Hotel bedrooms overlooking busy railway stations

[The Prisoner]

Urban Loft hotel in Cologne is fantastic - views back to the station and cathedral. Trains literally right outside the window. View from room 232 and of the hotel from the train.

There is a roof terrace as well, just visible in the second pic.

 

[Iskra]

There’s a new Hyatt hotel opening in Leeds that I’m told is going to have at least one dedicated room aimed at trainspotters

 

[1D54]

Travelodge at Leicester overlooks all lines at the north end of the station.

 

[PavlosA]

I know you're looking for UK only, but one of the best views I've had is from the Tivoli Gardens hotel in Copenhagen. The north side of the north tower sits alongside the tracks into Copenhagen. Can't find a photo right now! But there are a ton of different trains (I'm no expert). The kids loved it!

 

[D6130]

I know you're looking for UK only, but one of the best views I've had is from the Tivoli Gardens hotel in Copenhagen. The north side of the north tower sits alongside the tracks into Copenhagen. Can't find a photo right now! But there are a ton of different trains (I'm no expert). The kids loved it!

On the contrary....if you scroll upthread you will find that this thread features hotels with railway views from all over the World!

 

[BazingaTribe]

In that case I vote for the hostel I stayed in on my first visit to Prague, the Vesna (Spring, as in the season), and the Aurora opposite Rīga station, where the trams rattled the windows as well.

Hostels aren't known for their well-appointed rooms, and you couldn't so much see the trains as hear them and the station announcements in Czech, but they served their purpose in my broke student interrail backpacking days, especially because I could roll out of them early in the morning and just throw on something over my pyjama shirt to get on the move.

They were one step up from sleeping on the train itself, which was never actually that comfortable for me (unless I just conked out from sheer exhaustion) as I'm definitely the Princess and the Pea when it comes to sleeping arrangements. Everything has to be just so.

In Windsor tonight myself and the sound of the late night trains at the station next door is drowned out by music .

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Stayed at the Tivoli Oriente hotel next to Lisbon Oriente station on Monday night - I needed to be at the airport for an early flight - but with a rather nice 16th storey Sky Bar and outdoor terrace giving an excellent view of proceedings. On a similar theme, aDLERS Hotel in Innsbruck, virtually at the Salzburg end of the platforms, has a Sky Bar and terrace - and if you a get a room on the right side an excellent view of the station throat. You also get to view aircraft coming in to land on the rather tricky approach to the airport.

 

[irp]

While you won't see trains, The Hilton London Paddington (formerly the Great Western Royal Hotel) at Paddington does have great views of Brunel's Wonderful Trainshed roof. As others have said, don't ask me for room numbers - I simply got lucky a year or two ago!

 

[Springs Branch]

In Melbourne, Australia, there are several high-rise hotels along Flinders Street (the thoroughfare) overlooking Flinders St (the busy city railway station).

I've stayed at both the Doubletree Hilton and the Rendezvous hotels, both of these in rooms with good station views. There are other hotels too (e.g. The Vibe Melbourne); I suspect the further west along Flinders Street you stay, the better view you get of the trains, as you will be beyond the station buildings.

Not everybody is as impressed as RUK Forum members might be. One of the TripAdvisor reviews for the Rendezvous hotel is titled "Like Clapham Junction. Poor noise reduction"

 

[Merthyr Imp]

While you won't see trains, The Hilton London Paddington (formerly the Great Western Royal Hotel) at Paddington does have great views of Brunel's Wonderful Trainshed roof. As others have said, don't ask me for room numbers - I simply got lucky a year or two ago!

We had this view six years ago:

 

[52290]

Are we allowed to go international, and rather nostalgic?

If so, Regua, in the Douro Valley, Portugal, had a hotel just over the road from the dual-gauge loco shed - about 80 yards distant. Back in the day (like 50 years ago) it cost about £2 a night.

Last time I looked on the net, Regua has gone all up market. Still got a station, but the narrow gauge has gone to the graveyard. Was wonderful - if not too busy for large parts of the day.

Here's a view from my bedroom in the Regua hotel, with a view like that who needs the Douro? One drawback was that the 2-8-0 on the extreme left of the picture would back on to its freight train to Porto at about midnight and would blow off steam till it departed at 1.00am.
If we were travelling on the mixed train to Pocinho next day that departed at 7.05am. I took this photo in 1969, I think.

 

[davyp]

Holiday Inn Express Southwark in rooms 3rd floor upwards within 5 metres of the many tracks into Blackfriars from the South. 3rd floor you can see eye-to-eye with the people in the trains.
Helped Mrs DavyP to understand that our 2 trains per hour at the bottom of our garden did not make it 'busy'

 

[70014IronDuke]

Here's a view from my bedroom in the Regua hotel, with a view like that who needs the Douro? One drawback was that the 2-8-0 on the extreme left of the picture would back on to its freight train to Porto at about midnight and would blow off steam till it departed at 1.00am.
If we were travelling on the mixed train to Pocinho next day that departed at 7.05am. I took this photo in 1969, I think.

