Sea Containers London has always had one of the best positions on the South Bank: it’s located right on the banks of the Thames, with river views stretching towards St. Paul’s Cathedral, Blackfriars, and the City beyond.
Now, after an early-2026 renovation by Jacu Strauss, the hotel’s Thames Suites are even more inviting. Each faces towards the Thames, which is framed from both the bed and the living space, giving you a greater sense of place – and space. These stretching riverside views are more than just something you glance at when you check in, they’re a central part of your stay.
With curved furniture, low lighting, apartment-style living spaces – and that Thames view – a stay in the hotel’s river-facing suites is calming and offers the best of two worlds: you’ll feel like you have all of London at your fingertips (you do!) but minus any of the busyness and hassle that often comes with a central London stay.
You'll feel the buzz of the South Bank around you, but once you’re inside it's easy to relax and slip into a slower pace of life.
Outside, the South Bank is doing what it does best: riverside walkers, tourists with cameras, post-work drinkers and Londoners moving between theatres, restaurants and bars. Inside, the mood shifts, becoming instantly more relaxed. Sleek and low-lit, the hotel’s design nods to its riverside setting without ever feeling overdone. You’ll still feel the buzz of the South Bank around you, but once you’re inside it’s easy to relax and slip into a slower pace of life.
Each suite centres the river, and I found myself looking up at it constantly.
Like the hotel itself, the new Thames Suites are anchored by the Thames; each centres the river and I found myself looking up at it constantly. Boats pass by slowly, St. Paul’s sits across the water. By night, with the lights low in the room, the view truly comes alive. Once you’ve had your initial fill of river-watching, you’ll start to notice the design details throughout the room, which feels like a stylish residential apartment. There’s a proper living area and a layout that gives the space a natural sense of flow. It’s easy to imagine yourself staying here long-term: answering emails from the sofa, having a drink (with a view) before dinner, dining with loved ones on the balcony, and going to bed knowing you have London on your doorstep once you wake up. Across the hotel’s 59 suites, there’s a nautical story in the details: tabletops and counters are crafted from recycled plastics – materials once destined for the sea and now reborn as refined terrazzo-style surfaces. There are Phaidon coffee-table books, layered textures and enough space to properly settle into.
By the time we arrived at 12th Knot, there was a DJ playing and the room had shifted into full weekend mode.
The best thing about Sea Containers is that you can make a whole night of it without needing to leave the hotel. Start at Lyaness, the award-winning cocktail bar from Ryan Chetiyawardana (better known as Mr Lyan) and his team. Set right on the river, it feels very ‘London’ – low-lit, moody and intimate. The menu steps away from traditional cocktails, instead centring ingredients and ideas: let the team know what you like, and they’ll steer you in the right direction. Come for one before dinner, or do as many people around us seemed to be doing, and settle in for the night. 12th Knot is where the evening gets louder; this rooftop bar and terrace has panoramic views across the Thames and a much more energetic feel. By the time we arrived, there was a DJ playing and the room had shifted into full weekend mode.
Sea Containers Restaurant is the hotel’s main dining room, and the most relaxed of the food and drink spaces, serving an American-British-inspired menu built around seasonal, ingredient-led cooking, with dishes designed for sharing. Breakfast is served here too. For something more low-key, room service is worth considering too. Steak and a martini in the suite, curtains open to the Thames, is exactly the kind of staycation cliché I’m happy to endorse.
Near the lifts, still and sparkling water stations are available for guests, with a note in the room encouraging you to stay hydrated. It’s a simple touch, but a useful one – especially in a hotel where a good cocktail is never far away. Jacu Strauss, Creative Director and Designer of Lore Group – and designer of the hotel’s new suites, reflects on this saying, “people stay differently now. They stay longer, they work from their rooms, they invite friends for a drink.” You can feel that thinking throughout this hotel, which truly feels like a home from home.
You could plan an entire stay around the hotel itself. Start with weekend brunch, check what’s on at the spa, and end at the hotel’s in-house cinema, which makes a low-effort evening feel special.
You could plan an entire stay around the hotel itself. Start with weekend brunch at Sea Containers Restaurant, where the riverside setting does a lot of the heavy lifting and dishes come served with bottomless drinks (should you wish), including Prosecco, Bloody Marys or Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée. For something slower, check what’s on at agua Studio, the hotel’s new dedicated wellness space within agua Spa. There’s also Curzon Sea Containers, the hotel’s in-house cinema, which makes a low-effort evening feel special.
That said, the best way to do Sea Containers might be not to over-plan it. Book brunch, take a slow walk along the Thames, come back for cocktails, then retreat upstairs and let the view from your suite do the rest.
Thames Suites start from £600 per night
Address: Sea Containers London, 20 Upper Ground, South Bank, London, SE1 9PD
Tel: 020 3747 1000
Instagram: @seacontainersldn
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