We are staying here for 2 nights pre-cruise in August. The location looks great on the River Thames, St. Katherine's Dock and the Tower of London.

This location was provided in our package with the cruiseline.

I checked out tripadvisor and saw lots of mixed reviews and was just wondering what any Fodorites who have experienced this hotel thought.

Thanks!

We didn't stay there, but the location is terrific for a two-night stay. Views of the Tower Bridge are glorious. On the side of the hotel is a Haagen-Dazs with outdoor terrace by the river. Great place to relax. The RV1 bus stop is steps away which goes across the river to the London Eye, etc., then back over the river to Covent Garden. The #15 bus goes to Trafalgar Square, Marble Arch, etc.

On the other side of the bridge at Butler's Wharf are some really excellent restaurants.

Thanks so much Djk! We're really looking forward to the views as well as the nearby restaurants. Thanks again for all your info, much appreciated!

I'll be sure to ask at check-in about a river-view.

I stayed in this hotel last March on a Priceline bid ,and was very pleased with the accomodations.Some times with a Priceline room they give you less than one of their better rooms,but in this case I asked for a River view, and they obliged.All in all compared with most orher London hotel rooms it was more than adequate for my needs.

My husband has stayed there a number of times while in London on business. His single room was tiny and not luxurious, but it was completely fine for a few days. And it's definitely a great location in the summertime.

Dine at Pont de la Tour just across the bridge.

Excellent, thanks everybody. Now I am really getting excited!

Appreciate all the feedback!

The hotel itself is fine, the location is NOT central for anything in London except The Tower. We rented an apartment at St. Katharine's Dock/Marina on one of our trips to London so I know what I am talking about. It is a nice location - we loved the marina, but it is not really handy for the theater, shopping or general site-seeing,which most tourists tend to do. It is also not exactly close to Tower Hill Tube Stop, about 10 min. walk. The District & Circle lines are old and slow !! The #15 bus at Tower Hill will take you to St. Paul's and beyond easily enough tho.

Across the Thames are many cafes etc. which are very nice, but be prepared to walk. There are a couple of eating places in the Marina including Dicken's Inn.

Again, we loved the marina (and had a great view of Tower Bridge from our apt) but probably would not stay there again because it was just not as convenient as other locations we have stayed in.

If I had just 2 nites in London I would not choose this hotel, I would try for something a bit more central.

Sorry to be a little negative on this location, but it is better to hear from different people with different viewpoints.

Thank you Lori, I appreciate your input, but after a long transatlantic flight, jet lag, and getting ready for the cruise; we really won't be venturing too far I don't think. Besides, this is part of the cruise package, so we really do not have an option of staying anywhere else.

I did read on Tripadvisor many reviews that stated just what you said. Indeed, if we were going to be in London to "see London" we'd be staying much longer and someplace more centrally located.

Thanks again!

We have stayed at the Tower Thistle several times in the past few years. The first time as part of a Tour package and then twice more by choice.
We have always found the hotel to be very comfortable and love the view of the river and the Dock.
When we first stayed there it was not very well known and therefore not particularly busy but it has been interesting to see how it has obviously become a very popular business hotel over the years.
I am sure you will enjoy your stay there.

If you're going on a real cruise from there, you might not be too interested, but there is a pier for river boat services right by the hotel - one way to get a reasonably effort-free view of central London and a bit of what passes for fresh air here.

Thanks Patrick! I live in a landlocked state and plan on getting all the "water", boat activities possible. I appreciate the info!

Well, we had dinner reservations at Pont de la Tour (highly recommended by the Concierge). When we arrived, however, we found the prices very high for a rather unappealing menu.

Luckily, we did find a much more appealing menu, with better views of the Tower Bridge, by wandering around.

Note that all the restaurants have terraces lined with tables - fabulous in the nice weather!