27 Best Hotels in London, England

Wonderful modern art lines the walls of this former Victorian pub a mile east of the Tower of London, which has been beautifully restored and converted into a modern bed-and-breakfast. It's all the work of Julian Cole, the gregarious and charming owner, who spent decades making arts documentaries for the BBC. Guests can use the sitting room, which doubles as the breakfast room in the morning. There's also a roof terrace, overlooking a striking historic mural that covers one side of a nearby building. Titled The Battle of Cable Street, it commemorates a clash between local Jewish protestors and British Fascists that took place here on October 4, 1936.

The name of this unpretentious, family-run B&B means "the mistake" in Italian, and it also provides the punchline to the unlikely tale of how the original owners (the parents of the current proprietor) met in the 1950s. Standard rooms in this converted mid-Victorian terraced cottage are tiny but clean. Amenities are few, but all rooms have free Wi-Fi and some have four-poster beds (the honeymoon suite even has its own Jacuzzi). There's a summer patio in the enclosed courtyard and the complimentary breakfast gets high marks. The excellent prices mean it books up quickly, and there's a two- to seven-night minimum in high season.

Those keen to explore Greenwich at a more leisurely pace than a day trip from central London permits should seek out these unexpectedly elegant rooms above a pub, a quick walk from the Old Royal Naval College in one direction and the National Maritime Museum in the other. The seven individually furnished rooms are all extremely cozy thanks to abundant plush furnishings and higgledy-piggledy windows that look out over the rooftops—and masts, in the case of the Cutty Sark—of Greenwich. Bathrooms are modern and scrupulously clean. There's no breakfast served at the pub so fill your mini-refrigerator with supplies from the small grocery store around the corner or pop out to one of several convenient cafés nearby.

A stone's throw from the Russell Square Tube station, this is a reliable budget choice whose key attraction is its proximity to the West End and the British Museum. Rooms are clean and comfortable, but with basic amenities (cheapest rooms share bathrooms). Breakfasts are generous and the Wi-Fi is free. A nice touch is the residents' private garden.

The modern rooms at this central London outpost of the trendy Dutch hotel brand have been cleverly designed to maximize storage space, enabling a more comfortable stay than you might expect from such a small space. Ask for a room on the mews side for views of nearby Westminster Cathedral. 

Near a canal filled with colorful narrow boats in the Little Venice neighborhood, this lovely town house offers individually styled rooms, some with rich brocades, velvets, and antiques, others with balconies. The 1920s elevator (believed to be one of the oldest still working in the United Kingdom) and the Wedgwood fireplace in the lobby add to the historic style, as does the "Sigmund Freud Suite" (Freud visited regularly in 1938). It's also the birthplace of Alan Turing, one of the fathers of computer science and the man who deciphered the German Enigma code in World War II.

A contrast to the wildly expensive business hotels that proliferate in this part of the East End, right on the edge of The City, The Corner is a modern and surprisingly affordable option in a trendy area of town. Sleek and cheerful public spaces have a self-consciously irreverent edge, with wry "thoughts for the day" placed around the hotel by staff. Mismatched pieces of furniture have been recycled from industrial materials, and guest rooms are decorated in bold, outlandish color schemes. What could easily get stale stays nicely to the side of playfulness. 

London's original "pod hotel" has tiny rooms with a double bed, private shower room, and little else—each brightly decorated in the easyGroup's trademark orange and white (to match their budget airline, easyJet). The reception desk doesn't offer much in terms of service, and everything costs extra: room cleaning during your stay, use of television, Wi-Fi, and even a window. The concept is undeniably a hit—it's fully booked months in advance (the earlier you book, the cheaper your room rate) and several branches have opened (the website details locations)—just don't expect any frills. Like, none.

Originally built as a Georgian town house, this charming hotel is just around the corner from the British Museum, and all its 26 rooms are fully ensuite and come with a variety of modern amenities, including TVs and complimentary Wi-Fi. The breakfast room overlooks a delightful walled garden and should you wish to have lunch or dinner in-house, then a sister hotel, the Grange White Hall, is literally two doors away. The public areas have a traditional, old-fashioned feel to them, which only adds to the charm of the place. Service is excellent, with a concierge and porter always on hand to help.  

Set in a handsome Georgian crescent, this family-run hotel offers quiet and comfortable accommodations with excellent amenities. With space for four, the quad rooms are a good choice for traveling families. For those who tire of eggs and sausage every morning, breakfast includes a choice of fresh croissants and a variety of cereals. See if you can spot Zizi and Wolfgang, the hotel's friendly cat and dog.

