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 Rubens At The Palace
Hotel · 39 Buckingham Palace Road, London
Opposite the walls of Buckingham Palace and a short walk from Victoria Station, this 161-room hotel pairs classic British style with attentive service.
The Sanctuary House Hotel
Hotel · 33 Tothill Street, London
A 34-room hotel on Tothill Street, tucked among Westminster's streets close to Victoria Station, with its own traditional pub downstairs.
The Savoy London
Hotel · Strand, London
A grand Edwardian-era hotel on the Strand in London, spread across eight floors with 267 rooms and a storied sense of occasion.
The Ship Rooms
Hotel · 171 Kennington Road, London
A pub-with-rooms in Kennington offering a proper bar and restaurant downstairs, with simple en-suite rooms above, close to South Bank.
The Soho Hotel Firmdale Hotels
Hotel · 4 Richmond Mews, London
A 96-room Soho hotel on Richmond Mews, minutes on foot from theatreland and Covent Garden's shops, bars and restaurants.
The Stafford London
Hotel · 16-18 St James's Place, London
A polished base for travellers who want central London without the noise, tucked into St James's Place near Buckingham Palace and Green Park.
The Standard London
Hotel · 10 Argyle Street, London
266-room design hotel at 10 Argyle Street, London, with a bar, gym and garden a short walk from King's Cross and Bloomsbury.
The Strand Palace
Hotel · 372 The Strand, London
A large 785-room hotel right on The Strand in central London, close to Charing Cross and known for its breakfast and value.
The Sumner
Hotel · 54 Upper Berkeley Street, London
A 20-room hotel on a quiet Marylebone street near Oxford Street and Baker Street, with spacious rooms and free on-site parking.
The Tommyfield Hotel
Hotel · 185 Kennington Lane, London
A traditional London pub with rooms above it on Kennington Lane, known for hearty Sunday roasts and friendly service.
The Tower Hotel
Hotel · St Katharine's Way, London
Large 801-room hotel beside Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, with many rooms offering direct Thames views over the water.
The Trafalgar St James London Curio collection by Hilton
Hotel · 2 Spring Gardens, London
A 131-room hotel by Trafalgar Square with a well-regarded breakfast and in-room mini-bar, moments from Covent Garden and the West End.
The Tudor Inn Hotel
Hotel · 73 Warwick Way, London
Budget 14-room hotel on Warwick Way, Victoria, within walking distance of Westminster and Victoria Station.
The Villa Kensington
Hotel · 10 -11 Ashburn Gardens, London
A budget-conscious base near Kensington (Olympia) for travellers who want a clean, air-conditioned room within easy reach of the tube.
The W14 Hotel
Hotel · 16-22 Gunterstone Road, London
A budget-friendly hotel on Gunterstone Road in West London, with a garden and outdoor seating just steps from Hammersmith's transport links.
The Waldorf Hilton
Hotel · Aldwych, London
The Aldwych sits at the edge of Theatreland, and the 298-room Waldorf Hilton has occupied this corner of London for over a century.
The Warrington Hotel
Hotel · 93 Warrington Crescent, London
A five-room hotel above a Victorian pub on Warrington Crescent in London, close to Paddington and set up for adults-only stays.
The Warwick by Aura Collection
Hotel · 94 Warwick Way, London
A compact 10-room townhouse hotel on Warwick Way, London, near Victoria Station with easy reach of the city's main sights.
The Welbeck Hotel by IHG
Hotel · 57-59 Welbeck Street, London
A 164-room Marylebone hotel near Oxford Street with a varied cooked-to-order breakfast and stocked minibars in every room.
The Wellesley a Luxury Collection Hotel Knightsbridge London
Hotel · 11 Knightsbridge, London
A 36-room Art Deco hotel on Knightsbridge, moments from Hyde Park and Harrods, with jazz bar and cigar humidor on site.
The Wesley Camden Town
Hotel · 89 Plender Street, London
A short walk from Camden Market, The Wesley Camden Town offers modern, air-conditioned rooms, though some are on the compact side.
The Westbourne Hyde Park
Hotel · 51 Gloucester Terrace, London
A Gloucester Terrace hotel near Hyde Park and Paddington Station, with roomy en-suites that include their own kitchenettes.
The Westbridge Hotel
Hotel · 335-337 High Street, London
An 80-room hotel on Stratford's High Street in east London, with free on-site parking and easy access to transport links.
The Westin London City by Marriott
Hotel · 60 Upper Thames Street, London
A large ten-floor riverside hotel on Upper Thames Street with 222 rooms, an indoor pool and spa, close to St Paul's and Bankside.
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