Hotels in London
24 handpicked places to stay
Photo © Google Maps contributors, Google Maps
Choosing where to sleep in London matters more than in almost any other British city, because the transport network is what you will spend your holiday inside if you get it wrong. A room that looks like a bargain in Zone 3 can cost you two hours a day and thirty pounds in fares, and a central room at a higher nightly rate often works out cheaper once you stop paying for travel and start walking home from dinner. The first question is not how much, but which part of the city you actually intend to spend your time in.
For a first visit of two or three nights, Zone 1 is worth the premium. Bloomsbury, Covent Garden and Victoria put the major sights within walking distance and let you drop bags at lunchtime and change before an evening out. If you are here for theatre, base yourself in the West End; for museums, South Kensington; for food and bars, Shoreditch or London Bridge. Families often do better slightly out - Greenwich, Richmond, Hampstead - where rooms are larger and parks are on the doorstep.
London rooms are small by international standards, and it is better to know that before you book. A comfortable double in a period townhouse conversion may be twelve or fourteen square metres. Compact-format hotels have made a deliberate model of this, trading floor space for a good bed, a proper shower and a central postcode at a fair price. At the other extreme, the grand hotels of Mayfair, Belgravia and the Strand offer real scale, service and history, and charge for all three.
Rates move a long way with the calendar. January and February are the cheapest months by a clear margin; the City is dear midweek and cheap at weekends, while the West End works the other way round. Booking six to eight weeks out and checking whether breakfast is included will save more than any amount of comparison shopping. Check the aspect too - a street-facing room on a bus route is a very different night's sleep from one over a courtyard.
The Park Tower Knightsbridge A Luxury Collection Hotel
Hotel · 101 Knightsbridge, London
A 280-room Knightsbridge hotel by Hyde Park, with panoramic city views, valet parking and easy reach of Harrods and the V&A.
The Pelham London - Starhotels Collezione
Hotel · 15 Cromwell Place, South Kensington, London
A townhouse hotel on a smart Cromwell Place street in South Kensington, close to the museums and Underground.
The Piccadilly London West End
Hotel · 65-73 Shaftesbury Avenue, London
A 67-room hotel on Shaftesbury Avenue, right in the West End, with spa, gym and concierge on hand for theatreland stays.
The Pilot Inn
Hotel · 68 River Way, London
A 10-room riverside inn in Greenwich, London, close to the Cutty Sark and Royal Observatory, with free on-site parking.
The Portobello Hotel
Hotel · 22 Stanley Gardens, London
A 21-room boutique hotel in Notting Hill, close to Portobello Road Market and Kensington Gardens, with a bar and pet-friendly rooms.
The Premier Notting Hill
Hotel · 5-7 Princes Square, London
Hotel on Princes Square, Notting Hill, close to the tube and Portobello Road Market, with 68 rooms and free on-site parking.
The Prime London Hotel
Hotel · 9 Knaresborough Place, London
A budget-friendly base near Earl's Court for travellers who want tidy, well-equipped rooms and easy tube access rather than extra space.
The Prince Akatoki London
Hotel · 50 Great Cumberland Place, London
A Japanese-inspired hotel on Great Cumberland Place with 82 rooms, a zen-like calm and an authentic Japanese breakfast in the heart of London.
The Prince Hotel Vauxhall Central London Riverside
Hotel · 49 Black Prince Road, London
A modern Vauxhall hotel on Black Prince Road with in-room drinks and pubs and restaurants just outside the door.
The Princes Square Hotel
Hotel · 23-25 Princes Square, London
A 50-room hotel on a Bayswater square near Paddington and Hyde Park, with refurbished rooms and a hearty breakfast included.
The Princess Victoria
Hotel · 217 Uxbridge Rd, London
A grand Victorian pub-hotel on Uxbridge Road in West London, near Shepherd's Bush, known for its Sunday roast and easy transport links.
The Queens Gate Hotel
Hotel · 31-34 Queens Gate, London
Four converted townhouses in South Kensington form The Queens Gate Hotel, a 90-room base with a gym and garden terrace bar.
The Rathbone Hotel Fitzrovia
Hotel · 30 Rathbone Street, London
The Rembrandt
Hotel · 11 Thurloe Place, London
A South Kensington hotel with a hearty breakfast buffet and 194 rooms, moments from the museums and tube.
The Resident Covent Garden
Hotel · 51 Bedford Street, London
A Covent Garden hotel on Bedford Street, footsteps from theatres, restaurants and tube stations for easy sightseeing.
The Resident Soho
Hotel · 10 Carlisle Street, London
A 78-room hotel on Carlisle Street in Soho, London, with kitchenettes in the rooms and a genuinely quiet spot despite the location.
The Resident Victoria
Hotel · 10 Palace Place, London
A 73-room boutique hotel tucked into a quiet Victoria side street near Buckingham Palace and Victoria Station, in central London.
The Ritz London
Hotel · 150 Piccadilly, London
Grand Piccadilly hotel opposite Green Park, in the heart of Mayfair, famed for its afternoon tea and gilded interiors.
The Rokxy Townhouse - Kings Cross
Hotel · 29 Argyle Square, London
A 40-room Georgian townhouse hotel on Argyle Square in King's Cross, London, with a garden and free on-site parking.
The Rookery Hotel
Hotel · 12 Peter's Lane Cowcross St, London
A 33-room hotel near Farringdon and Smithfield Market, London, with individually decorated rooms and a quiet, old-fashioned charm.
The Royal Foundation of St Katharine
Hotel · 2 Butcher Row, London
A 36-room retreat near Tower Bridge with breakfast, a bar and restaurant on site, set around a chapel and garden in London's East End.
The Royal Horseguards Hotel
Hotel · 2 Whitehall Court, London
A 282-room hotel by the Thames in Whitehall, minutes from Westminster and central London's sights, set in a former Victorian secret service building.
The Royal Oak
Guest Accommodation · 320 Hale End Rd, London
A pub-with-rooms in Hale End near Epping Forest, good for travellers who want a lively bar and beer garden alongside straightforward, comfortable accommodation.
The Royale Chulan Hyde Park Hotel
Hotel · 23-25 Leinster Square, London
Adults-only hotel on Leinster Square near Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, with comfortable beds and helpful staff on hand.
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