Arkliving Avis 

I stayed at ARK Canary Wharf from 4-6 September and was extremely disappointed by the lack of support provided after receiving a parking charge due to incorrect information given by hotel staff.

When we arrived, our sat nav directed us to Millwall Dock near the hotel. We were concerned by the signs stating "permit holders only", so my husband went into reception to ask where we could stop whilst checking in and unloading our luggage. I remained with the vehicle at all times.

The receptionist specifically advised that guests were permitted to stop there for up to 30 minutes to unload and check in. Based on that advice, we unloaded our luggage, collected the parking permit from reception, and then moved the vehicle to the underground car park for the remainder of our stay.

To make absolutely sure, I asked again when returning through reception and was once more told that there was a 30-minute grace period. The following morning I raised the question with another member of reception staff and received exactly the same response.

Despite following the instructions provided by ARK staff, I have now received a £100 parking charge for being there for just 17 minutes whilst checking in and unloading.

What has made matters worse is that I have now sent two emails to ARK requesting assistance and asking them to confirm the advice given by their staff, yet I have received no response whatsoever.

Mistakes happen, but when guests rely on information provided by reception staff, the hotel should take responsibility and support them when that information results in a financial penalty. The complete lack of communication following my emails has been extremely frustrating and disappointing.

Until this issue is resolved, I cannot recommend staying here if you are arriving by car. Be very careful where you stop, regardless of any advice you may receive from reception.

⭐ 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.