The Dixon, Tower Bridge, Autograph Collection in London [In-depth Review]

Autograph Collection is one of my favorite brands under the Marriott umbrella. In my experience, Autograph’s boutique-style and typically unique properties provide the best value for luxury.

It’s one of my aims to stay at every Autograph Collection property, with a plan to rank them all from best to worst. I’ve still got a long way to go, so when I was visiting London earlier in the year, I booked a couple of nights at one of London’s Autograph properties: The Dixon, Tower Bridge, Autograph Collection.

I was very much looking forward to my stay, as I’d wanted to check it out for a while after hearing good things from friends and industry colleagues.

Read on to see what I thought.

Hotel Location

If you’re planning a visit to London as a tourist, The Dixon’s location is far enough from the over-priced “central” hotels surrounded by tourist hustle and bustle, but still within walking distance of points of interest including the Shard, Tower Bridge, and Bermondsey High Street.

The building dates back to 1905 when it was erected as the Tower Bridge Magistrates Court, which it still resembles today over 120 years later.

The Dixon has a total of 193 quirkily-designed rooms and suites.

London Bridge is the closest mainline and Tube station, which is connected to direct mainline rail services to Gatwick and Luton Airport and is also served by the Bakerloo, Jubilee, and Northern Tube lines.

Booking

When booking a Marriott property, I always head straight to marriott.com.

The most important reason for this is that my Marriott Bonvoy elite status will be honored, meaning I’m guaranteed to make the most of perks and benefits and the points and Elite Night Credits that I’m entitled to.

You also always have various rate options to choose from.

I oped for the special “Stay Longer On Us” rate which gave me 3 nights (without breakfast) in a Dixon King Room for a total of £464 (~$567) — a price I was more than happy to pay for a luxury hotel in London over a weekend.

As usual, there were different rates with varying features, including whether the booking had cancellation and change restrictions or breakfast included, for example.

I could have saved £10 (~$12) per night if I’d paid online rather than at the hotel. But given that London was in the middle of another wave of coronavirus at the time, I didn’t want to risk any last-minute travel bans ruining my trip and losing me money.

As a note, including breakfast in your rate when booking hotel stays isn’t always a good deal. It would have been an additional £60 ($74) per night to include breakfast for this stay. In a city like London where there are breakfast and brunch places galore, it would have been a real shame to pay so much for a hotel breakfast.

To pay, I used my U.K. Marriott card, which earned me 6 points per pound spent. For U.S.-based travelers, the equivalent is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, which also earns 6x per dollar on Marriott stays.

Hot Tip: If you prefer to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points on your stay, The Dixon runs around 40,000 to 60,000 points per night. Check out our guide to the best Autograph Collection hotels to book with points for more ideas!

Checking In

I was welcomed with an incredible view. By the first impression from the grand entrance and stairway, I knew immediately that I’d enjoy my stay.

I arrived just after 10 a.m. in the morning and wasn’t expecting to be able to check-in for a while. However, Barbara at reception was happy to inform me that my room was ready. She proceeded to take a £100 deposit required for any incidentals.

Already impressed by the super-early check-in, the cherry on my Dixon cake was Barbara telling me that my (then) Marriott Bonvoy Gold status had snagged me an upgrade to a Superior Room. 

I headed straight to my room and noticed this little design quirk by the elevator that honored the hotel’s rich history as a magistrate’s court and police station.

Amenities

I rarely choose a hotel that doesn’t have some form of fitness center. However, I was only staying for 3 nights and I had my trusty resistance bands with me, so the fact that The Dixon doesn’t have a gym didn’t put me off on this occasion.

In terms of other amenities, the hotel has 3 eating and drinking spots: Provisioners Restaurant, Courtroom Bar, and Shakedown Café, which I’ll detail later.

COVID-19 Protocols

During my January 2022 stay, COVID-19 infections in London were spiking, so various protocols were still in place.

This included a tissue box in the elevator — something I’d never seen before.

And a sign explaining that masks should be worn by unvaccinated guests, whereas vaccinated guests could opt not to wear them.

The Room

I was assigned Room 330 on the third floor.

Bedroom

First impressions of the space were of… the space. I was impressed with the size of my Superior Room given that hotel rooms in big cities such as London and New York tend to be on the smaller size.

The color theme throughout was a mixture of cool industrial tones and shades of gray, while the warmth of bright yellow furnishings made for a cozy balance.

