a small section on the west side of the building.
This is one of the smaller lounges in the Marriott system, but when it’s not too busy, it can be a nice place to spend some time … especially when the weather is good and the sun is shining.
The lounge offers southerly views across West India Quay and towards the offices of Canary Wharf …
… and westerly views across the pedestrianised area of West India Quay (where you’ll find bars, pubs and restaurants) and towards central London.
During the day, the lounge offers tea & coffee making facilities, a selection of soft drinks, and a variety of snacks including chips/crisps, cookies, fruit, nuts and mini pretzels.
The tea selection in the lounge is particularly good with regular and herbal teas both on offer.
In the evenings, the offerings in the lounge get stepped up.
- Canapés and desserts are served Monday through Sunday between 17:30 and 19:30
- Alcoholic beverages are served Monday through Sunday between 17:30 and 21:30
This is what that can look like:
I can’t say that I was a fan of the limited number of hot options on offer, but the cold options were very good and, importantly, the staff were great at replenishing the food as various options began to run out.
The alcoholic beverages weren’t of a high quality (you shouldn’t expect high quality beverages in a hotel lounge) but the prosecco was drinkable and the local beer was a nice touch so I have no complaints.
Compared to what you’ll find offered at a lot of US Marriott lounges and even in the lounge at the Marriott London Grosvenor Square, this was a good selection of “small bites” to get an evening going and it was good to see that the offering wasn’t limited to a very short period of time in very early in the evening (something I’ve noticed a lot of properties starting to do).
Fitness center/gym
The fitness center/gym (or the “health club” as the hotel calls it) is located in the lower ground floor of the property.
It’s not particularly big and it lacks natural light, but there more than enough equipment in here to keep most people happy.
As well as all the exercise equipment, the health club also offers make and female changing rooms complete with lockers, showers and saunas.
Ideally, I would prefer a gym with natural light, but as a place for a quick work out, this is one of the better city hotel gyms I’ve visited in the past couple of years.
TFM tips
Because Canary Wharf is still primarily viewed as a financial district, you can find some very good room rates at this property for Friday and Saturday night stays.
Canary Wharf has a whole array of bars and restaurants (to cover all budgets), so don’t limit yourself to whatever the hotel has to offer. Browns Brasserie & Bar is right next door to the hotel (on West India Quay) and while it’s nothing special, it can be a nice place to get a drink or a meal.
If you’re a light sleeper or are worried about outside noise, avoid the entry level rooms and rooms at the east side of the property. These are the rooms that will overlook (or will be near to) the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) which operates between 05:30 and 00:30 Monday to Saturday and between 07:00 and 23:00 on Sundays.
Final thoughts
The London Marriott Canary Wharf is a perfectly good hotel if you arrive with the correct expectations.
If you’re expecting a 5* property, you’re going to be disappointed. If you’re expecting a US-style Marriott, you’re probably going to be pleasantly surprised.
I’ve been visiting this property for years because of the great weekend rates I frequently find, because award nights can often be cheap, because the location can be very convenient (even if I have things to do in central London), and because there are plenty of drinking and dining options in the local area – there’s even a movie theatre across the road.
In the past (pre-pandemic), top-tier elites on one- or two-night stays could sometimes find themselves upgraded to one of the hotel’s “curve suites”, but I haven’t scored an upgrade like that this decade – the best you can probably expect (without using an upgrade certificate) is a Junior Suite style room … but that’s not too bad.
Overall, this is a solid property with one or two weaknesses – the bathrooms and the hot part of the breakfast buffet are the obvious ones. The rest is mostly good or ok and when central London hotels are charging ridiculous rates for mediocre rooms, the Marriott Canary Wharf can often be a good value option.
Would I return? Yes, of course. But just like with everything else in the miles and points game, only if the price was right.
Related (other London reviews):
- The Park Hyatt London River Thames review
- Great Scotland Yard Hotel London review (Hyatt Unbound Collection)
- Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars review
- Hyatt Regency London Albert Embankment review
- Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport review
- London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square review
- Hilton London Canary Wharf review
- Lincoln Plaza London (Hilton Curio Collection) review
- Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill (Regency Suite) review – Updated for 2025
So if you don’t purchase the water bottle, you’re essentially drinking from someone else’s sports bottle?…..that they “cleaned” (yeah….riiiiiight) Disgusting. Knock off all the “environment” crap and just put a 20oz Aquafina bottle in there.
Nice review. This was home for me for 10 days during my first international business trip so the hotel holds a special place in my heart.
If I were to write a review I would also point out the two low points you did — average breakfast and low quality bathroom.