Finding a Cheap Hotel in Central London – ibis Styles London Southwark

Last updated: 15 July 2023

If you’re looking for a top quality cheap hotel in central London, you really can’t go past the ibis Styles London Southwark. This three star hotel is just a stone’s throw from London’s Bankside and iconic London sites like the Tower of London and attractions including the famous Borough Market, The Shard, and Shakespeare’s Globe.  

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Reception

The ibis Styles established itself as the trendy sibling within the ibis family, by putting design and aesthetics at the forefront of the cheaper end of the hotel spectrum. Every hotel in the ibis Styles group has a unique style with an all inclusive offering. Reserve your room

The open plan lobby at ibis Styles London Southwark features a baby grand piano which doubles as an informal reception desk, and is furnished in an old world Hollywood theme, so much so, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in on a movie set rather than a hotel.  

The décor is inspired by the magic of the stage, furnished with director’s chairs, and theatre props of clapperboards, vintage tripod spotlights, mismatched knick-knacks and a rotary dial phone. Walls are lined with memorabilia from British cinematography, and elevators are pimped out with the rip-roaring reds and velvets of 1920s cabaret with flapper girl cut-outs and press photographers as if waiting to snap your photo.  

READ MORE: 27 EPIC Instagram Locations in London

The Rooms

Across two wings and three floors, the hotel has 114 rooms with a combination of twin, double, queen and suites. All rooms except suites, are decorated in either a 1920s Chicago cabaret or Wizard of Oz theme in the world of witches, wizards and yellow brick roads.

Our queen room featured a king size bed, with complimentary robes and slippers and was dominated by the monochrome Chicago theme feature wall.  The room was air-conditioned with complimentary bottled water on the desk below the window which offered an impressive uninterrupted view of The Shard.  

A wardrobe and luggage rack made best use of the space available along with the wall mounted LCD screen. With a city like London and a location like this, that TV wasn’t going to be getting much use in my opinion!

The strictly functional bathroom was compact, with a walk-in shower, corner vanity and basin with Aqua Viva miniature toiletries.   

Food

The hotel’s location meant there were numerous superb food options nearby to be tempted by. Just around the corner is Borough Market, London’s most renowned food and drink market offering a vast array of stallholders and produce on sale.

In house, the hotel’s restaurant had a variety of offerings from breakfast through to dinner.  We opted for two large pizzas and a salad to share plus and a slice of the chocolate and caramel slice for dessert.  

Somewhat impressive for a cheap hotel in central London, ibis Styles includes continental breakfast in all room rates. The offering includes cold meats, cheese, smashed avocado, pastries and fruit.  For us, the all important coffee came in the form of an automatic machine or a drip filter.  While Russ opted for sweet pastries and coffee, I had smashed avocado on toast, salami, cheese and yogurt. As a passionate hotel breakfast critic, the offering was sufficient but a long way from my preference of a cooked to order hot alternative.    

The Extras

Fitness

Lacking an onsite fitness center, ibis guests have unrestricted access to the fitness centre at a sister property, the four-star Hotel Novotel London City South which is located just next door.  With cardiovascular equipment & training machines, exercise bikes, rowing machines and a sauna.

Parking

The hotel has a large outdoor single level public car park offering very affordable rates for guests starting from £1/hr or £25 overnight. 

Meeting Rooms

The ibis Styles London Southwark features four flexible-layout conference rooms on the ground floor of the hotel with capacity up to 70 people plus a dedicated break out space.  

Final Thoughts

ibis Styles London Southwark is a good option if you’re looking for an affordable and cheap hotel in central London, with proximity to the City and iconic landmarks such as the London Eye, Tate Modern, and home to London’s Mayor, City Hall.

The Essentials | ibis Styles London Southwark

• Where: 43-47 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 9HH
• Nearest Tube station: London Bridge (6 min walk)
• Cost: Rooms are from £90/night
• Book: Reserve your room 

Looking for things to do in London during your stay at the ibis?