WTM London Guide 2026
– 11 min read
Where to stay, book a business dinner and see the city around World Travel Market — with practical advice for getting to ExCeL.
A productive WTM visit starts with a map. A breakfast in Piccadilly, meetings at ExCeL and dinner in Mayfair can fit into the same day, but each commitment needs its own travel allowance. Choosing a hotel by its nearest useful station, rather than its distance from central London, makes the schedule considerably easier.
This WTM London guide brings together six hotels, restaurants for different kinds of meetings, three evening bars and cultural stops worth allocating time to. The principle is straightforward: keep exhibition days geographically efficient, and reserve museums and longer walks for a genuine gap in the diary.
Updated 2 November 2026.
WTM London Guide: Dates and Essential Information
WTM London takes place on 3–5 November 2026 at ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL. Visitor opening hours are as follows; all times are local to London. World Travel Market Events
ExCeL also lists a Networking Party on Tuesday from 17:00 to 19:30. Check that commitment before accepting an early dinner invitation elsewhere.
Register online and print your badge before arrival. WTM’s visitor guidance states that there will be no ticket-printing facilities on site; do not assume that showing the confirmation email on a phone will be sufficient. Visitor registration costs £79 plus VAT through 2 November, rising to £99 plus VAT from 3 November. Buyers who meet the organiser’s qualification criteria attend free following approval.
Download the official WTM app for interactive floorplans, exhibitor information and programme updates. Access to WTM Connect Me, the meeting-booking platform, is separate: it is available to exhibitors, vetted buyers, media and Trade Plus attendees, rather than automatically to every visitor. Exhibitors should follow their own registration and access instructions.
International visitors should also use the GOV.UK checker to establish whether they require a visa or electronic travel authorisation. Requirements depend on nationality and individual circumstances.
Getting to ExCeL for World Travel Market
For many central London hotels, the simplest route is the Elizabeth line to Custom House, followed by the signed approach to ExCeL’s west entrance. From central stations, take an eastbound service towards Abbey Wood, not Shenfield. Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf are useful departure points.
From Heathrow, an Abbey Wood-bound Elizabeth line service provides a direct connection to Custom House. Check the destination display rather than boarding the first available train. For journeys using the Jubilee line, change at Canning Town onto a Beckton-bound DLR service. WTM specifically advises DLR passengers to use Prince Regent for the east entrance.
Contactless payment or Oyster avoids buying individual tickets. Use the same physical card or the same device to touch in and out: a bank card and that card’s mobile-wallet version should not be mixed within one journey. Overseas card charges may apply.
Calculate the journey from the hotel door to the correct exhibition entrance, not simply between stations. Include the walk to the platform, the approach to the building and time to find the stand. As a planning allowance, aim to reach ExCeL 20–30 minutes before the first appointment.
Check TfL before departure each morning, particularly for service changes and step-free access requirements. A route that works on the map still needs checking on the day.
Where to Stay: Choose the Commute Before the Room
Start with the first and last commitments in the diary. An exhibitor spending three full days on a stand has different priorities from a visitor combining WTM with meetings across London.
Sunborn London Yacht Hotel — Royal Victoria Dock
Sunborn’s principal advantage is its position beside ExCeL. The moored yacht hotel is a short walk from the venue, with Lands End Restaurant and Sundown Bar on board. Choose it when reducing the morning journey matters more than staying near West End restaurants. Walk to the west entrance, but still allow time to cross the exhibition complex.
London Marriott Hotel Canary Wharf — West India Quay
A practical choice for colleagues travelling together, with meeting facilities, Manhattan Grill and the G&Tea Lounge on site. Its West India Quay address also places evening plans within the Canary Wharf area. For WTM, walk to Canary Wharf’s Elizabeth line station and take the Abbey Wood-bound train to Custom House; account for the station walk as well as the rail journey.
Pan Pacific London — Liverpool Street
Pan Pacific’s Houndsditch address makes it a useful City base. The hotel is close to Liverpool Street, with a direct Elizabeth line journey to Custom House. It suits visitors whose appointments extend beyond WTM into the City. The hotel quotes a two-minute walk to the station, but reaching the Elizabeth line platforms requires additional time.
Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge — Trinity Square
The hotel occupies the former Port of London Authority headquarters, a Beaux-Arts building opened in 1922. Choose it for its historic setting and proximity to the Tower of London rather than an Elizabeth line connection. A practical exhibition route is to walk to Tower Gateway and take a Beckton-bound DLR service to Prince Regent.
