Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Sunborn London is located at the western end of the Royal Victoria Dock overlooking the Docklands, Canary Wharf O2 Arena, London City Airport, and the ExCel where one can enjoy the panoramic views of their private settings. Travelling on the DLR towards Beckton alighting from Custom House Excel DLR station, it is a 3-5 minute walk which is a short distance from the main entrance of the ExCel London. For a more scenic journey one can enjoy taking the Emirates Cable Car journey from the North Greenwich O2 Arena to the Royal Victoria Dock, where you can enjoy a walk along the pier t taking in what the local area has to offer whilst visiting Sunborn London.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Marina View
Bay View
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish, Italian and 3 more
Location
Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1AA England
Sunborn London
4,862 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Sunborn London captivates many guests with its elegant decor and comfortable atmosphere, notwithstanding a few remarks about dated areas and lackluster entertainment. Nestled conveniently near attractions and public transport, the hotel's location earns high marks. While rooms are celebrated for their cleanliness and spaciousness, some visitors express dissatisfaction with the dated furnishings and room service.
Praises for the friendly staff abound, yet there are occasional mentions of slow service. The hotel's cleanliness is widely acclaimed, though its value is debated, with critiques aimed at the high costs of meals and services.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Elegant
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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I booked a two night stay on Sunborn as part of a birthday surprise for my wife.
I chose Sunborn initially as it is some thing different.
It is very easy to find, however due to its location. You cannot drive directly to it. We parked about 10 minute walk away.
On arrival we were greeted warmly. Due to current climate, social distancing is in place. There are screens at reception and hand sanitiser located around the public areas.
We arrived early due to me getting check in times wrong, but we were allowed to check in and get into our cabin early.
Our cabin was very spacious and clean. We had a dockside view. Overlooking the excel centre. The room has the basic amenities that you’d expect. Tea/coffee, hair dryer, iron. The reception staff advised that due to restrictions on staff coming into rooms during our staff, if we needed anything further, such as more towels, then simple ring room service.
We had drinks in the lounge. Some great views from the deck towards the O2 arena and Canary Wharf.
Overall the staff were very friendly and prompt in serving us.
We didn’t eat evening meals on board as we had planned as part of our visit to eat our, there are several restaurants in the surround area, all looked pleasant and were open for business. There are also shops and chemists in the local area.
We ate breakfast in our cabin. Breakfast can be ordered from the iPad in your cabin along with other room service options.
The yacht is only a few minutes walk from the Docklands light rail (DLR) which has regular services to Canning Town 1 stop, where you can pick up the underground (Jubilee line) into central London.
The emirates airline cable cars are also just a few minutes walk from the yacht which offers a cheap, novel way to cross the river over to the O2 arena and restaurants and bars.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunborn London, Guest Services / Front Office at Sunborn London
Responded Aug 30, 2020
Dear tenalphapapa, Thank you so much for leaving such a delightful review. We genuinely value and appreciate your feedback and I am happy to hear you enjoyed your stay.It was really nice to have you and make your stay memorable. We always endeavour to create unforgettable experiences to all our guests.The team is elated to read your positive comments on the exceptional service delivery rendered to you during your stay. Please do let us know when you plan your return visit to benefit of direct pricing and returning guest amenities. We are looking forward to seeing you sometime soon and please do let us know when you have dates in mind to benefit of direct pricing and returning guests amenities. Kind Regards, Sami Ullah Assistant Front Office Manager Sami.ullah@sunbornlondon.com
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We stayed on the yacht for one night in September 2021. The closest station to the yacht is Excel on the Docklands Light Railway which is only a short walk from the dockside where the yacht is moored. On arrival the external lifts were a little confusing, with the information plate on how to call the lift to get up to the reception being blocked by a plant pot! However, once inside we were quickly checked in and also offered an upgrade to a balcony cabin for only a small additional fee which we took and felt that this was a very good value upgrade. The public areas of the yacht are spectacular with polished wood, mirrors and glass. The staff were generally friendly, especially the man who dealt with us on reception. The rooms were well insulated from sound - whilst there was a party going on in the 5th floor function room we could hear virtually nothing despite only being two cabins away. The breakfast service was brisk and although there was a queue when we turned up at 9am, it cleared quickly. The breakfast was reasonably good and when the buffet items ran out these were quickly replenished.
The one thing we thought a bit odd was that the bar closed at 2230 so when we returned from attending our evening event, we could not have a drink as the bar had already closed. Overall, we felt that for the price we paid, the yacht hotel was good value and we would certainly stay again.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Me and my fiancé stayed in this hotel for 2 nights in June. It’s in a lovely peaceful location, tucked away so taxis cannot drive right up to it and you have to walk from the road but it only takes around 2-3mins to walk. We arrived a little early and our room wasn’t ready but we was guided to the bar area by the lovely friendly welcoming staff.