The king-sized bed was the real centerpiece of the room. The bright yellow headboard and pillows were a welcome quirk.

Nightstands with overhanging lamps were located in front of a small mirror on each side of the bed. Light switches for the room and power outlets, including USB ports, were also within arms’ length of the bed on both sides.

A telephone, notepad and pen, and a book on Autograph Collection Hotels (that happened to make its way into my backpack and onto my coffee table at home) could be found at the nightstand to the right of the bed.

Thanks to the huge window (another rarity in London hotels), the TV was hung off-center to the bed on the opposite wall.

In the name of design and practicality, the mirrored bathroom door could slide across to the left to double up as the main wardrobe door.

Inside the right-hand side of the wardrobe were a set of plush robes, a few hangers, a space designated for luggage, and a safety deposit box, as well as a light for easier browsing.

A drawer underneath the safety deposit box opened up to reveal Dixon-branded slippers and a hairdryer bag.

Inside the smaller side were an ironing board, iron, and a box containing a laundry bag.

A seating area with canary yellow armchairs and an accompanying table was set against the wall opposite the bathroom.

To the left of all the yellow was another storage unit for drink-making purposes. There was a fridge with 2 complimentary bottles of water, but no full minibar.

However, despite the absent minibar, I’m happy to report that the all-important coffee machine wasn’t missing.

Coffee capsules and a selection of teas, milk, and sugar could be found in a cute little Dixon-branded box.

Bathroom

The entrance to the bathroom was to the left-hand side of the bed through a mirrored sliding door.

I loved the brightness of the room. Similar to the bedroom, the color palette was fresh and neutral but this time mainly in white. The little design elements such as marbled walls, hexagonal floor tiles and mirror, and subtle black accents pulled the room together perfectly.

It was also a good size for a London hotel bathroom.

The back wall of the large walk-in shower unit being clad with the same hexagonal tiles used on the floor gave an even greater illusion of space.

The rainfall shower head was plenty powerful.

When I checked into the room, I could smell a mild sewage smell in the bathroom that got stronger in the shower unit. The unpleasant odor disappeared after reporting it to reception, who sent up a member of the maintenance team to solve the issue while I was out.

A huge, well-lit mirror acted as a backdrop to the fresh white sink area.

To the left of the sink was a nicely-presented selection of Murdock shower products, including shower gel, hair shampoo, a small bar of soap, and body milk for afterward.

And in the little Dixon-branded box was a shower cap, shoe mitt, sanitary bag, and vanity kit (nail file, cotton pads, and cotton buds).

Yes, I’m a fan of the Dixon branding, but not when it’s on 4 pieces of single-use plastic that could have been avoided, as the items could have easily been kept clean in the box on their own.

To finish off our bathroom tour, here’s a pic of 2 tumblers complete with, of course, Dixon-branded coasters.

Food and Beverage

The hotel’s 3 eating and drinking establishments were all found on the hotel’s main split-level ground floor. You can find your way easily thanks to well-placed signs throughout.

Provisioners Restaurant

The main restaurant, Provisioners, is where breakfast is served every morning. On Saturdays and Sundays, brunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Provisioners had an upscale diner feel that worked really well.

The feel was mainly owing to the combination of its booth-style seating and quirky yet understated furnishings and colors.

There was a small breakfast buffet area near the kitchen of the restaurant.

As I opted for a rate that didn’t include breakfast, I planned on brunch catch-ups with friends. And to be honest, the added $74 per day it would have cost me for breakfast is very poor value for money in a city where there are so many choices.

After dumping my bags in the room and getting lots of snaps while it still looked pristine, I headed to the restaurant as I was starving and wanted to check out what was on offer.

As often is the case at hotel breakfasts, I was asked my room number when arriving at Provisioners. I explained that I’d just checked in and I didn’t have breakfast included in my rate. The waiter then told me it would be £22 (~$27) for the breakfast buffet.

I didn’t want the buffet, rather just a portion of eggs on toast (shock) or something similar. Instead, he tried to convince me that it was better value for me to get the buffet, which came across as a bit pushy. He seemed to want to push that on me, rather than let me order from the itemized menu.

I ordered scrambled eggs, salmon, and spinach from the à la carte menu. When it arrived there was no bread or toast, so I ordered some as an additional side.

