5 Best Hotels in South of the Thames, London

This Radisson hotel adjacent to the long-gestating renovation of Gilbert Scott's Art Deco Battersea Power Station in the revitalized Nine Elms area has, as the name might suggest, an art-world theme. The hotel's signature artist Jaime Hayon is responsible not only for the design of the uncluttered but welcoming guest rooms (all with floor-to-ceiling windows to take in the views---prices go up according to what floor you're on), but also for the highly stylized, art-filled public spaces. The hotel even has its own art gallery, as well as an Italian-theme all-day café, a 15th-floor Portuguese fine dining restaurant with a rooftop bar, a spa, and a heated rooftop infinity pool plus hot tub.

High-concept, high-tech, and supertrendy, this Dutch budget boutique minichain has a unique selling point—nearly everything at the hotel is self-service, and that includes check-in and breakfast. Even the in-room amenities, from the blinds to the television, are all controlled via a tablet. The egalitarian rooms (all feature the same design) are small, but comfortable, with huge beds and wall-size windows. They're soundproofed, too—a big bonus given the busy location on the South Bank, not to mention the happening bar/workspace downstairs. The effect is more no-nonsense than no frills; or, as the hotel's website puts it, "absolutely no trouser presses, bellboys, or stupid pillow chocolates." It won't be to everyone's taste, but you'll look a long time before finding a better affordable hotel in such a good location.

A stone's throw from City Hall and just down the road from The Shard, this luxurious hotel (the first international expansion from the India-based Lalit chain) harks back to the building's former incarnation as a Victorian grammar school, designating bedrooms as different types of classrooms and meeting rooms as laboratories. In the public rooms, polished wood floors and baronial stone fireplaces combine with gold-threaded tapestries, Hyderabad-style glass chandeliers, and tea lamps to create a sort of Harry Potter-goes-East effect. The fusion of Indian opulence and English heritage continues in the individually designed bedrooms, which incorporate cream-and-orange Indian textiles, wood-paneling on the walls, and elaborate molding on the high ceilings. The piéce de résistance is undoubtedly the stunning great hall, which houses the Keralan fine-dining restaurant Baluchi and a tea parlor, but the complimentary stuffed elephant toys that sit on every bed almost threaten to steal the show.

The small but nicely decorated rooms at this budget choice are in the same County Hall complex as the fancier London Marriott Hotel County Hall, and, though it lacks the spectacular river views and facilities are more basic, it has the same convenient location at a fraction of the price. The friendly staff is an added bonus. Best of all for families on a budget, fold-out beds let you accommodate two kids at no extra charge.

The achingly hip Sea Containers started life as a working warehouse in London's docklands and now incorporates stylish nods to the area's history. Once one of the world's busiest urban ports, bombing from World War II and a mid-20th-century decline saw it become virtually derelict by the 1970s. The site was earmarked for a hotel until another company snapped it up and built a modernist office complex called Sea Containers House instead. Fast-forward 30 years and it finally has a hotel, with a style that is definitely cool rather than cozy. The decor makes the most of the midcentury modern surroundings as interpreted by noted designer Tom Dixon, complete with bespoke furniture elevating the bedrooms. The standard bedrooms aren't very large, but it's worth spending extra on an upgrade for a river view, or, even better, a patio overlooking Blackfriars Bridge to St. Paul's. Failing that, head to the Rooftop Bar for the same vista. The public rooms are very scene-y, with the trendy Lyaness bar serving exotic cocktails by one of London's top mixologists found nowhere else. The restaurant specializes in seasonal, ingredient-led cooking, with a selection of small and large sharing plates. The spa is not just a spa but a "treatment destination" that encourages group visits. The hotel even has its own branch of the arthouse Curzon Cinema mini-chain.