Premier Inn London Bank (Tower) hotel

[Luckynana]

Has anyone stayed at this Premier Inn London Bank hotel?  How are the Premier Plus Rooms?  TIA for any info on this particular hotel, and/or any other Premier hotel in the area?

[Luckynana]

I thought I had posted here already, but I don't see it...Has anyone stayed at the Premier Inn London Bank (Tower) hotel.  Is it easy to walk to the Tower of London from this hotel?  What about hub by Premier Inn Westminster Abbey...is that really close to Westminster Abbey?  I'm trying to figure out which one to stay at..of course, we plan on going to the Tower as well as Westminster Abbey and Churchill's Room, among other areas of interest.  I guess what I'm asking is, is one of these hotels nicer than the other?  TIA😊

[gumshoe958]

Just be aware that the ‘Hub’ hotels tend to have much smaller rooms, which don’t always have windows. 
 

The Bank (Tower) Premier Inn is indeed very close to the Tower of London and a short stroll to St Paul’s Cathedral and across the river to attractions like the Shard, Shakespeare’s Globe and Borough Market.

 

It’s in London’s financial district though, so not much going on at night or weekends if you want to be near restaurants and nightlife. Very close to the tube though, so easy to get around.

[Island2Dweller]

1 hour ago, gumshoe958 said:

It’s in London’s financial district though, so not much going on at night or weekends

The area is not as busy as the West End, but it's no longer the case that the City is deserted in the evening or weekends.  The Bank/Tower location is ridiculously well connected for tubes and buses.

As mentioned above, rooms in Hub locations are very small, and if you have large luggage that can be an issue.

[Thejuggler]

Tower and Westminster Abbey are in different areas of London and some distance apart,so wherever you stay you will need transport between the two.  Hubs are a more basic option with smaller rooms and fewer facilities, great for maybe a night, but not somewhere to spend much time.
 

The Tower is in the City of London, which is a city within a city and has lots of history alongside modern architecture.  Whilst not as busy in the evening as the west end there's enough going on.  

 

I'd recommend the Skygarden, a rooftop bar with great views (free, but you need to book).  A restaurant booking is your 'beat the line' pass.  The food in the brasserie is v good.

[Harters]

If staying nearish to the Tower, I'd recommend one of the early evening Jack the Ripper tours, which tend to start at Aldgate East Underground station. Interesting and good fun. That puts you in the heart of Whitechapel where you'll find a goodly number of South Asian restaurants. Most are mediocre , especially those on the tourist trap area that is Brick Lane. But some are much better - if interested in Punjabi food for dinner, check out Tayyabs and the Needoo Grill. 

[fruitmachine]

To get the thread (slightly) back on track, I note that the Premier Inn referred to in the title is not a Hub hotel and the OP is asking about Premier Plus rooms.

 

I've stayed in Premier Plus rooms in a couple of PI hotels.  It's marginal whether they are worth the additional charge.  "Ultimate" Internet (normally chargeable over the free "standard" speed) is included in the rate, but the speed of this at both locations was anything but high.  I ended up hot-spotting from my phone.

 

You get a room that's a bit nicer, and with a chair rather than a sofa bed, plus a fridge and coffee machine.  At this particular location, it looks like the Plus rooms may be the only ones with air conditioning, but that could be a marketing ploy - only mentioning it on the Plus description.

[Cotswold Eagle]

5 hours ago, fruitmachine said:

I note that the Premier Inn referred to in the title is not a Hub hotel and the OP is asking about Premier Plus rooms.

In their second post, the OP asks about the Hub at Westminster Abbey 😉

[Luckynana]

 

On 6/6/2024 at 11:18 PM, gumshoe958 said:

Just be aware that the ‘Hub’ hotels tend to have much smaller rooms, which don’t always have windows. 
 

The Bank (Tower) Premier Inn is indeed very close to the Tower of London and a short stroll to St Paul’s Cathedral and across the river to attractions like the Shard, Shakespeare’s Globe and Borough Market.

 

 

Thank you for your input.  This is certainly something to consider!  

On 6/7/2024 at 1:13 AM, Island2Dweller said:

The area is not as busy as the West End, but it's no longer the case that the City is deserted in the evening or weekends.  The Bank/Tower location is ridiculously well connected for tubes and buses.

As mentioned above, rooms in Hub locations are very small, and if you have large luggage that can be an issue.

I was hoping not to bring big luggage, but just the thought that large luggage could be an issue makes me realize how small the Premier Inn's rooms must be.  Thank you!

[Luckynana]

On 6/7/2024 at 6:18 AM, Thejuggler said:

Tower and Westminster Abbey are in different areas of London and some distance apart,so wherever you stay you will need transport between the two.  Hubs are a more basic option with smaller rooms and fewer facilities, great for maybe a night, but not somewhere to spend much time.
 