In the bar area there was lots of seating area inside and out. The cocktail menu is incredible and the drinks lovely and strong (slightly pricey but worth it). We also had the burger sharer platter which again was lovely. The service was quite slow, but unfortunately with the covid restrictions this was to be expected.
We paid extra for a river view and it was so worth it. The room was spacious and had a stunning view. My partner also surprised me with the romantic package and we had decoration on the bed with rose petals and delicious chocolates. The room was clean and tidy, shampoo conditioner and soap provided also in the bathroom which smelt gorgeous. The bathroom is quite small but the shower is very powerful.
The room service also very good, we had drinks and food brought to our room on the first night. We was told up to 20min wait but it came within 10. The room service was just taken off of our deposit that we paid when we arrived.
There is lots to do around the hotel, however it’s also a lovely place to just sit and relax on the deck.
The breakfast was lovely, not much to choose from however i always have an English breakfast on holiday and that was on there so I wasn’t complaining. Unlimited tea coffee juice and water during breakfast time.
Overall I would highly recommend this hotel. We have booked to return for my birthday in November.
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Wyn Lam, Guest Services / Front Office at Sunborn London
Responded Jul 25, 2021
Dear Amymhold, Thank you so much for leaving such a delightful review. We genuinely value and appreciate your feedback and I am happy to hear you enjoyed your stay. It was really nice to have you and make your stay memorable. We always endeavour to create unforgettable experiences for all our guests. The team is elated to read your positive comments on the exceptional service delivery rendered to you during your stay. Please do let us know when you plan your return visit to benefit from direct pricing and returning guest amenities. We are looking forward to seeing you sometime soon and please do let us know when you have dates in mind to benefit from direct pricing and returning guests amenities. Kind Regards, Sami Ullah Assistant Front Office Manager Sami.ullah@sunbornlondon.com
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I booked this hotel via Groupon for my husbands birthday. I contacted the hotel to pay extra for a room upgrade - dont bother! I also paid extra to have banners and balloons in the room they allowed me choose the colour I picked blue. Arrived in the room and was silver and pink with flamingos not impressed as you can imagine! The room was not very clean. I booked my husband a facial in the spa, very poor facial which was a shame as he was really looking forward to that. There were many loud noises that we could hear from the room whilst staying and also a training group that appeared only to talk in foul language. I booked a table in the restaurant for a birthday meal, food was standard not what I was expecting and not very hot at all. The lifts were not working properly. My key card to get through doors wasn’t working properly went to reception for assistance and all they said was to keep trying, no help at all. The bar and bar food was very expensive for what it was. I asked the restaurant manager if they could do a happy birthday plate they said they couldn’t just do it and that we would have to order a pudding in order for them to do it, just rude. We actually didn’t like anything on the pudding menu and after having mediocre food we didn’t want to order dessert. We spent a lot of money at this hotel only to have in return a spoilt birthday. I did contact Francisco the hotel manager and he did process a refund of £150. However, this doesn’t compensate enough for the issues we had and we will never get this special birthday back. We have stayed at the sunborn Gibraltar and that was amazing unfortunately the same standard isn’t reflected in London. Shame. Thanks again for making my husbands birthday one to remember for the wrong reasons.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from SunbornLondon, Front Office Manager at Sunborn London
Responded Feb 8, 2020
dear Hayley24111, Thank you for your review of your recent stay at the Sunborn London Yacht Hotel. I am truly disappointed that you went ahead with leaving a 1* review despite the communication we exchanged via email and the resolution offered. I understand from reading your post that the outcome was not enough for you as probably you wanted the whole stay and charges waved off. Thank you once again for your time. Regards, Francisco
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Really disappointed with our experience here. We booked the yacht hotel as it sounded and looked great online but the whole experience was sadly not what we were expecting.
Upon arrival we were queued to get into the hotel at some lifts which appeared to be the only way in. There were no staff outside to advise you how to get on the boat. After waiting for 15 - 20 minutes we figured out you couldn't work the lifts without a room key card. Eventually a member of staff opened a side door and let us all in. We had to lug our suitcase up several flights of stairs to get to reception though which wasn't ideal.
We finally checked in and had real issues with the lifts getting to our floor to access our room. Advice - use the stairs! The lifts take a very long time to arrive and even then you'll be lucky if you get to the right floor!
