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Looking for a hotel in Waterloo for the August bank holiday weekend? Stow Away Waterloo is an award-winning eco aparthotel built from 26 repurposed shipping containers. It sits moments from the South Bank and Waterloo station. Free summer installations at the Southbank Centre are a short walk away. Notting Hill Carnival's 60th anniversary is an easy Tube ride from your door. Every serviced studio has a kitchenette and a super king-sized bed, so it suits a three-night break or an extended stay. UnWined, the ground-floor wine bar, sorts your evenings without leaving the building. That's why it stands out among hotels around Waterloo this long weekend.
The August bank holiday is London's last big blast of summer. Three whole days. No alarm on Monday. And in 2026, the city will pull out all the stops. If you're searching for a Waterloo hotel for the long weekend, here's why Stow Away should top your list, and how to fill every hour of your stay.
The big story this year is Notting Hill Carnival, which marks its 60th anniversary over the bank holiday weekend. Europe's biggest street party fills west London with steel pans, mas bands and Caribbean food. Saturday brings the steel band competition. Sunday is Family Day with the Children's Parade. Monday is the main event.
Getting there from your Waterloo accommodation is simple. Hop on the Tube from Waterloo Station, and you'll be in the thick of it in around half an hour. Then, when the sound systems wind down, escape the crowds and head back to a quiet, air-conditioned studio south of the river. That's the real luxury of a well-placed hotel in Waterloo: you get the party and the peace.
Prefer to keep things local? The Southbank Centre has filled the riverside with free art for the end of summer. Quentin Blake's playful Southbank Parade installation celebrates the 1951 Festival of Britain across the site. A giant poetry installation, Gift to the Future, transforms the brutalist buildings themselves. Both are free and minutes from our door.
Add in the street food market at Royal Festival Hall, buskers along the Thames path, and the London Eye slowly turning above it all. You could have a brilliant bank holiday without ever crossing the river.
Fancy a gentle wander instead? Walk east along the Thames to Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe and Borough Market. Or head west past the London Eye to Westminster Bridge for that classic Big Ben photo. TfL cycles wait right outside our building if you'd rather ride.
Searching for "Stow Away, Waterloo"? You've found the right place. Stow Away isn't your standard Waterloo hotel. Our building is made from 26 recycled shipping containers. Solar panels on the roof send spare energy back to the national grid. It's a stay that treads lightly, in the best possible location.
Every serviced studio comes with a mini kitchen, a super king-sized bed, blackout blinds, and a marble bathroom. Black-out blinds matter on a bank holiday. Sleep in. Nobody's judging.
Turning the long weekend into a longer break? As an extended-stay hotel in London, travellers genuinely rate our serviced apartments in Waterloo, set up for both weeks and weekends. Cook your own breakfast. Spread out. Stay longer, pay less.
Bank holidays were made for long lunches. UnWined, the wine bar near Waterloo on our ground floor, serves an unusual and brilliant range of wines from around the world, with dishes from critically acclaimed guest chefs. Ask the team for a recommendation. They love a challenge.
UnWined Waterloo is the perfect final stop after a day at Carnival or an afternoon on the riverside. A glass of something cold, a plate of something delicious, and your bed one staircase away. No night bus required.
The bank holiday weekend runs from Saturday 29 to Monday 31 August 2026, and London's line-up is one of the busiest in years. Hotels around Waterloo fill up fast for the last long weekend of summer, so don't leave it too late.
Book direct at Stow Away Waterloo for our best rates, then stow yourself away for the weekend. Summer's grand finale is waiting on your doorstep.