The Tower is in the City of London, which is a city within a city and has lots of history alongside modern architecture.  Whilst not as busy in the evening as the west end there's enough going on.  

 

I'd recommend the Skygarden, a rooftop bar with great views (free, but you need to book).  A restaurant booking is your 'beat the line' pass.  The food in the brasserie is v good.

After reading  @gumshoe958and @Island2Dweller's comments about the size of the Premier Inn rooms, I'm going to begin a new search of hotels.  We plan on staying in London for 5 nights, and prior to Covid waylaying our plans back in 2021, we had reservations at the Park Plaza Westminster Hotel.  I'll probably just look into that hotel and talk to my TA for more input.

 

Just reading your comment about the Tower being in the City of London, which is a city within a city with lots of history has me getting really excited about out trip! 

 

A friend of mine who grew up in England suggested we buy the Oyster card prior to our visit to get around.  I've read of people finding it easier to use their credit card for travel, but I'd rather not take a chance losing my CC.

 

Thank you for your input!

[Luckynana]

On 6/7/2024 at 6:43 AM, Harters said:

If staying nearish to the Tower, I'd recommend one of the early evening Jack the Ripper tours, which tend to start at Aldgate East Underground station. Interesting and good fun. That puts you in the heart of Whitechapel where you'll find a goodly number of South Asian restaurants.  

 

That sounds like fun!  Thank you for that suggestion!  We did a nighttime Ghost Tour while in New Orleans back in 2012 and really enjoyed it.😊

[Luckynana]

On 6/7/2024 at 7:27 AM, fruitmachine said:

To get the thread (slightly) back on track, I note that the Premier Inn referred to in the title is not a Hub hotel and the OP is asking about Premier Plus rooms.

 

I've stayed in Premier Plus rooms in a couple of PI hotels.  It's marginal whether they are worth the additional charge.  "Ultimate" Internet (normally chargeable over the free "standard" speed) is included in the rate, but the speed of this at both locations was anything but high.  I ended up hot-spotting from my phone.

 

You get a room that's a bit nicer, and with a chair rather than a sofa bed, plus a fridge and coffee machine.  At this particular location, it looks like the Plus rooms may be the only ones with air conditioning, but that could be a marketing ploy - only mentioning it on the Plus description.

Thank you for sharing your experience staying in Premier Plus rooms.  After reading everyone's comments, I think I'll be going elsewhere, and will be talking with my TA and see what she suggests.  Thank you again!

[Luckynana]

On 6/7/2024 at 1:04 PM, Cotswold Eagle said:

In their second post, the OP asks about the Hub at Westminster Abbey 😉

 

Thank you Cotswold. I did ask about both hotels.  So much to look into.  I can't wait to visit your wonderful Country!! 😃  My ancestors on my Dad's side left England back in the 1700's to come to America.  

[gumshoe958]

6 hours ago, Luckynana said:

After reading  @gumshoe958and @Island2Dweller's comments about the size of the Premier Inn rooms, I'm going to begin a new search of hotels.  We plan on staying in London for 5 nights, and prior to Covid waylaying our plans back in 2021, we had reservations at the Park Plaza Westminster Hotel.  I'll probably just look into that hotel and talk to my TA for more input.

 

Just reading your comment about the Tower being in the City of London, which is a city within a city with lots of history has me getting really excited about out trip! 

 

A friend of mine who grew up in England suggested we buy the Oyster card prior to our visit to get around.  I've read of people finding it easier to use their credit card for travel, but I'd rather not take a chance losing my CC.

 

Thank you for your input!

Just to be clear, it’s only rooms in the ‘Hub’ hotels that are tiny. The rooms in standard Premier Inns like Tower (Bank) are larger.
 

Premier Inn is a budget chain - think Days Inn standard - but they have a decent reputation for being consistent, clean and comfortable. 

 

As for getting around, if you have Apple or Google Pay on your phone you can use that instead of a physical credit card. 

[Island2Dweller]

I'm slightly puzzled by the number of posters on this forum who seem convinced that taking their credit card out of their wallet will cause them to lose it.  Use of cards (or smartphone or smartwatch) is now the dominant payment method for travel in London and it works just fine for millions of folk here.

You can still buy an oyster card if you wish, but that has a £7 (non refundable) upfront fee and is valid to fewer destinations than bank card.

[Thejuggler]

I stayed in a Premierinn just outside London on Friday night.  The basic wifi was hopeless and I couldn't tether as we were surrounded by buildings so no signal!

 

I was on the tube a lot yesterday and the majority of passengers used smartphone to pay fare.

 

I recommend Joolz Guides youtube channel for anyone visiting London.  Well produced videos covering all sorts of stuff.  He also now has a book with some self guided walks.