When we eventually got to the room we were quite disappointed. The decor is very dated and missing simple things like shower gel, hand towels, complimentary water and to top it off the coffee machine was broken. You are provided with a tablet in the room to order things on to the room, but that didn't work either! I tried to ring reception and they answered and then put the phone down. Great service...!
In the afternoon we decided to go down to the bar for a drink before heading out to dinner. We queued to be seated for at least 20 minutes and no one came. Eventually we asked the barman if there were any seats outside and he shook his head, so we left.
Returning after dinner there was the same long queue to get back onto the boat. The side door wasn't open so we were waiting for the temperamental lifts again in the cold.
The one positive thing was that the bed was very comfy! But the walls are thin and you can hear people walking in the rooms above, below and either side so if you are a light sleeper you might want to bring ear plugs.
In the morning we queued for a table for breakfast and then it took 45 minutes for our breakfast to come. The eggs royal was really nice, so another positive there.
Overall really disappointed and would not stay again.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We'd heard such good things about the hotel but it definitely didn't deserve the accolades during our visit - mainly down to the breakfast. Two nights stay, the cabin was clean, spacious and comfortable. Comfy bed and we were put on the river side which was lovely. Breakfast the next day was pretty awful. Full English arrived very swiftly after we'd sat down (too swiftly it appears) in a plastic, sectioned box. That wouldn't have been so bad had it been hot and pleasant but it wasn't. Everything was only warm; the scrambled eggs were rubbery and cold and altogether horrible, the mushrooms were dark and tasteless as if they'd been boiled to death and the bacon was very fatty.
Cutlery was provided in a sealed paper bag - knife and fork and two wooden stirrers, no spoons. We helped ourselves to hot water and coffee from the large urns. Milk was provided in individual, small, plastic milk jiggers (sadly, we didn't have cereal as that would have been fun).
Toast arrived in a paper and cellophane bag, much as you would get in a cheap cafe accompanied by two catering pats of butter. There was no side plate so we had to use the bag to spread etc... Juice was the small cardboard cartons with a handy straw stuck to the side. As we left, we noticed many others had left their breakfast, so it wasn't just us.
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Date of stay: October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My 27th wedding anniversary treat for my wife and I. Upgraded my original booking at an extra cost of £60 so a total cost of £239.00. Was expecting a mini bar as well as bath robes and slippers but mini bar was empty and no robe or slippers.i asked for the robe and slippers and was promised they would be in my room upon my return from eating out but nothing in my Room when I got back. Also no bottled water and although there was coffee making facilities there was no coffee pods to put in the machine. Was told to book breakfast on the iPad before 10pm so I did this and requested it to be delivered at 10AM the following morning.at 10.20 I had to go to reception and remind them of my breakfast booking and the breakfast eventually arrived at 10.40 so had to rush breakfast as we had to check out at 1100. At checkout they tried to charge me another £60 for my upgrade even though I had already paid for it at check in along with a £40 room deposit which I’m still waiting to be returned to my card. In all honesty my previous visits to this hotel have always gone well but on this occasion I don’t think the upgrade was really worth it especially when the items promised on the web site was not delivered. Yes I may stay here again but very much doubt I would bother with the upgrade. Room was half the size of previous bookings so unless your a smoker you don’t really need the balcony.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Myself & my fiancé stayed here as part of his birthday present. To say it was disappointing is an understatement for a number of reasons- We booked with secret escapes so we weren’t able to take advantage of the 10% NHS/Keyworkers discount. Due to COVID their restaurant is closed and only the Bar area is open for food/drink. But you must book your time slot in the bar well in advance. I emailed to book the bar, but nobody replied to my email. We had arranged an alternative dinner venue anyway, so not really a big deal, but it would have been nice to have had a few drinks at the bar/on the deck enjoying the views. I had paid for breakfast included, we opted for breakfast in bed, which was an additional £5 each for the service. Unfortunately the tablet in our room didn’t work so we ordered the breakfast items at the main reception. We were very much looking forward to it at 9am. Breakfast didn’t arrive, and when we called reception they had no record of the booking. They offered to make something and bring to the room but at that point we didn’t trust their capability and we had to check out. Very disappointing. The room itself was clean, but very dated and no water supplied in the fridge. I don’t drink tea or coffee so this wasn’t really acceptable to me. We feel that the hotel simply can’t cater for the amount of guests they are booking. The area itself has limited restaurants open, everything was fully booked except The Docklands Bar & Grill (absolutely amazing customer service and saved our mini break!!). So the hotel itself- couldn’t provide an evening meal, drinks in the evening, adequate refreshments in the room or breakfast. Glad we didn’t pay full price as, in my opinion, it is not worth it given the lack of facilities and lack of hospitality. I wouldn’t stay here again nor recommend either. I would highly recommend a stay at The Docklands Bar & Grill, the service is excellent!! A real shame!!
