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Review: the new Courtyard London City Airport hotel

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This is our review of the new Courtyard London City Airport hotel, which is part of Marriott Bonvoy.

After multiple covid-related delays, the new-build Courtyard hotel at London City Airport is finally open. The brand is pushing out across UK airports – there is also a brand new Courtyard at Heathrow which we haven’t visited yet and the fairly new Courtyard Luton Airport, reviewed here, and Courtyard Inverness Airport, which I reviewed here.

I decided to try it out. HfP paid for its own stay.

The hotel website is here.

Review Courtyard by Marriott London City Airport hotel

A bit of background

Historically there was only one hotel at London City Airport – the Travelodge. A wave of hotels have opened on the oppposite side of the airport in recent years, including a Hampton (review) and a Moxy (review), but it is a long and windswept walk to get there and virtually impossible with luggage or in the dark.

Not only is the Courtyard by Marriott London City Airport brand new, but it is a couple of minutes nearer the airport than the Travelodge. It also cuts out the need to cross a roundabout. To put it in perspective, here’s the view of the Travelodge from my room at the Courtyard:

Review Courtyard by Marriott London City Airport hotel

The Courtyard advertises itself as being a good hotel for the Excel exhibition centre. As you can see from the photo above, it is close (the hotels says it is eight minutes walk) although it isn’t the most pleasant of strolls given the traffic and the need to cross the bridge over the dock.

Getting there

…. isn’t easy.

If you are staying at the Courtyard before your flight then you will pass the hotel on the DLR on the way to the airport so you know which direction to walk in. If you are staying there after a flight then you are a little stuck, as there is currently no signage. The Travelodge has no signage either so you can’t follow that.

Leaving the airport by the main entrance isn’t the quickest route, since you need to walk away from the hotel before you are able to cross the road and get onto the pavement – the City Airport approach road is only paved on one side.

The quickest route is take these steps at the foot of the DLR escalators:

Review Courtyard by Marriott London City Airport hotel

You exit the station via a tunnel. To your right is a basketball court. If it is daylight, take the narrow footpath to the right of the basketball court and keep walking. You will eventually end up at the hotel.

If it is dark, I don’t recommend this option. Walk around the front of the basketball court and jiggle through the housing estate towards the hotel, or leave the airport via the main entrance and follow the pavement on the approach road. These are both slower routes.

The hotel

The Courtyard is built from a very mellow form of brick and the colour scheme continues inside, with ‘blonde’ woods dominant. The interiors are very well done.

Let me be clear here – if I told you that this hotel was a Hilton or a mainline Marriott then you’d believe me, as you can tell from the images. As I have said many time before on HfP, the quality of new-build hotels from Courtyard, and indeed Hampton by Hilton, is now on a par with a full service hotel. Obviously some services are missing but I doubt they are ones you will use.

If someone told me that they were going to stay at this hotel for their entire stay in London, I’d think they were smart. I paid £70 for my room, on a day when many luxury West End hotels were asking £400+, and my room was probably bigger, more modern and equally well equipped.

Check-in was swift, although occupancy was obviously modest. In general, the staff were unfailingly polite and cheerful – perhaps just happy to have someone to talk to! – and there does seem to be a sense of pride about their smart new hotel.

Here is a PR picture of the lobby:

Review Courtyard by Marriott London City Airport hotel

Elite benefits

Technically, Platinum Elite and higher members of Marriott Bonvoy can take bonus points or a $10 food and beverage credit at a Courtyard hotel. Our guide to Marriott Bonvoy elite member breakfast benefits by brand is here.

Instead, Courtyard London City offered me:

  • 500 Marriott Bonvoy points, or
  • £7.50 to spend at the bar or restaurant, or
  • free breakfast

I took the latter, which offered the most value. It is good to have flexibility though, since someone leaving early may prefer to use the bar credit and someone on expenses may prefer the points.

I was upgraded to a room facing the airport runway, and they weren’t fibbing about the view:

Review Courtyard by Marriott London City Airport hotel

These rooms tend to carry a £15-£20 premium. You should note, however, that ‘runway view’ also means ‘Docklands Light Railway runs in front of your window’ view (the track is at the bottom of the photo above). The soundproofing is good but not perfect and you could clearly hear the rumble of the trains every few minutes, although it didn’t impact my sleep.

You can also, obviously, hear the aircraft but the London City schedule is pretty thin at the moment. If you are a light sleeper you may want to avoid these rooms but average and heavy sleepers will be fine.