[gumshoe958]

13 minutes ago, Island2Dweller said:

I'm slightly puzzled by the number of posters on this forum who seem convinced that taking their credit card out of their wallet will cause them to lose it.  Use of cards (or smartphone or smartwatch) is now the dominant payment method for travel in London and it works just fine for millions of folk here.

You can still buy an oyster card if you wish, but that has a £7 (non refundable) upfront fee and is valid to fewer destinations than bank card.

Me too! And many of them from the US where, until quite recently, it was common practice in restaurants to give your card to a waiter who would take it out the back for several minutes and return it with the total left blank for a tip!

 

There’s absolutely no point in getting an Oyster card unless you’ve got kids who are too young to have a debit or credit card.

[gumshoe958]

3 minutes ago, Thejuggler said:

I stayed in a Premierinn just outside London on Friday night.  The basic wifi was hopeless and I couldn't tether as we were surrounded by buildings so no signal!

 

I was on the tube a lot yesterday and the majority of passengers used smartphone to pay fare.

 

I recommend Joolz Guides youtube channel for anyone visiting London.  Well produced videos covering all sorts of stuff.  He also now has a book with some self guided walks.

Fairly standard tbh. They have to offer free wifi as people expect it in 2024 and their competitors all do. But they make it as useless as possible to make you upgrade to the premium wifi. It’s a budget hotel - you want frills, you pay extra.

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, Island2Dweller said:

I'm slightly puzzled by the number of posters on this forum who seem convinced that taking their credit card out of their wallet will cause them to lose it.

 

I think it may feel different if you have no practicable way of replacing a stolen or lost contactless card while you're in London. I'm used to spending many days going around London carrying no means of payment other than one single credit card, but I wouldn't normally travel anywhere (and certainly not overseas) without some backup cards on me. I happen to have accumulated a large number of backup credit cards over the years, but there are plenty of people who don't have any. If you don't, and your card is stolen, it could wreck your entire trip. So I understand why a visitor might want to be careful.

 

In contrast, if you have your Oyster stolen, that's all you've lost. It does happen: a family member had their Oyster snatched out of their hand at a central London Tube station. (And smartphone snatches are currently the subject of a lot of attention.) These are all pretty standard big city risks, but visitors could be forgiven for wanting to take standard big city precautions.

 

I don't think that the slightly limited geographical reach of Oyster will be of any concern to the overwhelming majority of visitors to London. Anywhere they are likely to want to go, they will be able to pay with either Oyster or contactless. (Oyster does have some other advantages, too, but these will probably be lost on most visitors.)

[Harters]

9 hours ago, Luckynana said:

We did a nighttime Ghost Tour while in New Orleans back in 2012

We were in New Orleans one Halloween and thought about doing that tour but didnt get round to it. 

[Thejuggler]

1 hour ago, gumshoe958 said:

Fairly standard tbh. They have to offer free wifi as people expect it in 2024 and their competitors all do. But they make it as useless as possible to make you upgrade to the premium wifi. It’s a budget hotel - you want frills, you pay extra.

I should have added I stay in Premierinns a lot and the free wi fi is generally more than acceptable.  When it is not available or drops out on a regular basis they aren't even offering what is promised,

[Harters]

10 hours ago, Luckynana said:

Park Plaza Westminster Hotel.

My partner has stayed at that hotel several times (it was her employers recommended place for staff visiting head office). And I've stayed once. Both of us reckon it's fine. But, so long as you steer clear of PI Hubs, room size at a PI is fine and is probably better value for money. 

[fruitmachine]

2 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Fairly standard tbh. They have to offer free wifi as people expect it in 2024 and their competitors all do. But they make it as useless as possible to make you upgrade to the premium wifi. It’s a budget hotel - you want frills, you pay extra.

In my experience, their premium wifi was little better and still useless.

[Luckynana]

5 hours ago, Harters said:

My partner has stayed at that hotel several times (it was her employers recommended place for staff visiting head office). And I've stayed once. Both of us reckon it's fine. But, so long as you steer clear of PI Hubs, room size at a PI is fine and is probably better value for money. 

Thank you, Harters.  😊 

[Luckynana]

7 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Me too! And many of them from the US where, until quite recently, it was common practice in restaurants to give your card to a waiter who would take it out the back for several minutes and return it with the total left blank for a tip!

 

There’s absolutely no point in getting an Oyster card unless you’ve got kids who are too young to have a debit or credit card.

Believe it or not, my DH and I have never used a credit card for a meal.  Not only do we not want to give our card to a waiter who takes it away for several minutes, but my DH has always said that if we needed a credit card in order to eat out, perhaps we're better off just staying home.  Old fashioned, perhaps, but that is how he feels.