A Review of Sunborn Yacht Hotel in London

A LUXURY SUPERYACHT HOTEL; WHAT MORE IS THERE TO SAY?

Step on board and be transported to a sea-faring adventure without having to leave London. Enjoy a house created cocktail in the bar whilst overlooking the River Thames, or relax in your elegant, river-view room.

Bursting with history, and full of endless things to see and do, London attracts close to 17 million tourists each year, not to mention the millions who call it home.

A city as busy as London has no shortage of accommodation options, yet there’s only one hotel which provides guests with the opportunity to stay onboard a luxury super yacht.

Sunborn Yacht is moored to Victoria Dock, close to the O2 Arena, and has stunning views from the deck across to the sparkling high-rise skyline of the City.

The yacht is located close to Canary Wharf (home of the financial district), and is right next to the Excel entertainment complex, and public transport lines. Whether staying in London for business or leisure, Sunborn Yacht is in the perfect location, guaranteed to enhance your London experience.

Walking from Victoria Dock DLR station along the Thames, we couldn’t help but smile when we saw the lit-up outline of the yacht, moored to the dock, thinking that it would be our home for the night.

The moment we stepped aboard we were dazzled by the stunning chandelier hung above the central spiral staircase. Walking around the yacht you’re greeted at all angles with views across either the Thames, or the dock.

The hotel has 109 rooms and suites on board, each with a view of either the River Thames, or Victoria Dock.

We stayed in an executive room. The room was spacious, and the bed was very comfortable. Truffles had been left on the coffee table, and we were impressed with the standard of sleek, yet understated furnishings and amenities in the room.

Some of the small touches included an espresso machine, WiFi, and a tablet computer for guests to use with compliments; handy additions for those needing to stay connected for work, or to plan their activities. Our room had a balcony on the river side of the yacht, and trust me, the novelty of being on a boat didn’t wear off.

Even out of the room, there were plenty of reminders throughout the hotel that whilst permanently moored, we were staying on a yacht. From the sleek corridors with electronic sliding glass doors, to the large windows in the restaurant, bar and conference rooms which provide a view over the river.

Arriving later in the evening, one of our first stops was the bar, located around from reception. The bar serves a selection of house-created and sea themed cocktails, which were decadently delicious.

If being adventurous isn’t your style, there is a good selection of classic options available as well. The bar leads out onto the deck, which on a fine day would make the perfect place for a lazy afternoon drink.

After relaxing in the bar, we made our way up to the Lands End restaurant where we were greeted and shown to our table promptly, despite arriving early.

The experience in the Lands End restaurant was the highlight of our trip. The service was spectacular, the wine was lovely, and the food was both delicious and generous in portion.

For a starter I ordered scallops, making the most of the sea-faring theme, and they were cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Stealing some of my partner’s salmon gravadlax, I could tell that the quality of the dishes was consistent across the board.

Following the starters I ordered the lamb cannon, and Marcus ordered the braised ox cheek. Again, the food was spectacular. The lamb was cooked to a luscious pink, and the ox cheek meat was slow cooked to a perfect point where the meat was falling off in delicious shreds.

Almost full, we weren’t about to pass on dessert. Not hungry enough for the rich-sounding chocolate fondant which would have been my first choice, I opted for the glazed lemon tart, and Marcus went for the almond and pear tart. Both dishes were simply crafted, yet offered mouthfuls of guilty pleasure.

Making our way back to our room, our only regret was not being able to sample more of the dishes from the menu.

We enjoyed a very comfortable night’s sleep, and awoke refreshed, stepping out on to the balcony for a quick hit of fresh air before heading back to the restaurant for breakfast.

We were shown to a table by the windows by a host, and were offered tea or coffee. Our request for cappuccinos over cafetiere coffee was more than happily accommodated. A full continental and English breakfast was available for self service, with a generous selection of hot breakfast items, as well as cold deli meats and fish, cheeses, pastries, cereals and fruit. Again, we were very impressed with both the selection and quality of food on offer.

Following breakfast, we readied for check-out, and walked down the stunning staircase for the last time.

For those wanting to splurge a little and enjoy something different during their stay in London, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Sunborn Yacht.

You’ll be well looked after, certainly well fed, and have easy access to all that London has to offer whilst being out of the hustle and bustle of the centre of the city. Oh, and you’re spending the night on a super yacht, I think that’s pretty cool in itself.

To see more photographs from our trip to Sunborn Yacht Hotel, visit our Flickr album here.

Alex Sanchez

Alex Sanchez is the founder, CEO, and publisher of Qosy Magazine. In his own word, Alex is "passionate about the little touches that separate good things from great things." Email Alex at [email protected] for all things luxury or if you think you might be useful to our readers.