The Best Hotels in London

London’s hotel scene isn’t just varied — it’s alive. Like the city itself, it’s a chameleon: one minute whispering tales of empire in a wood-paneled library, the next blasting punk rock from a Shoreditch loft. Whether you’re hunting hotels dripping in chandeliers or cool hotels hidden in converted banks, there’s a vibe here with your name on it.

You’ll find Victorian townhouses transformed into intimate boutiques sitting just streets away from gleaming glass skyscrapers housing international luxury brands. But where to begin this journey of discovery? 

The perfect London hotel isn’t just about a comfortable bed and a convenient location — though these certainly matter — it’s about finding that indefinable atmosphere. London doesn’t do “generic.” So why settle? Whether you’re here for hotels serving champagne on arrival or hotels where the concierge knows the best underground jazz bars, your stay should feel like the city itself — unpredictable, a little chaotic, and utterly unforgettable.

How to Pick London’s Best Hotels

Choosing where to stay in this sprawling, centuries-old metropolis can feel as overwhelming as navigating the Underground during rush hour. Like picking the perfect cup of tea — Earl Grey or English Breakfast? Milk first or last? — it’s ultimately a matter of personal preference, with no definitively “right” answer.

Hotels of London place you amid skyscrapers and centuries-old pubs. Prefer cobblestone alleys and boutique shopping? Hotels in city of London areas like Covent Garden blend old-world charm with modern luxe. For those craving edge, cool spots in Shoreditch offer graffiti-lined corridors and rooftop gigs.

First, consider your priorities. Location? Luxury? Value? History?

Budget matters, of course. Central hotels command premium prices, but reward you with convenience and saved time. Further out? More affordable, but factor in transportation costs.

Then there’s style. Are you drawn to the timeless elegance of traditional British hospitality? Or does your heart beat faster for design-forward boutiques with personality to spare?

Some questions to ask yourself:

• How important is proximity to specific attractions?
• Do you need family-friendly amenities?
• Is a spa or fitness center essential?
• What about dining options — in-house restaurant or neighborhood gems?

Remember: the best hotel is the one that feels right for you. Trust your instincts.

Top London Areas for Your Stay

London doesn’t just have areas — it has moods. Your choice of neighborhood isn’t just about proximity; it’s about identity. Let’s decode the vibes:

Mayfair: The Gilded Chapter

Think velvet ropes and champagne flutes. Home to central hotels where doormats read “welcome” in gold leaf, this is where you’ll find the most expensive hotels in London. Perfect for those who believe a minibar should stock truffle-infused everything.

Soho: Never Lets You Sleep

Streetlights buzz louder than the espresso machines here. Hotels here mean rooftop terraces with views of neon signs and theaters. Warning: Your Fitbit will log 3am as “active hours.”

Covent Garden: The Show Never Stops

Cobblestones meet cabaret. Stay at London city hotels here, and you’re sandwiched between opera houses and pasta bars where noodles are spun tableside. Pro tip: Avoid the mime artists unless you enjoy awkward eye contact.

Knightsbridge & Chelsea: Polished to Perfection

Where handbags cost more than your rent. Hotels here cater to shoppers who treat Harrods like a grocery run. Fun game: Count the Labradoodles wearing Burberry trench coats.

The City: Suits by Day, Steals by Night

By weekday, it’s all power ties and stock tickers. Come weekend? Hotels city of London slash prices faster than a trader’s panic button. Quiet streets, full wallet — weekend steals await.

East London: Where Concrete Gets Creative

Graffiti murals double as hotel art in Shoreditch’s cool hotels’ scene. Stay here if you’d rather brunch on avocado toast in a converted warehouse than sip Earl Grey in a stuffy lounge.

Why It Matters

Your hotel isn’t just a bed — it’s your backstage pass. Pick a new hotels London hotspot in Mayfair for Insta-worthy glam, or bunk in cool hotels in London East London loft where the “do not disturb” sign reads “artist at work.

The Connaught: Mayfair Elegance

Tucked into Carlos Place like a secret only the elite know, this hotel redefines “posh” without the pretense. Forget key cards — here, staff greet you by name and memorize your tea preferences by day two. Rooms? Imagine Georgian elegance had a baby with a tech billionaire’s townhouse: marble baths, fireside nooks, and beds so plush you’ll debate skipping dinner.