It is quite cool watching the aircraft coming in to land a few feet from your window ….

My room at Courtyard London City Airport

The corridors are surprisingly wide and bright, which was a good start.

The room was what you would expect from a mid-range hotel, but done well. It was a substantial improvement on the refurbished room I had recently at Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport. It’s impressive what a little more money and a bit more design skill can do.

Review Courtyard by Marriott London City Airport hotel

Note the relatively narrow window, which I imagine is a deliberate attempt to improve soundproofing. It makes the room darker than necessary but there are no shortage of lights which make up for it.

Review Courtyard London City Airport hotel

Here’s the bathroom, which was good:

Review Courtyard London City Airport hotel

Note that there is no bath, just a stand-alone shower. Toiletries are branded ‘Pure’.

The TV has full device connectivity via Bluetooth or Chromecast. This was great, allowing me to use BBC iPlayer on my iPhone and send the picture to the huge TV on the wall. It worked flawlessly. This is another of the benefits that you get from staying in a brand new hotel with the latest technology.

The room has a kettle, mugs, takeaway cups, tea, coffee and UHT milk – ie the usual.

The minibar contained two bottle of water and two cartons of fruit juice, all free.

Wi-fi was good and I was able to do a solid eight hours work from 2pm to 11pm, with a quick break for dinner.

Food and drink

As is common at mid-range hotels, the hotel has a small mini-market. In reality, it is more of a takeaway bar. The drinks selection is huge:

Review Courtyard London City Airport hotel

…. but the food was limited to crisps, porridge and some cereal bars. It is nowhere near what you’d get at, say, a Hilton Garden Inn mini-mart. If you’re not in the mood for a full evening meal then I suggest picking up a sandwich at the airport and popping it in the minibar fridge.

There is no separate restaurant. Instead, you have a large open plan bar and eating area:

Review Courtyard London City Airport hotel

and

Review Courtyard London City Airport hotel

The menu was a step up from your average bar menu but a step down from a ‘proper’ restaurant, which was the right thing to do given that there is only one eating option.

There is a picture of the menu here if you click. I went for an East London chicken curry at £15, which was surprisingly well presented and pleasantly warm (hot, not spicy). It was better than you’d expect.

Review Courtyard London City Airport hotel

Breakfast was served in the same area the next morning.

Again, this was a step up from your average mid-range hotel buffet. If I’m honest, it was substantially better than the breakfast I had at Crowne Plaza Sheffield a few weeks ago which is technically a superior hotel.

Review Courtyard London City Airport hotel

There were also a number of hot options which are not pictured – I had some sausages and scrambled egg and it was good.

Remember, though, that breakfast is not free for everyone at Courtyard hotels. You need to book a breakfast inclusive rate, have Platinum status or higher and choose it as your check-in amenity or pay on the day. I’ve no idea what it costs unfortunately.

Review Courtyard London City Airport hotel

Conclusion

Courtyard London City Airport is a very accomplished mid-range hotel, and excellent value for money if you can pick it up for the £70 I paid.

You are getting a brand new hotel and, more importantly, one where the owners chose to invest in quality design and fittings. The food is also of a high quality.

I am hoping that we can visit the new Courtyard Heathrow soon, although it is not currently available for booking until next March.

You can read our full series of London airport hotel reviews here.

The hotel website is here if you want to find out more or book.


How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (October 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

and for small business owners:

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)

Comments (29)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • mkcol says:

    Did you forget to put the Hampton & Moxy reviews in?

    • Rob says:

      Er, yes 🙂

      Lot of last minute forum tidying up yesterday so a few other things got missed.

  • Chris says:

    “ virtually impossible with luggage or in the dark.”

    Jesus how dramatic is this?! You cross the road at one relatively quiet roundabout then use the pedestrian bridge to cross the river

    Even the statement of crossing the road is utterly ridiculous. You must be heading “away from the hotel” for about 30 seconds 🤯

    • Rob says:

      With a couple of big suitcases? Rather you than me.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        Big suitcases for LCY flights ?

        • Michael Jennings says:

          People fly long haul out of City with a change in Amsterdam on KLM or on Lufthansa/Swiss with a change in Frankfurt/Zurich/Geneva all the time.