I paid £13.84 (~$17) — including a 12.5% service charge — for the food and a double espresso. At $10 less than the breakfast buffet that I didn’t want to eat, I found it to be far better value for money. I wasn’t charged for the toast, either.

Shakedown Café

Shakedown Café is in the same space as Provisioners, albeit partially separated by an entrance door concealed by a curtain.

The same theme of a modern British take on a diner followed through into Shakedown.

Guests could choose to sit at the bar and grab a drink.

Or park up in a window seat to watch the world go by.

I liked that chess lovers could play a game while having a drink or a spot of lunch. Very sophisticated indeed.

Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Shakedown Café serves up an express lunch: 2 courses for £18.95 (~$23) or 3 courses for £22.50 (~$28). From my experience of eating out for lunch in the U.S. and the prices I paid recently in cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, this is very good value in comparison.

On my first day at The Dixon, I headed to Shakedown to meet up with my friend Laura to do some remote working together. She’d been sat in the café for over half an hour and nobody had been over to ask if she’d like anything to eat or drink.

I gave it another 15 minutes after I arrived and still, nobody came to see us. I ended up going over to the server (who was standing around by the cash register) and ordering each of us an açaí smoothie. Having both lived in Brazil, açaí (the berries from a type of palm tree found in Brazil) is a favorite of ours.

As I’d just had brunch, I wasn’t ready for lunch, but Laura went for the 2-course express lunch menu. The same server who’d initially failed to come and take our order then brought her a salad instead of the burrata starter that she’d ordered.

By this point, it was around 1 p.m. and apparently was shift-change time as our very inactive waiter was replaced by a very proactive Brazilian. He turned the whole experience around with his attentiveness and customer service. We explained the situation with the starter mix-up and he swapped the salad for the burrata immediately.

It was far too early in the workday for a pint, but I was definitely tempted by the top selection of beer on draft.

Courtroom Bar

I saved my favorite spot in The Dixon until last: Courtroom Bar.

You can get to the Courtroom Bar through doors on either side of the main staircase in the grand lobby.

Following around to the left of the entrance takes you to the elevators, as well as Provisioners Restaurant and Shakedown Café.

A clear effort has been made to keep the space as true to its magistrate court history as possible.

I visited just once on my last night, where I was well looked- after by the barman on duty. The selection of spirits and wines was impressive.

It’s the perfect setting for a cozy evening meal away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The evening menu offered a selection of classic Italian dishes that you’d expect to find in any Italian restaurant in London.

Main courses range from £12 to £26.50 (~$14.70 to $32.50), which is pretty good value for a hotel restaurant — especially in London.

I’d been to The Garrison — one of my favorite London pubs — for a Sunday roast, so rather than eating again, I finished my Sunday off with a glass of red and did some writing before an early night.

I loved the wall hangings depicting some of the court’s convicts of times gone by.

Service

On the whole, the customer service I received at The Dixon was excellent.

I had originally planned a stay in December until the Omicron variant reared its ugly head. As it was so close to Christmas, I chose to postpone my trip to London. Unfortunately, I booked a very restricted rate, which meant that I shouldn’t have been able to change or cancel.

A few emails between myself and Barbara, Front Office Manager at The Dixon, later, and we were able to come to an arrangement. Given that London almost ground to halt again and as a gesture of good will, Barbara allowed me to postpone my visit through the end of January 2022.

After heading back to my room later in the afternoon, I found this welcome gift from Barbara — personal touches like these make all the difference in my opinion.

The small exception to the overall positive customer service I experienced was at Shakedown Café when we had to wait an unreasonably long time for a server to even acknowledge us.

I also found the breakfast host to be slightly overbearing when he tried to make me pay for a breakfast buffet when all I wanted was some eggs on toast.

All other interactions with staff around the hotel were pleasant and professional. Great job, team.

Final Thoughts

The Dixon, Tower Bridge, Autograph Collection is the epitome of an Autograph Collection hotel. I spent a memorable 3 nights in the effortless luxury of this boutique hotel that is still strongly connected with its past as a magistrate’s court.

Despite service hiccups at breakfast and at the Shakedown Café, the staff at The Dixon were a credit to the hotel and the Marriott group.

I loved the use of The Dixon branding which, again, gave the impression of a boutique hotel rather than a giant hotel chain.

So, would I stay here again? Absolutely. If the price is right, I would happily stay again at The Dixon in London.