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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 Westminster London Curio Collection by Hilton

The Westminster London Curio Collection by Hilton

Hotel · 30 John Islip Street, London

A 464-room hotel on John Islip Street near Millbank, with air-conditioned en-suite rooms and easy reach of Westminster and the Thames.

The Z Hotel City

The Z Hotel City

Hotel · 23-28 Fleet Street, London

A compact, well-run hotel on Fleet Street in the City of London, close to St Paul's Cathedral and priced sensibly for the location.

The Z Hotel Covent Garden

The Z Hotel Covent Garden

Hotel · 31-32 Bedford Street, London

On Bedford Street in the heart of Covent Garden, this compact hotel puts theatres, bars and transport links right on the doorstep.

The Z Hotel Gloucester Place

The Z Hotel Gloucester Place

Hotel · 51 Gloucester Place, London

A compact, modern hotel on Gloucester Place in Marylebone, close to Baker Street and Regent's Park.

The Z Hotel Shoreditch

The Z Hotel Shoreditch

Hotel · 136-144 City Road, London

Compact, well-equipped rooms with big TVs and tea-making kit near Old Street Station, in the heart of Shoreditch, London.

The Z Hotel Soho

The Z Hotel Soho

Hotel · 17 Moor Street, London

A budget-smart hotel on Moor Street with a 24-hour cafe and bar, right in the middle of Soho's restaurants and nightlife.

The Z Hotel Strand

The Z Hotel Strand

Hotel · 415 Strand, London

A well-located hotel on the Strand in London, within easy reach of Charing Cross and nearby bars and restaurants, with surprisingly quiet, well-designed rooms.

The Z Hotel Victoria

The Z Hotel Victoria

Hotel · 5 Lower Belgrave Street, London

A budget-smart base near Victoria Station for travellers who want compact, well-kept rooms and don't need much space to spread out.

The Zetter Hotel

The Zetter Hotel

Hotel · 86-88 Clerkenwell Road, London

A 59-room hotel on Clerkenwell Road in central London, close to the Barbican Centre and Farringdon station.

The Zetter Townhouse Clerkenwell

The Zetter Townhouse Clerkenwell

Hotel · 49-50 St Johns Square, London

A 13-room townhouse hotel on St John's Square in Clerkenwell, London, known for its quirky decor and cosy cocktail bar.

The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone

The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone

Hotel · 28-30 Seymour Street, London

A 24-room Marylebone townhouse hotel on Seymour Street, moments from Baker Street and Regent's Park, with quirky British interiors.

TheWesley

TheWesley

Hotel · 81-103 Euston Street, London

An 80-room hotel on Euston Street, London, offering straightforward city-centre comfort within easy reach of Euston Station.

Thistle Bloomsbury Park

Thistle Bloomsbury Park

Hotel · 126 Southampton Row, London

A 95-room Bloomsbury hotel on Southampton Row, close to the British Museum and Russell Square, with straightforward comfortable rooms.

Thistle Holborn - The Kingsley

Thistle Holborn - The Kingsley

Hotel · Bloomsbury Way, London

A brasserie restaurant and bar anchor this Edwardian hotel on Bloomsbury Way, close to Covent Garden and the British Museum.

Thistle London Hyde Park Kensington Gardens

Thistle London Hyde Park Kensington Gardens

Hotel · 104 Bayswater Road, London

A 175-room hotel on Bayswater Road facing Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, with Kensington Palace and South Kensington's museums a walk away.

Thistle London Marble Arch

Thistle London Marble Arch

Hotel · Bryanston Street, London

A large Marble Arch hotel on Bryanston Street, well suited to shoppers, families and business travellers wanting Oxford Street and Hyde Park on the doorstep.

Thistle London Park Lane

Thistle London Park Lane

Hotel · 20 Great Cumberland Place, London

A short walk from Oxford Street and Hyde Park, this Marylebone hotel pairs spacious, quiet rooms with genuinely helpful staff.

Thistle Piccadilly

Thistle Piccadilly

Hotel · Coventry Street, London

A 82-room hotel on Coventry Street, London, moments from Leicester Square and the West End theatres.

Thistle Trafalgar Square Hotel

Thistle Trafalgar Square Hotel

Hotel · Whitcomb Street, London

A 108-room hotel tucked just off Whitcomb Street, moments from the National Gallery and Leicester Square, with surprisingly quiet rooms for the area.

Threadneedles Autograph Collection by Marriott

Threadneedles Autograph Collection by Marriott

Hotel · 5 Threadneedle Street, London

A former Victorian bank building turned 74-room hotel on Threadneedle Street, right in the heart of the City of London.

Three Falcons

Three Falcons

Hotel · 1 Orchardson Street, London

23-room hotel in St John's Wood with en-suite rooms and a lively Indian gastropub downstairs, near Regent's Park and central London transport.

TLK Apartments and Hotel - Orpington

TLK Apartments and Hotel - Orpington

Hotel · 36-50 High Street, London

TLK Apartments and Hotel in Orpington pairs an on-site bar with self-catering kitchenettes, just off Orpington's High Street.

Tonys House Hotel

Tonys House Hotel

Hotel · 30 Norfolk Square, London

Budget-friendly 22-room hotel off Norfolk Square in Paddington, moments from the station with pubs and restaurants close by.

Tophams Hotel

Tophams Hotel

Hotel · 24-32 Ebury Street, London

A 48-room hotel on Ebury Street near Victoria Station, well suited to travellers who want central London on a budget and don't mind compact rooms.

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