Westin bed

Off the back of a stay at the new Pan Pacific Hotel, we are now on the hunt to test out new hotels with pools. Possibly not a budget-friendly interest, but it does help break up the monotony of being at home. This time, we decided to try out the fairly new Westin London City Hotel along the Thames. It was an early birthday treat for Cara, which included tickets to watch Frozen the Musical!

Date Visited: 19th and 21st November, 2021

Location: 60 Upper Thames St., London EC4V 3AD

Getting There: Roughly 8 minute walk from London Cannon Street station, or a short 3 minute walk from Mansion House Underground. Plenty of buses and not too far from St Paul’s Underground.

Cost: Depending on stay and room type, c.£420 per night. Extra for breakfast and spa treatments, but free to access the gym and pool. 

Great location and spacious room

With only a few weeks since our last stay at Pan Pacific, we compared all aspects of the hotel. The usual categories such as location, friendliness and ambience. I didn’t even realise The Westin was located here until we turned the corner to Upper Thames Street. On entering at street level, we were greeted by a spacious lobby and concierge, who directed us up a floor to its main reception area and lobby. If you’ve ever stayed at a Westin before, you’ll recognise its pleasant fragrance throughout the hotel. Check-in was a breeze and Cara received a welcome pack, which includes activities and reading books which were fab. We dumped our belongings and headed straight to dinner at Cote Brasserie near St Paul’s, just a short walk away.

Afterwards, we headed back to check out the hotel pool. The pool felt slightly colder than Pan Pacific’s (or maybe that was just me expecting it to be warmer!). However, the advantage the Westin has is it also has extra activities like the sauna, steam room, ice, a special rainfall shower and Cara’s favourite hot spa. 

We stayed on the fifth floor and unfortunately our room, although very nice, was all the way at the end of a mega-hallway. Good way to keep fit. The room was spacious, with a generous walk-in wardrobe, clean bathroom, large beds and a lounge and desk area. The water pressure in the shower was better than Pan Pacific. As you’d expect from a new luxury hotel, everything was clean and working, with full amenities like toiletries, complimentary water, tea and coffee. Only thing lacking was a decent view as the room looked out to an office building.  

Westin hallway Westin bathroom

What else?

Weirdly enough, I used the gym located next to the pool the following day. Open 24-hours every day, it was filled with brand spanking new equipment, enough to work everything out for a getaway.  We didn’t utilise any of the spa treatments, as Cara headed back to the pool. We didn’t realise the specific child-friendly times of 8-10am and 2-4pm each day, but the staff were kind enough to allow us in for 20 minutes as no one else was there. A lot more restrictive than the Pan Pacific even though there was hardly anyone using the facilities.

Food wise, there is a restaurant on-site, to which Cara only sampled the buffet breakfast and it was okay, albeit quite expensive. For Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members, there’s a special room where I assume you can fill your boots! Given it’s location, you’re only a 5-minute walk to St Paul’s New Change which has various restaurants. Alternatively, you can have some food at Bloomberg Arcade or catch a bus into Holborn and Strand where there’s even more to choose from. If you want to venture further into the Central London, then you can catch the Tube from Mansion House or St Paul’s. 

Westin Breakfast

Ratings:

Burn Time: 4 out of 5 – Again, we spent most of the time by the pool or out eating. The room was more than big enough to chill and relax in when we weren’t out and about. 
Value: 3 out of 5 –
Similar to the Pan Pacific, slightly more expensive, but as it’s quit central again, you’d expect to pay that much for London.   
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 –
Cara enjoyed The Westin and when asked, said she preferred it over the Pan Pacific. Although the pool times were slightly more restrictive, the overall hotel was very child-friendly.

Where else should be go? Let us know in the comments below!