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If your invitation from Queen Elizabeth still hasn't shown up in the mail, no worries—staying at one of London's grande dame hotels is the next best thing to being a guest at the palace—and some say it's even better. Luckily there is no dearth of options where friendliness outdistances luxe; London has plenty of atmospheric places that won't cost a king's ransom.
That noted, until fairly recently it was extremely difficult to find a decent hotel in the center of town for less than £150 per night. Things have improved, thanks to a flurry of new mid-priced hotels that have sprung up in recent years. You'll still have to shop around for deals—never assume you'll be able to find somewhere good and cheap on short notice.
Of course, it's very different if money is no object. London has some of the very best and most luxurious hotels in the world. Freshly minted millionaires favor the rash of supertrendy hot spots like the Corinthia or ME London, while fashionistas gravitate toward Kit Kemp's superstylish hotels like the Covent Garden and the Charlotte Street. But even these places have deals, and you can sometimes snag a bargain within reach of mere mortals, particularly in the off-season, or just be a spectator to all the glamour by visiting for afternoon tea, the most traditional of high-society treats.
Meanwhile, several mid-range hotels have dropped their average prices in response to the choppy waters of the global economy, which has pulled some fantastic places, such as Hazlitt's, the Rookery, and Town Hall, back into the affordable category. There's also a clutch of new, stylish, and supercheap hotels that are a real step forward for the city. The downside is that these places tend to be a little out of the way, but that's often a price worth paying. Another attractive alternative includes hotels in the Premier and Millennium chains, which offer sleek, modern rooms, lots of up-to-date conveniences, and sales that frequently bring room prices well below £100 a night.
At the budget level, London has come a long way in the last couple of years, with a familiar catch: to find a good, reasonably priced bed-and-breakfast, you must be prepared to look outside the very center of town. This means that you have to weigh the city’s notoriously high transport costs against any savings—but on the plus side, the Tube can shuttle you out to even some far-flung suburbs in less than 20 minutes. If you're prepared to be just a little adventurous with your London base, you will be rewarded by a collection of unique and interesting B&Bs and small boutiques, in the kinds of neighborhoods real Londoners live in—places like the Cable Street Inn, the Main House, and the Church Street Hotel. If you're willing to fend for yourself, the city also has some great rental options.
But if you are interested in luxury, London is just the place. Although the image we love to harbor about Olde London Towne may be fast fading in the light of today's glittering city, when it comes time to rest your head, the old-fashioned clichés remain enticing. Choose one of London's heritage-rich hotels—Claridge's supplies perfect parlors; the Savoy has that river view—and you'll find that these fantasies can, and always will, be fulfilled.
You can feel yourself relaxing the minute you enter this elegant Georgian town house. The interior design has a modern flair and guest rooms are painted in neutral tones with splashes of rich color. If the weather is good, relax in the small garden; in winter, warm your feet by the fire. The excellent value is a stand-out feature of the hotel, along with its location in the heart of Marylebone.
This art-filled former 19th-century office building, now part of the Hilton chain, is in a superb location, and some guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with extraordinary views of Trafalgar Square, Nelson's Column, and The City. Twenty-one rooms are split-level, with upstairs space for chilling out and sleeping space below. Bathrooms have deep tubs, full-size toiletries, and mini-TVs. Go up to the roof garden for spectacular views of the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye. Better yet, ask for Room 303 to enjoy these exquisite views in privacy.
The location of this historic Edwardian hotel is grand enough from the outside that you could easily mistake it for just another of the West End theaters by which it is surrounded on the Aldwych. Guest rooms present a much more modern vibe, with bold color schemes and contemporary furnishings, together with a few welcome extras such as plasma-screen TVs. Rooms are a fairly decent size, given the London average. Befitting the address, the elegant in-house restaurant offers pre- and posttheater menus if you're off to see a show.
Spectacular views of the river, Big Ben, and the London Eye fill the floor-to-ceiling windows in this rather stark, steel-and-glass building steps from Tate Britain. The hotel comes with sleekly modern guest rooms and two self-explanatory dining options, STK Westminster and Bao Yum. Fitness buffs will love the penthouse fitness suite.
This sweet and rather elegant old hotel, on the premises of one of London's first B&Bs (1881), is a decent, well-situated option. It's a cheery little place, with comfortable (if small) bedrooms, in which muted modern color schemes clash only slightly with the kind of floral fabrics your grandmother would love. The restaurant serves decent, though unimaginative British and European cuisine; however, you're just a couple of blocks from London's Victoria train station and the multitude of eateries close by. Breakfasts are delightful.
The five-story atrium and Art Deco staircase hint at the delights to come in this converted warehouse—a breath of fresh air with its playful color schemes, elegant wallpapers, and wonderful views of the city from the higher floors. Thoughtful little touches, from the plethora of gadgets in every room to the exclusive 1,500-foot borehole from which the hotel draws its mineral water (yes, really) raise this place to something truly special. Across the street is the 13-bedroom Marrable's Hotel, a sister hotel offering the same quirky style with a touch more intimacy—and an excellent cocktail bar, too.
No matter how hip the crowd here gets, the clientele is never likely to distract from the sumptuous decor of this boutique hotel that is equal parts Tudor-style and Georgian flair, with a pinch of steampunk for good measure. The Parlour bar serves a concise range of snacks along with a list of sublime cocktails that make it a popular destination for nonguests, too.
The elaborate building housing this grand hotel in the financial district is a former bank, and the vast old banking hall—beautifully adapted as the lobby, with luxurious marble and mahogany panels—really sets the scene. Guest rooms are stylish and spacious, with modern bathrooms, big comfortable beds, and sage green and taupe decor along with more mahogany. Given the location, it's no surprise that this place looks as if it were custom-designed to please business travelers although its decor will appeal to anyone with a penchant for classic glamour.
An Art Deco town hall, abandoned in the early 1980s and turned into a chic hotel 30 years later, is now a lively and stylish place, with the best of the building's elegant original features intact. In keeping with the Town Hall Hotel's hip image, the excellent Da Terra restaurant serves South American food with an Italian twist. Guest rooms are bright and airy, and bathrooms are visions of white and chrome, but some sacrifice too much in the name of design, with only a curtain separating them from the bedroom.
Only upscale addresses are handled by Uptown Reservations, and they specialize in hosted homes or apartments for Americans, often business executives. Nearly all the homes on its register are in Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Kensington, and Chelsea. Prices start at around £125 per room, per night. There's limited information on its website; bookings must be made over the phone. A nonrefundable deposit is required.
Exclusively priced flats all over London are available through Villas International. Higher-end options start at around £1,800 per week—but as some sleep up to 10 people this can work out as a viable option for large groups.
Located close to the London Stock Exchange, merchant banks, hedge funds, and The City's oldest guilds, the luxury boutique hotel Vintry & Mercer offers a nod to tradition, then proceeds to deliver a chic, colorful, and contemporary experience that stands out in this neighborhood. A handsome basement cocktail bar, a ground-floor restaurant, and the refined rooftop terrace offer great accompanying public spaces to the bright, luxuriously appointed rooms.
Located in a John Nash–designed building on the northern edge of Regent's Park opposite the zoo entrance, this town-house hotel with stylish, individually decorated rooms is owned by noted chef Gordon Ramsay, who also operates the restaurant on the ground floor. Rooms are a mixture of the traditional (period architectural details, antiques, four-poster beds) and the modern (LED TVs, wide selection of shows and movies). As you might expect, the food is excellent.
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