Extremely Disappointing Stay at Ark Hotel Canary Wharf
⭐ 1-Star Review – Extremely Disappointing Experience
I had a very unpleasant stay at Ark Hotel Canary Wharf, and unfortunately it started from the moment I arrived.
At check-in, the reception staff—particularly a staff member named Latifa—were extremely rude, unwelcoming, and dismissive. There was no proper greeting, and she spoke to me in a condescending manner. At no point did she say “please” when asking for information or giving instructions, which added to how unprofessional and disrespectful the interaction felt. While asking for ID is completely understandable, the way it was demanded lacked basic customer service and courtesy.
Before arriving, I had called the hotel and was told parking would not be an issue. However, on the day, I was informed there was no parking, which caused over an hour delay before I could even access my room. I was sent to Asda to park without any directions. When I asked where Asda was, Latifa looked me straight in the eye and said something along the lines of, “I’m not supposed to know where Asda is, I’m not Google Maps.” This was extremely unprofessional, especially as my friend and I are not locals, which is exactly why we booked a hotel.
Another member of staff later provided me with a printed parking instruction sheet, clearly showing that parking arrangements already existed (including a £20 fee, which I had no issue paying). Instead of Asda, I was directed to a second car park, NCP PARKING SELSDONE, E14 9GL, which turned out to be abandoned with signs stating parking is not allowed. I took photos of everything as I no longer trusted the hotel’s guidance.
After returning to reception about 30 minutes later, Latifa suddenly became polite and told me that a parking space was now available at the hotel. By this point, the experience had already been ruined.
To make matters worse, the key fob did not work when trying to re-enter the hotel. I was left standing outside for around 25 minutes, along with other guests, pressing the intercom with no response. Other guests confirmed they had experienced the same issues and also described the reception staff as rude.
When I finally got into the room—after well over an hour of stress, walking, and driving—the room was much smaller than advertised, the swimming pool was closed for maintenance (not mentioned at booking), the kettle was broken, and the window was jammed and would not close. We called reception 3–4 times to get someone to fix the kettle and the window, and were repeatedly told “10 minutes.” In reality, it took around 1 hour and 30 minutes for someone to come. Keep in mind we were only staying for one night, and spending the evening waiting around the room like this was not part of our plan at all.
The only positive part of this stay was speaking to a male manager over the weekend, who was polite, understanding, and apologetic. He encouraged me to leave an honest review based on my experience.
Overall, this was one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve had. I will never stay here again and would not recommend this hotel to anyone, especially if you value basic customer service, honesty, and professionalism.