Ah, the memories! And those handsome Henschel "B12"s.

I could well have utilised the same room on occasion in 71, 72 and 73.

Come to think of it, it must have been you who inscribed "52290 was here" on the bedpost?


I think I was too shattered (and wined) to be woken up at midnight by any over-fired 2-8-0s.

 

[52290]

Ah, the memories! And those handsome Henschel "B12"s.

I could well have utilised the same room on occasion in 71, 72 and 73.

Come to think of it, it must have been you who inscribed "52290 was here" on the bedpost?


I think I was too shattered (and wined) to be woken up at midnight by any over-fired 2-8-0s.

In the early 1970's I did share a room with another British enthusiast in order to get a cheaper rate, below the £2 for single occupancy. It wasn't you, was it?
At that time it was the law that all restaurants in Portugal had to serve a carafe of local wine to each diner, a non-alcoholic drink was available but not highly promoted. So getting squiffy was usual!
My photo shows one of the Henschel outside cylinder 4-6-0's passing the hotel with a freight. Also visible are a couple of the English Electric diesels that todays enthusiasts are fond of.

 

[70014IronDuke]

In the early 1970's I did share a room with another British enthusiast in order to get a cheaper rate, below the £2 for single occupancy. It wasn't you, was it?

Had we met, I'm sure I'd have been up for it, but I'm fairly sure it wasn't me. In fact, I can't remember ever meeting a single enthusiast of any nation in Portugal or Spain in my several forays there from 71 to 75. (Well, except my pal Steve, who I lost one evening in Tua in '72. I slept in a ng carriage, I think he said he slept in a pipe when we ran into each other the next morning! I think I chose the better quarters. )

As it happens, I found my diary from 71 yesterday, and leafing through, it would appear I only spent one night in Regua - on Friday- Sat, July 9 - 10. I remember the pacific 501 (?) was on Regua shed, probably on the Saturday morning. It was scrapped after an accident by the time I went again in '72.

At that time it was the law that all restaurants in Portugal had to serve a carafe of local wine to each diner, a non-alcoholic drink was available but not highly promoted. So getting squiffy was usual!

I didn't know that. Or if I did, I've forgotten it - probably because of the law's very existence

My photo shows one of the Henschel outside cylinder 4-6-0's passing the hotel with a freight. Also visible are a couple of the English Electric diesels that todays enthusiasts are fond of.

Very nice. Looks to be about 11.00 in the morning, at a guess? (I think Regua was roughly on an east-west axis.) Was this a mixed train?

 

[Chilternblue]

Shinjuku Prince Hotel has good views over northern end of Shinjuku’s main station, very busy even at ten o’clock at night.

 

[Iskra]

The Hyatt in Leeds has this (and presumably other) views of Leeds station.

 

[Chorley Cake]

Can’t believe nobody has mentioned The Blenheim in Dawlish. Only two lines but wonderful views of the line and IETs pass through quite quickly.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Most German InterCity hotels have track facing rooms.

 

[60159]

Don’t think anyone has mentioned the newish Premier Inn to the east of Cardiff station.
Difficult to get numbers but I reckon rooms107-9 would be at track level. Also near 2 ’Spoons.

 

[Iskra]

The Hyatt in Leeds has this (and presumably other) views of Leeds station.

View attachment 176094View attachment 176099

I’ve found myself here again, and it has a rooftop bar/restaurant with even better views of the railway and the city of Leeds.

 

[parkender102]

Not quite in the same league but the Premier Inn at Vauxhall overlooks the approaches to Vauxhall station

I think it's the Travelodge in Vauxhall as I've stayed there. Unfortunately for me our room faced the Bus Station but my son and his girlfriend had a 3rd Floor Room overlooking Vauxhall Station Platforms. Next time we stayed there we were in a Railway Station Side room but only on 1st floor so the only view we had was the brick wall below the station! Note to self - next time I check in I'll ask for a Railway Station Side room 3rd Floor or above!

 

[LickeyIncliner]

We had this view from the Hilton Carlton in Edinburgh in 2017:

View attachment 161042

The Edinburgh Leonardo (formerly Jury's Inn) is just out of shot to the right and may have an even better view from rooms at the front ?

 

[Sealink]

Not sure if you can specifically request them, but The Grasshoppers Hotel at Glasgow Central has some rooms overlooking the fantastic glazed roof of Central Station.
EDIT: IT'S CLOSED!