This friendly family-run bed-and-breakfast is a great value given the location: it's only a short walk from the British Museum, Soho, and Covent Garden. Guest rooms won't win any design awards, but they're comfortable and clean. Breakfasts are tasty and filling, even if there's not much choice past the traditional full English breakfast. There's a small guest lounge and a pretty little garden out back—a nice touch for a B&B right in the center of town.

Set in a row of white Georgian town houses, this excellent budget option in hit-or-miss Bayswater is friendly, well run, and spotlessly clean. The tone is set right from the gleaming white lobby and minimalist public areas. Guest rooms are modern and well maintained. Rooms in the basement, unsurprisingly, are the best bargain, but also the most cramped. A continental buffet breakfast is available for an extra £15.95 per person.

The first London outpost of the fashionable French hotel brand, the rooms and public areas here have the feel of an upmarket design hotel—think marble-top tables, bold fabrics, and atmospheric designed lighting—but at a fraction of the cost.

Perfectly located just steps from the tranquility of Hyde Park to the south and the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street to the east, this sweet guesthouse oozes warmth, homeliness, and good value. With helpful hosts and simple but tastefully decorated rooms, it's the perfect little oasis in the middle of the hectic city. One grisly piece of historical trivia: it's situated near the site of the "Tyburn Tree," an enormous gallows used to execute prisoners from the Middle Ages until 1783 (and frequently referenced by Shakespeare)—a memorial on the street marks the spot. Tyburn is further immortalized in the small convent behind the hotel, which has a shrine dedicated to the hundreds of Catholics who were martyred there. The sisters conduct tours of the shrine.

One of London's quirkiest hotels, The Portobello (formed from two adjoining Victorian houses) has attracted scores of celebrities to its small but stylish rooms over the years, and the decor reflects these hip credentials with joyous abandon. Rooms are individually designed and range in size from "Box" rooms for the solo traveler to the 400 square-foot "Signature" rooms, replete with four-poster beds and views over the pretty garden. One room even contains a circular bed, next to which is an original Victorian "bathing machine"—legend has it that Johnny Depp once filled it with Champagne for his then-girlfriend Kate Moss.

Mere blocks from the British Museum and London's West End theaters, this handsomely fronted guesthouse has clean, neat, and plainly decorated rooms at bargain rates. The public areas are simple but welcoming, and residents have access to a quiet, secluded garden out back. Breakfasts are filling although choices are limited. An interesting historical note: No. 67 was once the home of Elizabeth Stride, who later moved to the East End and fell victim to Jack the Ripper.

Despite being on the notoriously traffic-clogged Cromwell Road, the Rockwell, with its triple-soundproofed windows, offers good value. Bedrooms are modernist in style and decorated in slightly retro tones, all while being comfortable, well designed, and very spacious by London standards; mezzanine suites are split-level lofts and basement garden rooms have small patios. There's a pleasant walled deck to the rear. Family rooms offer especially good value for money. The restaurant serves an all-day brunch menu focusing on contemporary classics.

Set inside a pair of refurbished Georgian town houses, these studio apartments near Hyde Park are done in soothing tones of white and gray, with polished wood floors and attractive modern kitchenettes equipped with all you need to make small meals. The standard units are quite small, but premium studios cost only £20 or so more and give you much more space to play. Bathrooms are new and modern, although they are not large.

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. 

This agency specializes in executive apartments for business travelers, so prices are high, but so is the quality. Aside from a few supercheap places in parts of town you wouldn't want to stay in, prices start at around £70 per night for a one bedroom near the former Olympic Village in Stratford (East London), rising to around £550 per night for a two bedroom in Mayfair.

Rooms in private homes in Knightsbridge, Kensington, Mayfair, Chelsea, and West London are handled by this agency. Prices start at around £87 a night per double room, making this a great alternative to budget hotels.

Contact this company for delightful little London hideaways, in Kensington, Chelsea, and Knightsbridge, costing around £75–£125 per night with full English breakfasts.

This company arranges stays in the properties of Londoners who are temporarily away. Attractive apartments and houses are primarily in Notting Hill, Kensington, and Chelsea, and most cost around £115 to £170 per night. The minimum booking of five to seven nights is a bit limiting, though, and you must make a substantial security deposit (usually between £200 and £1,000), which is returned after your stay.

Specializing in unusual and historic buildings, this agency has London apartments starting at around £650 for a four-night (minimum) stay.

What sets this agency apart is the quality of the properties on offer and the outstanding support you get during your stay—fresh linen, toiletries, a kitchen full of basic supplies, iPhones helpfully loaded with maps, and, in a lovely touch, a package of tips about the area from the owners themselves.

This agency has hundreds of luxurious flats in residential neighborhoods all over London, with prices starting at around £1,000 per week.