Bankside Hotel, Autograph Collection

Bankside opened as part of the glass fronted One Blackfriars development on the south side of the river, a six storey, 161 room hotel built around an art collection and commissioned pieces rather than a signature restaurant or headline bar as its main point of difference.

The hotel runs its own Art Yard Maker’s Studio, hosting artists in residence throughout the year, which gives it a genuine point of difference from the design hotel formula used by most competitors in this part of London, where art tends to be decorative rather than an active programme.

Rooms are consistently described in reviews as modern, spacious and exceptionally clean, which for a hotel at this scale and price point is not always a given, and its location puts Shakespeare’s Globe, the National Theatre and Borough Market all within an easy walk for guests wanting to explore on foot.

The restaurant and public spaces, while well kept and comfortable, are less distinctive than the rooms themselves, and Blackfriars Road at street level can feel exposed and traffic heavy compared with the quieter riverside path just behind the building, which is a better route in and out on foot.

As a base for the South Bank’s theatres and galleries rather than a destination hotel in its own right, it does the job cleanly and without fuss, even if it will not be the most memorable part of a stay in London.

Being part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection means the hotel benefits from a large loyalty programme and booking infrastructure while still presenting itself as an independent, design focused property, which suits guests who want points and status benefits alongside a boutique feel. The absence of a headline chef or destination restaurant on site means most guests eat elsewhere in Borough Market or along the South Bank rather than staying in for dinner, which keeps the hotel’s own dining room comparatively quiet most evenings. Staff are consistently praised for helping guests plan an itinerary around the surrounding galleries and theatres, which suggests a team that understands its own location is doing most of the selling rather than the hotel’s own facilities.