Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much when I first walked up to COVE Cannon Street – I mean, it’s tucked between all these glass office towers in the heart of the City, and you know how sterile that area can feel. But the moment I stepped inside, there was this immediate sense that someone actually thought about design here. The lobby has this warm, sophisticated vibe that feels more like a really good friend’s apartment than your typical business hotel.
What really got me was how they’ve managed to create this oasis right in the middle of London’s financial district. You’re literally a two-minute walk from Bank station (which, let’s be honest, is a godsend when you’re juggling luggage), and St. Paul’s Cathedral is just sitting there across the way like some magnificent backdrop. The rooms themselves are surprisingly spacious for London – I actually had enough space to fully open my suitcase without doing some weird furniture tetris game. The beds are properly comfortable too, not just Instagram-pretty, and the blackout curtains actually work, which is crucial because the City never really sleeps. There’s this attention to detail that you notice gradually… like how the bathroom lighting doesn’t blind you at 3am, or how the air conditioning doesn’t sound like a helicopter landing.
Here’s the thing that surprised me most – evenings and weekends, when all the suits disappear back to their suburbs, this whole area transforms into something almost peaceful. You can actually hear yourself think, which is rare in central London. The hotel staff seem to get this too; they’re helpful without being pushy, and they know the neighborhood well enough to point you toward that little wine bar on Watling Street or the best coffee shop that’s not a chain (it’s just around the corner on King William Street, by the way). The only minor gripe I’d have is that parking around here is basically non-existent – but honestly, if you’re driving in the City of London, you’re doing it wrong anyway. The location works brilliantly if you’re here for business obviously, but it’s also this perfect base for exploring because you’re genuinely central to everything. Borough Market is a pleasant walk across the river, Covent Garden is fifteen minutes on the tube, and you can walk to the Tower of London if you’re feeling energetic. I keep coming back here partly because it feels like staying somewhere that locals might actually recommend, not just another hotel that looks good in photos but disappoints in person.