Overview
First Impressions
Walking up to Tower Residences by Blue Orchid on Byward Street, you immediately get that “local secret” vibe — it’s tucked away in this quiet corner of the City of London where most tourists never venture. The building itself has this understated elegance that screams quality without trying too hard, which honestly sets the tone for everything else about this four-star property.
Location & Neighborhood
Here’s what I love about this spot — you’re literally a three-minute walk from the Tower of London, but you’re staying where actual Londoners work and live. During weekdays, Byward Street buzzes with city professionals grabbing coffee, then weekends it goes completely quiet (which means you actually get to sleep in). The Tower Bridge is right there when you want those Instagram shots, but you can also duck into proper pubs that haven’t been completely overrun by tour groups.
The Apartments
These aren’t your typical hotel rooms — they’re serviced apartments that actually make sense for how people travel now. Each apartment comes with a proper kitchen (not just a mini-fridge and kettle), which saved me a fortune on London dining prices. The room layouts feel spacious by London standards, with separate living areas that don’t make you feel like you’re living on top of your luggage. I mean, you can actually unpack and settle in properly.
Practical Details
The building has this quiet efficiency that I really appreciated — reliable Wi-Fi, excellent water pressure, and air conditioning that actually works (you’d be surprised how rare that is in London). There’s no on-site restaurant, but honestly that’s not a problem when you’ve got a full kitchen and Borough Market is a fifteen-minute walk away. Parking is available too, which is practically miraculous in this part of town, though I’d still recommend using public transport since you’re so well connected.
Why Guests Love It
What really sets Tower Residences apart is how it lets you live like a temporary Londoner rather than just another tourist passing through. You’re staying in the actual City of London — not some generic hotel district — so you get to experience the rhythm of this historic neighborhood. The staff clearly knows their regulars (lots of business travelers and longer-stay guests), which creates this relaxed, residential atmosphere that’s pretty rare in central London hotels.
Guest reviews
"brilliant, will be returning."
absolutly best location for my stayover and visit to the tower of London. The appartment was fantastic, plenty of space and very clean. Acess was easy and staff very helpful.
What could be improved: The entranceway and check in was very small and a little of an afterthought from what I remember. But other than that definatly will return, so long as can book the same space.
4 December 2025
"Nice hotel recommended for everyone looking for an affordable accomodation."
The Hotel is in very good location close to all public transportation. We enjoyed the view to the Tower Bridge from the livingroom. Our apartment was well equiped with fridge and coffemaker too. The hotel crew was very nice especially Aroona who welcomed us with a big smile. She was very friendly and professional.
23 November 2025
"Returning guest"
The staff are friendly and do their best to make the guests stay a positive one. The property is suited to longer stays.
What could be improved: The sofa bed is uncomfortable to sleep on for adults.
29 September 2025
"We’ll come back!"
Location, location, location…
Straight view over the London Tower and Tower Bridge from our apartment!
Fantastic staff, very friendly and making everything possible to make you feel comfortable. Aroona, in particular, was a daily ray of sunshine!
The apartment was very clean on arrival and Amit did very effective house keeping.
What could be improved: Nothing
15 September 2025
"Excellent location, staff amazing, great value for money"
Staff brilliant, location amazing, apartment great for 2 adults and 2 teen kids only think could suggest is a normal sofa in living room as well as sofa bed as plenty of room and would have made stay more comfortable.
29 August 2025
"Superb"
Height of the room and big windows with view
28 August 2025
"Excellent!"
Very well laid out and comfortable. Terrific view from the front room. Very clean and the beds were great. The staff were excellent and responded very well to my request for no scented products to be used, showing great awareness and understanding.
What could be improved: Nothing really, but do be aware if you are a UK citizen that you will be asked to show your passport on arrival. This was a surprise for me and I did not have it. Furthermore, I don’t drive so I had no driving license. In the end they accepted my bus pass, but it was a bit awkward and for someone who was born and lived my whole life in England, a bit of a shock.
14 August 2025
"Overall, the experience had both positives and drawbacks, but things were eventually resolved with the help of the frien"
All the staff at the stay were wonderful, so friendly, and incredibly helpful. They are the best hotel staff from my experience. Especially Arona and Roxana. When we arrived, our first room was not as booked and it was on Tower View which was very loud due to street noise, and we struggled to sleep. Arona and Roxana went out of their way to assist us and made sure we were moved to a much quieter city view room (as our original booking). Their kindness and willingness to help truly made a difference in our stay. Thank you so much, Arona and Roxana!
The room is clean, and in good-condition modern furniture. There is also an underground station near the stay.
What could be improved: Unfortunately, our stay didn't start off well. The room we were initially given was not the one we had booked as it faced Tower View and was extremely noisy due to heavy street traffic, making it very difficult to sleep for 3 nights in a row. Thankfully, with the kind help of Arona and Roxana, we were moved to a quieter city view room, as our original reservation and greatly improved our experience.
Also the stay location doesnt have much of shops or supermarkets around it and the lively streets of London is so far away.
12 August 2025
"Great location"
Great location, very convenient to attractions.
What could be improved: Unfortunately the entire apartment was not air conditioned. The bedroom had a portable unit, but the living room, which was used as a bedroom with a pull out couch only offered a single pedestal fan. If I would have know this I probably wouldn’t have booked this location in the summertime. We ended up propping open the bedroom door and setting the fan up to allow the air to flow through to the living room.
9 August 2025
"Great location n close to tower hill station"
Location is great!
What could be improved: The beds are hard n pillows weren’t good
2 July 2025
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