ALOFT HOTEL, LONDON EXCEL
I recently attended the World Travel Market (WTM) at the Excel International Convention Centre, Royal Victoria Docks, London. I have attended WTM for a number of years, it is a huge event with exhibitors from all over the world.
In previous years I have travelled to the convention and back in a day. This is very tiring, given the size of the convention centre, the hundreds of exhibitors and the many talks and presentations available to attend. WTM is held over four days, so this year in order to see as much as possible, and to make the experience more enjoyable, I decided to stay overnight in a hotel. My choice of hotel was the Aloft Hotel, which turned out to be an excellent choice.
The Aloft is a four star, 252 bedroomed hotel and is the only hotel that is directly connected to the Excel Centre. It is a member of the Starwood Group of hotels and opened its doors to the public at the end of 2011. There are other hotels in the vicinity of the Excel Centre, indeed, I have stayed in a couple of them in previous years, but I would find it hard not to be drawn to the Aloft for any future stays in this area.
I arrived at the hotel at approximately 11am, having travelled there by train and Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The hotel and convention centre is a very short walk from Prince Regent DLR station. It was too early to check into my room, but I wanted to leave my suitcase whilst I attended WTM.
What first struck me about the hotel is how fresh and modern it appeared, with vibrant colours and interesting architecture. The reception staff, who were all young, were very friendly and helpful, their casual attire creating a relaxed and informal, yet professional, atmosphere. In no time at all my suitcase was securely stored and I was given a ticket to redeem when I returned to check in later. Free of the burden of my suitcase and overcoat, I was able to explore WTM in comfort.
Having spent an exhausting, although very interesting, day at WTM, I returned to the Aloft Hotel. It was now 5.30pm and there were a few guests checking in, however, I was quickly attended to by a very friendly and polite young man, who on learning that this was my first experience of an Aloft hotel, was very keen to explain everything to me.
The facilities at the Aloft London Excel include the w xyz bar, a vibrant bar area to relax and have a drink, re:mix lounge where guests can sit and relax, read, or eat a snack from the re:fuel grab-n-go snack bar. There is a restaurant on the second floor serving very good food at reasonable prices. The spa facilities include a good sized swimming pool (4ft deep), sauna, steam room and gym. There are changing rooms with lockers, loungers by the pool and an abundance of clean towels.
Once all the facilities had been explained to me and I had reclaimed my suitcase, I was given the key card to my room on the seventh floor, overlooking Royal Victoria Docks and the river.
To access the upper floors by lift, guests must first swipe their room key cards before pressing the button for the required floor.
On entry to my room I was very impressed to find a bright, contemporary, tastefully decorated and spacious room with ample seating, and wonderful views overlooking the dock and river. The room had a large and very comfortable double bed, writing desk and chair, bench seating area, 42inch LCD TV, tea/coffee making facilities and a very nice large walk in shower. There was also Internet connection and a safe.
After settling into my room I then acquainted myself with the spa facilities on the ground floor. The sauna and steam room were excellent and just the right temperature. The swimming pool seemed a little cold to get into, but I soon got use to it and had a most enjoyable swimming session. It was very quiet in the spa, with only two other guests using the area. I relaxed for a while on one of the loungers and watched, through the large window, the planes taking off from London City Airport, only five minutes away on the opposite side of the docks.
My entire experience of Aloft London Excel was excellent, my room was exceptionally clean and comfortable with everything I needed for my stay. Julia, the hotel Manager, and all her staff were very friendly and efficient, attending to my every need, ensuring a most pleasant and memorable stay. Although not in the city centre, the hotel is only approximately 20 minutes from the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan London. It is also ideally situated for a visit to the Excel, Canary Wharf or the O2. I am already looking forward to returning to the Aloft next year for WTM.