Claridge’s combines Victorian and Art Deco interiors at its Brook Street address, with Mayfair restaurants and shops nearby. For WTM, walk to Bond Street and use the Elizabeth line to Custom House. This is the option for readers whose evenings are centred on Mayfair and who are prepared to give the morning journey more time than a Docklands stay requires.
The Savoy’s Edwardian and Art Deco rooms suit a trip that includes theatre and central London dining alongside the exhibition. Its Strand location is less direct for WTM than Liverpool Street. One workable route is from Embankment on the District line to Whitechapel, changing there for an Abbey Wood-bound Elizabeth line service to Custom House.
Breakfast Meetings and Restaurants Near ExCeL
Keep breakfast close to the hotel or the exhibition. Crossing London for a short meeting introduces an unnecessary dependency before the working day has begun.
The Wolseley, Piccadilly — for an early central London breakfast
Weekday breakfast begins at 07:00, with pastries, egg dishes, kedgeree and a full English among the options. Reserve a table and agree a finishing time with your guest. This works particularly well for two people already staying in the West End; it is a less sensible rendezvous when one is based beside ExCeL. A private dining room is available by arrangement.
Lands End Restaurant, Sunborn London — for a meeting near the venue
The restaurant aboard Sunborn avoids a journey into central London. Published weekday service includes breakfast from 07:00, lunch from 12:00 to 15:00 and dinner from 17:00 to 22:00. It is a useful option for a scheduled lunch or post-show meal, provided the reservation leaves enough time to return to the stand. Confirm availability with the restaurant.
Hawksmoor Wood Wharf — for a team dinner
Hawksmoor occupies a floating pavilion at 1 Water Street, with steaks, seafood and space for group dining. It makes a logical dinner address for colleagues staying around Canary Wharf. Ask about the room configuration when booking rather than assuming a large table will provide privacy. The published weekday kitchen schedule ends at 21:30, earlier than the venue’s closing time.
ROKA Canary Wharf — for Japanese cooking after the show
At Park Pavilion on Canada Square, ROKA’s menu centres on robatayaki, with the grill forming part of the dining room. It provides an alternative to a steak-led business dinner and has group-dining arrangements. Request the appropriate table or space in advance; an open restaurant centred on a working grill should not be treated as a confidential meeting room.
For a short gap between appointments, staying inside ExCeL is often the better decision. Its food-and-drink directory includes cafés and counter-service outlets, with opening information by visit date. Use that directory rather than planning around an outlet that may not be operating during your visit.
Where to Take Clients for Dinner
Scott’s, Mayfair — for fish and shellfish on Mount Street
Scott’s provides a more formal alternative to the Canary Wharf choices, with a menu built around British fish and shellfish. It belongs in an evening planned around Mayfair, not between exhibition appointments. Book the Mayfair restaurant specifically and enquire about private dining for a discussion that requires separation from the main room. Terrace seating is not guaranteed by a standard reservation.
Dishoom Covent Garden — for a less formal meal
Dishoom serves Bombay-style comfort food throughout the day and works for a breakfast, lunch or informal catch-up. The reservation policy matters: tables can be booked before 18:00, while evening bookings are available to groups of six or more. A smaller party may need to walk in, making it unsuitable for a tightly timed client dinner or a meal immediately before a performance.
For any business booking, confirm dietary requirements, cancellation terms, service charges and any minimum spend. Ask whether a “private” space is fully enclosed or simply separated from the main dining room.
Three Bars for After WTM
A convenient continuation of an evening around the Strand or Covent Garden, serving classic, contemporary and vintage cocktails. The current website accepts reservations and lists Monday-to-Saturday opening until midnight. Reserve a time that accounts for the end of dinner or the performance, rather than assuming the bar can accommodate a delayed arrival.
The martini trolley gives this Mayfair bar a specific reason to visit beyond its hotel setting. Its operational limitation is equally important: Connaught Bar does not accept reservations. Treat it as an optional stop after dinner, not the sole venue for a meeting with a fixed start time. Published Monday-to-Saturday hours are 16:00–01:00.
On the 52nd floor, GŎNG combines cocktails and sushi with views across London. Enter through the Shangri-La hotel entrance on St Thomas Street. Reservations are recommended, tables are allocated for 90 minutes and window seats are not guaranteed. The published policy specifies a £30-per-person charge for no-shows or cancellations within 48 hours; check the terms attached to the booking.
London After the Show: Walks and Theatre
Choose one area for the evening. A short walk followed by dinner is more manageable than a succession of landmarks on opposite sides of the city.
Tower Bridge and the Tower of London waterfront
The riverside around Tower Bridge works as an outdoor stop, distinct from entering the bridge’s visitor attraction or the Tower of London. Tower Bridge’s interior closes at 18:00, with last entry at 17:00, so that part requires a daytime appointment. For an evening visit, keep the plan to the bridge and waterfront.