          • TGLoyalty says:

            I’m sure they do but the target market is or at least was business travel

  • BA-Flyer says:

    Sorry to be pedantic, but you are crossing the dock, not the river. There is a dedicated pedestrian & cycle route, so there is no need to cross busy roads, and a large section of the walk has recently been resurfaced. You are saving 10 minutes of walking time (max) by staying at the Courtyard instead of the Hampton or Moxy. Also, the Moxy and Hampton are right next to Royal Albert DLR station, so no chance of getting lost when you arrive.

    • Rob says:

      They are not ‘right next’ to it, I have reviewed all those hotels remember. Walking from Royal Albert to the Hampton in pouring rain, which I have done, is no fun.

      Would you want your 18 year old daughter walking from the Moxy to the airport at 6am on her own on that route? Thought not. I would do it but as a big 6’2’ bloke very little worries me and I try not to base my recommendations on what I personally feel happy with.

      • BA-Flyer says:

        Your review already acknowledges that getting to the Courtyard from LCY DLR “isn’t easy”. The Moxy is a 300m walk in a straight line from Royal Albert DLR. Perhaps not physically connected, but they are extremely close, hence my comment that you are less likely to get lost.
        So you’d be happy to let your 18 year old daughter “jiggle through the housing estate” at 6am would you?

        • Rob says:

          I’m talking about getting from the Moxy to City Airport, not to Excel. Not sure if we’re talking ahout different things here.

          Getting from the Marriott to the airport is totally safe because you can walk down the main road which is active 24/7 – it’s just a bit longer than going via the housing estate. Getting from the Moxy to City Airport requires that walk plus the more dubious bit of getting over the dock.

          As I said, however, I am wary of passing judgements on personal safety because I’ve not experienced a single incident in 30 years in London, because I’m a big bloke.

          • Geoff 1977 says:

            I’m not a big bloke and I haven’t experienced a single incident in London in 35 years. True/cool story

      • dougzz99 says:

        Size has little to do with being a victim. Your daughter when 18 will give you considerably more to worry about than a walk in the dark through a less desirable area.

        • Geoff 1977 says:

          “ Size has little to do with being a victim”

          Exactly. My 6 foot 6 mate who is a big bloke and looks quite intimidating had a knife pulled on him somewhere on the south coast. Being a “big bloke” didn’t seem to matter to the person with the knife

          • Lady London says:

            Ah…but Rob walks around knowing he is a big bloke and projecting that aura….which is protective. Whereas an 18 year old girl is a target in so many different ways and some of those are really hard to counter.

    • Paasan69 says:

      You have two options getting to the hotel by public transport, bus 474 from stop D at Canning Town or the London City Airport stop on the DLR. It takes about 3 minutes to walk from the Connaught Bridge stop on the 474 or 9-10 minutes to walk from the airport.

      I stayed at this hotel only a few days after it opened on Monday, November 8th. I was so happy with this one-night stay that I decided to stay here again for five more nights this month for business/pleasure in London. As Rob says, if you can have a night here for £70-£90 it is well worth it if you don’t mind the 30 minutes commute into the city center. And for departures/arrivals at LCY it’s a no-brainer.

      Mentioned in the article is the Courtyard at Heathrow. I’ve managed to spend a couple of nights there too. A very nice hotel with friendly and service minded staff. Would take this anytime over the Sheraton/Sheraton Skyline on Bath Road. Marriott usually too expensive for the return and Moxy a bit too far out. Easily accessible with the 423 from T5 and 105/222 from Central Bus Station at T2/T3.

  • where2travel says:

    I’ve done the walk to LCY from the Aloft, the HIX and one other (which I can’t remember), across the Connaught Bridge first thing in the morning. With a wheely case, it’s a doddle (pedestrianised until you get near to LCY). Obviously it’s not as close as the Courtyard reviewed here, but if there is any dodgy bit, it’s the bit closer to LCY anyway (rather than the extra bit of the walk across the bridge from those other hotels).

  • Sean says:

    This hotel has been used as a quarantine hotel for much of the last year.

    It’s relatively easy to walk to. Leave the main entrance of the airport, cross the road and walk along the path for about 5-10 minutes. As the path is only connected to the airport, I’ve never ever met anyone not travelling or working at the airport walking along the path.

  • John T says:

    I’m a big fan of new build Courtyards

  • JK says:

    Great to have another option at LCY. The Travelodge there is one of the worst hotels I’ve stayed at in Europe.

  • Tom2 says:

    Does anyone have the Marriott Loyalty/Bonvoy number for the UK? Can’t seem to find it anywhere!

    • Rob says:

      Sounds like a good question for the Marriott board in the new forum …. then no-one will ever need to ask it again.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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