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunborn London, Guest Services / Front Office at Sunborn London
Responded Oct 18, 2020
Dear 700rachelk, We greatly appreciate your time and effort in sharing your feedback on your stay with us.it is with sincere regret to learn about your dissatisfaction on the service during your visit. On behalf of all management, we would like to sincerely apologize for the drop in service you experienced during your stay. This is certainly not the level of hospitality we strive to provide our guests. We have alerted the relevant department head regarding your concern; rest assured that we are taking appropriate actions in different areas to avoid any inconvenience to our guests. We do hope we have another opportunity to welcome you back and provide you with the true Sunborn London yacht experience. Kind Regards, Sami Ullah Assistant Front Office Manager Sami.ullah@sunbornlondon.com
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We stayed in this yacht for one night for a birthday. The first room we had booked was am executive room which had nothing different from a normal room other than a tiny balcony with a rather miserable view of excel, curtains had to be kept closed otherwise those outside could see in. The other room had a river view which was nice. One of us had a shower upon check in, we then had house keeping knock to say "sorry here are your clean towels" we explained we had already used the one towel availible and she replied "oh" making it extremely obvious we had used someone else's dirty towel. This left us wondering what else in the room wasn't clean? Left a customer complaint via email to be told that we are mistaken and making it up and got no further replies when I challenged this. Upon reading reviews on here it seems common that rooms aren't cleaned properly and staff are rude and dismissive. The bar also closes at 10pm which is insanely early for a Saturday night, and the main bar had a loud Event meaning we couldn't use that deck. There was also only one working lift so we resulted in just using the stairs. This was an expensive stay and definitely not worth the money.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Firstly... not many things make quite a statement as staying in a superyacht in the middle of London... However the smugness at revealing how reasonable the price was, definitely made it easier to show off the pictures.
Although it’s a difficult time to visit hotels, they certainly made it a memorable stay, and the staff were fantastic, friendly and it felt natural.
Check in took a little while due to the queue for the lift, as when we arrived only one was in use. Under normal circumstances this wouldn’t be an issue however during the current climate it did require a wait, but only 20-30 minutes so no harm done.
We had opted for the executive river view room, which came with a lovely classy interior, a large bed, sofa, coffee machine, a tv( if you require one when away) and a wonderfully large mirror)
Plenty of storage space with full length wardrobes for dresses and suits, and none of these slotted hotel hangers so you could easily use the wardrobe.
The room came with a generous balcony, with chairs. Although whilst seated you can’t see anything, but it was a lovely space to drink a glass of wine. (The fridge also helps)
We had a tablet for ordering room service, which was also used for the restaurant and bar, although table service was also in operation making everything run smoothly.
The food was good, although more reflecting the reasonable price of the hotel than the status it commanded but, despite upmarket pub grub the food was excellent and the cocktails even better. Especially when having drinks on the deck commanded such a fantastic view.
In the morning we were served breakfast in bed, although check your reservation as we were initially told we had no breakfast but when we showed our reservation we were promptly served breakfast of our choice with a late checkout on the house. Although this was a far cry from the buffet style we would have had, and toast arriving in cellophane bags is the most ridiculous thing ever as it leads to damp toast. But I was impressed with how they dealt with the issue.
Excellent service and a wonderfully different way to stay in London. With its close proximity to the cable cars and Greenwich it was very accessible too.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunborn London, Guest Services / Front Office at Sunborn London
Responded Oct 24, 2020
Dear Mr Toby L, Hello and thank you for taking the time to post a review regarding your stay with us...I am so pleased that everything was to your complete satisfaction and it was a very joyous and memorable occasion for you and your family. We always strive to exceed in excellent customer service. I will be sharing your wonderful review with the rest of the team and we look forward to having the pleasure of welcoming you again in the near future. Kind regards, Sarah N
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London, United Kingdom81 contributions95 helpful votes
Hi Carole, drinks on board are a bit pricey. Just had a look on their website and they have all the prices there. Maybe sit down when looking!
We tend to have just one drink in the bar and drink locally there are a few bars locally. we have used the Fox Excel across from the ship or the Fox Connaught which is a 10 min walk away at the other end of the Excel. Another decent Pub is Galyons bar 5 mins from Gallions reach station on the DLR. Have fun
No photos but like the others have said, the breakfast was fine. The staff very helpful, dairy alternatives available (Soya Milk etc) available on request. Very pleasant staff
There are more places to choose from in the London area.
PRICE RANGE
C$226 - C$439 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandLondonEast End / East London
NUMBER OF ROOMS
136
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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