Hilton London Bankside Review: A Suite With Its Own Private Gym

Twelve new room categories, a whole new ninth floor and a private gym space with a birds-eye view of the city; Bankside’s design-led family favourite has gone big on penthouse living this summer, and with its South Bank location it’s the perfect spot for a family city escape. Rebecca Cox checks in with two kids in tow to find out how London Hilton Bankside measures up as one of the best family-friendly hotels in London. 

The Neighbourhood

Bankside is a quieter, neater spot on London’s bustling South Bank – Tate Modern and The Globe on the doorstep, Borough Market a short walk away, and a stone’s throw from the river showing off Tower Bridge and St Paul’s for meandering Thames Path walks.

What’s The Story?

The hotel has just unveiled the final phase of a multi-million-pound expansion: 76 new rooms across 12 new categories, taking its suite count up to 23 and its total room tally to 368. The headline is an entirely new ninth floor featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, a skyline spanning from The Shard to the dome of St Paul’s, and two hero signature suites offering the hotel’s flagship accommodation offering.

The Rooms: King Landmark View Suite

The two new ninth-floor suites are the ones to plump for if you go ga-ga for a skyline view. At 74.4 sqm, the King Landmark View Suite is the second largest signature suite. There are floor-to-ceiling windows and high ceilings that frame The Shard and the wider London skyline. A chunk of the floor space is dedicated to a private wellness space of your own: personalisable lighting, sound and scent settings, plus the option to request extra fitness kit if you want to turn it into a proper in-room workout studio. It’s the perfect addition if you always plan to visit the hotel gym but never really make it out of your room. 

The room features sleek, gallery-esque interiors – neat if a little uninspiring – throughout: double vanity sinks, a Smeg kettle and a stocked minibar, a proper dining area, and a spa-style walk-in shower with jets. Its sister suite, the King City View Suite (83.9 sqm), trades a little of that skyline for the most floor space on the new floor, and comes with the same private wellness set-up. Both come with access to the executive lounge – and if a whole private gym feels like overcommitment, there’s also a new Premium Peloton Room (from £369 a night) that offers a lighter-touch version, with its own bike in a fitness alcove.

Is Hilton London Bankside Family Friendly?

For a hotel that’s just added a suite built around solo wellness, Hilton London Bankside remains super family-minded. The King Premier One Bedroom Suite (from £535) is built for a family of four, with a proper lounge and dining area rather than a fold-out sofa; the Two Queen Superior Room (from £330) is a generous option for families or friends sharing; and select rooms come with convertible chaise sofas for groups of three. Flexible interconnecting rooms mean you can still shut a door on the chaos come bedtime, too.

The smaller guests are looked after too, with a sweet Moomin-themed stand and cartoons playing in the lobby, and the “Fox Cub Trail” running over the holidays – a fox hunt that turns the hotel itself into part of the holiday.

Hilton London Bankside King Landmark Suite

Food & Drinks

OXBO Bankside is the spot for breakfast daily, weekend brunch and dinner Wednesday to Friday, while The Distillery Bankside, a gin and cocktail bar with more than 100 gins on the list, does lunch and dinner daily, with an outdoor terrace for good-weather days. 

The Vibe

This bustling Hilton is design-led but not try-hard, family-friendly but grown-up, chic but comfy. Visit the pool in the summer holidays, however, and the vibe is simply: ‘chaos’. Or perhaps that was a problem of my own making…

C&TH Key Notes

Perfect for: families after a proper suite, and business travellers who want a workout away from the crowds.

Don’t miss: the all-new suites on the ninth floor.

The nice touch: a complimentary mini bar and cookie jar in the suite – perfect for making the little ones feel like kings and queens.

Good to know: the staff are super family-friendly…and there’s a pick ‘n’ mix station in the lobby to start the kids’ stay off on the right note.

The Key Facts

Address: 2-8 Great Suffolk Street, London, SE1 0UG

Rooms at Hilton London Bankside start from £152 per night; the Premium Peloton Room from £369, the King Junior Landmark View Suite from £499, and the King Premier One Bedroom Suite from £535.

Book: hilton.com

The Last Word

Travelling with kids often means choosing between style and comfort; but at London Hilton Bankside there’s both in abundance. And you can get your morning workout done while the little ones are still snoozing. 

Hilton London Bankside King Landmark Suite

The Last Last Word: What Do The Kids Think?

I took my 10-year-old son and his friend to stay in the new skyline suite, and since there’s no more honest reviewer than a child, here’s their take.

Hilton London Bankside Review by Jack & Raife, Age 10

This exquisite room is provided with extraordinary cookies which melt in your tongue while eating. As you come into the entrance hall, you will see a multi-coloured painting gazing in your eyes with shine. On the left, you will see room 920 with bold golden numbers bulging out. On the right you will see door 922 glaring at you with awe.

As you come into room 922, you will see a beautiful stand with glorious grapes, magnificent macarons and never-ending nuts.

The sofa, which is in the lounge, is so soft that when you sit down your derriere feels like it’s in heaven. Meanwhile, while you’re having a glorious time sitting down you see the game-mode TV.

Walking to the left beside the TV you will go down the hallway lined with beautiful pictures fulfilling the wall and an impressive view, seeing The Shard in the distance.

Walking all the way to the top of the hallway leads you to an unbelievably neat gym with a chic view of London. This room comes with its very own distinguishing and modern cross-trainer.
Making your way back through the hallway you pass the lazy lounge and enter a posh bedroom with a panoramic view.

Overall this is one of the best experiences that we’ve ever had, from unexpectedly satisfying views to tongue-melting snacks. Five stars.