Hotel Review – Sunborn London, Royal Victoria Dock – a superyacht moored away from metropolitan madness - Scotland on Sunday Travel
The chance to spend the night on board a superyacht that also serves as a hotel is cannot be missed so I am excited to make my way to Sunborn London, moored in the Royal Victoria Docks to the east of the city.It’s enormous - with 133 guestrooms and five suites - and although it’s stationary, that doesn’t stop me envisioning myself sailing round the Med sipping Champagne like a celeb/oligarch, or dreaming of reenacting Duran Duran’s Rio video, powering through the waves at a rate of knots.
Located in a quiet spot away from the madness of the city, getting there is much calmer than, say, taking a humid Tube ride, followed by scrutinising Google Maps, then navigating busy road and foot traffic to get to reception.Instead I travel by cable car, or the Emirates Air Line as it’s officially called, soaring quietly across the Thames with an excellent view of entertainment hub The O2 and Canary Wharf.I spot the gleaming white Sunborn from my lofty viewpoint, and after a few minutes’ walk along the waterside, head up to reception in the lift, which opens up to what feels more like a cruise ship than expected, with a huge chandelier, array of gold fixtures and fittings, and royal blue carpet with yellow anchor pattern.
Room service
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Hide AdMy starboard-side room is larger than expected, and classically decorated, wtih a lot of tanned wood, and a black-and-white photo above the bed. A living area has a sea-blue sofa, with glass coffee table with gold edging. I also have my own balcony, while the bathroom has a shower and aromatic Prija toiletries.
Worth getting out of bed for
As well as being near The 02, the hotel is next to events space ExCeL London, home to Jurassic World: The Exhibition until November, while London City Airport is just a few stops away on the DLR. Behind the Sunborn is a watersports facility, with open water swimming, wakeboarding or paddleboarding.
Wining and dining
My shipmate friend and I enjoy a drink al fresco on the deck at the back of the vessel, looking across to London, watching the hypnotic, steady stream of cable cars above and swimmers below. Had it not been so sunny, an alternative would have been the Sundown Bar inside. We dine indoors at the in-house Lands End restaurant, named after the moniker given to the Victoria Docks area in the 1840s by Victorian engineer George Bidder as the hotel aims to value traditions and heritage, and on a related note the menu is full of old-school classics like fish and chips. I opt for a Caesar salad with smoked chicken, followed by vanilla panna cotta, an oasis of white in a moat of strawberry consommé, like the Sunborn in its watery surroundings. Service is excellent, and we pop outside again after dinner, towering buildings and cable cars now illuminated against the night sky. The following morning I head back out after a buffet breakfast in the restaurant.
Budget or boutique
Prices are at the lower end of the scale for London, and you could argue the hotel’s unique proposition of being on a yacht is in some ways boutique. The 1980s-style decor might be seen by some as kitsch and not quite fit the brief for others seeking a highly trendy or luxurious hotel right in the city centre. However, the Sunborn offers a sense of calm away from the metropolis.
Little extras
Arriving at my room I am welcomed by a plate of mini patisserie treats on the coffee table. After checking out I take a boat from Greenwich, travelling over the water back to central London, getting me closer to my 1980s pop video dreams after all. To paraphrase Duran Duran, “When the Sunborn shines, she really shows you all she can”.
Sunborn London offers a nightly rate from £129 based on two sharing a Yacht Classic Room. Sunborn London, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1AA, tel: 0203 714 8111, www.sunbornlondon.com.