Westminster, Big Ben and the South Bank
For a first London visit, a walk from Westminster across Westminster Bridge to the South Bank brings Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye into one route. Allow approximately an hour as a planning budget, longer for stops. Treat an actual London Eye ride as a separate, pre-booked activity rather than assuming it will fit into the walk.
Covent Garden and the West End
Covent Garden places theatres, restaurants and the Royal Ballet and Opera within one district. Book a specific performance first, then build the meal around its start time. For WTM attendees, a post-theatre dinner may be more realistic than trying to fit a full meal between leaving ExCeL and taking a seat in the auditorium.
What to Save for an Extra Day
The distinction between an evening attraction and a daytime one is essential. A museum closing at 18:00 is not an after-show option simply because it appears on a London itinerary.
Borough Market
The market is a daytime stop for produce, specialist food shops and prepared food near London Bridge. Regular Tuesday-to-Friday hours are 10:00–17:00, ruling it out after a full WTM day. Save it for lunch on Friday, 6 November, or another clear daytime window. Entry is free; individual purchases are separate.
Tate Modern
On Bankside, Tate Modern’s main collection is free, while special exhibitions and some events carry a charge. During the Tuesday-to-Thursday exhibition period, its published closing time is 18:00. Allocate roughly two hours to selected galleries rather than attempting the entire building, then continue along the river.
National Gallery
The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square is particularly useful for visitors staying beyond WTM: its regular Friday opening extends to 21:00. General admission is free, with charges for some exhibitions. Choose a period, artist or small group of rooms before arriving; an hour of focused viewing can fit around other plans on Friday, 6 November.
British Museum
For the British Museum, reserve a free admission slot and select a limited part of the collection rather than treating the visit as a checklist. Regular opening is 10:00–17:00, extending to 20:30 on Fridays. Allow at least a couple of hours as an editorial planning recommendation, including entry and orientation.
The 90s: Art and Fashion, Tate Britain
For the 2026 edition, this is the guide’s time-specific cultural choice. Curated by Edward Enninful, the exhibition considers British art, photography and fashion during the 1990s and runs from 8 October 2026 to 14 February 2027. Allow approximately 90 minutes and book an exhibition ticket. Note the location: Tate Britain on Millbank, not Tate Modern on Bankside.
Bond Street and Burlington Arcade
Combine Bond Street’s fashion and jewellery addresses with Burlington Arcade’s watch, jewellery and specialist shops. The arcade’s directory includes The Vintage Watch Company, Globe-Trotter and Manolo Blahnik. Schedule shopping before dinner and check individual closing times; a restaurant reservation in Mayfair does not automatically leave enough time to visit the shops beforehand.
Three Ways to Plan Your Time
The exhibition-first evening
On Tuesday, 3 November, keep the early evening available for WTM’s networking party. Afterwards, choose a reserved dinner in Canary Wharf rather than adding a journey to the West End. Hawksmoor Wood Wharf or ROKA provides a clear destination for the group. A booking around 20:00 is a planning suggestion, subject to availability.
The client-dinner evening
Reserve Scott’s in Mayfair and leave the period after the exhibition free for travel and any hotel stop. Connaught Bar can follow, but its no-reservation policy makes it an optional addition. Keep the restaurant as the confirmed meeting point rather than asking guests to assemble first at a bar where seating is uncertain.
The extra day on Bankside
On Friday, 6 November, have lunch at Borough Market, visit selected galleries at Tate Modern and finish with a riverside walk. This keeps the day within a coherent part of London. Visitors more interested in fashion can substitute Tate Britain’s The 90s exhibition and build a separate route around Millbank and Westminster.
WTM London FAQs
Do I need to stay beside ExCeL?
Not necessarily. Prioritise a nearby hotel for stand-heavy days. For a trip with substantial central London commitments, a direct rail connection may be the more useful compromise.
Which station should I use?
Use Custom House for the west entrance when arriving on the Elizabeth line. WTM recommends Prince Regent and the east entrance for DLR passengers.
Can I rely on a badge displayed on my phone?
WTM’s visitor instructions say to print the badge before arrival, with no printing provision on site. Follow the instructions issued for your registration category.
Is a West End dinner realistic after the exhibition?
Yes, provided the booking allows for leaving the venue, travelling and any return to the hotel. Avoid committing to an early table solely on the basis of station-to-station travel time.
Information checked on 2 November 2026. Hotel and restaurant inclusion does not indicate live availability or official WTM partnership. Confirm booking conditions, accessibility requirements and opening hours directly before making arrangements.
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