• Eat & Drink: Hélène Darroze’s tasting menus are edible poetry. The Connaught Bar’s martini trolley isn’t just service — it’s theater with a side of olives.
• Sleep: Book a suite with a fireplace. Yes, that cliché. Worth it.
• Splurge Alert: this place is among the most expensive hotels, but you’re paying for discretion, not flash.

The Peninsula: Belgravia Luxury

London’s newest (and shiniest) hotel in London city turned a 1902 landmark into a spaceship for the 1%. The lobby? A marble-clad wonderland where fresh orchids cost more than your monthly Netflix subscription. Rooms boast tablets that control everything — lights, curtains, even the scent in your closet (because why not?).

• Rooftop Flex: Dine with views stretching from Hyde Park to the Shard. Prosecco tastes better at 100 feet up.
• Spa Like You Mean It: Treatments include a “jet lag cure” involving crushed diamonds. (Kidding. Maybe.)
• Price Tag: Currently the most expensive hotel in London. Your wallet will cry. Your Instagram? Will thank you.

Claridge’s: Mayfair Classic

This hotel isn’t just historic — it’s a time capsule with better Wi-Fi. Since 1856, it’s hosted queens, rockstars, and spies who probably shouldn’t have checked in under their real names. The art deco lobby, with its checkerboard floor and champagne trolleys, screams “Golden Age of Travel”… if the Golden Age had QR code menus.

• Room Report: Heated bathroom floors, beds dressed in Egyptian cotton, and minibars stocked with truffle crisps. Priorities.
• Cocktail Code: The Fumoir Bar’s mixologists could make a martini out of rainwater and make you beg for the recipe.
• Why Stay Here: You’re not just booking a room — you’re buying bragging rights. “Oh, Claridge’s? Obviously.”

1 Hotel Mayfair: Eco-Chic Stay

Mayfair’s newest eco-warrior didn’t just hug a tree — it became one. This central hotel swaps crystal chandeliers for living walls that’ll make you question if you’re in a rainforest or a five-star suite. Rooms? Think organic cotton sheets, water filters fancier than your gym bottle, and zero plastic guilt.

• Dine Green: Menus read like a farmer’s market love letter. Even the cocktails use herbs grown on-site (because “locally sourced” should include your garnishes).
• Sleep Guilt-Free: Not the most expensive hotel, but you’ll pay in smugness points. Worth it.
• Vibe Check: Perfect for travelers who want their carbon footprint smaller than their room service bill.

The Emory: Knightsbridge Sophistication

In a city where hotel rooms often feel like Tokyo pod hotels, The Emory said: “Let there be SPACE.” Every suite here is bigger than a London flat (we’re not kidding). Hotels in London rarely do “minimalist chic” well — this one nails it with butlers who’ll fold your socks while you binge Netflix.

• Butler Bravado: Your personal genie arrives at 3am with caviar? Obviously.
• Rooftop Flex: Jean-Georges’ plates meet skyline views. Pro move: Order the black truffle pizza and pretend it’s “reasonable.”
• Why Stay: You’re here to spread out, not simp for traditional London hotels.

The Dorchester: Hyde Park Grandeur

Since 1931, this Hyde Park heavyweight has been flexing on newbies. Fresh from a glow-up, it’s like your nan got a PhD in interior design — still classic, but with heated bathroom floors. Afternoon tea here isn’t a meal; it’s a Wimbledon-level sport of clotted cream and clinking china.

• Room Report: Marble baths with park views. Bathe with the curtains open (they can’t see you from the Serpentine).
• Eat Like Royalty: Alain Ducasse’s 3-star temple to butter. The Grill’s beef Wellington? A religious experience.
• Timeless Move: Staying here is like buying a vintage Rolls — everyone knows it’s expensive, but damn if it doesn’t age well.

Nomad London: Covent Garden Charm

Imagine a jail turned jewel box. NoMad transformed Covent Garden’s former courthouse (where actual criminals got sentenced) into a cool hotel London scene-stealer. The vibe? Like a library party hosted by a jazz musician — moody velvet sofas, freestanding tubs, and art that whispers, “Steal me.”

• Eat Here or Regret: The atrium restaurant’s a jungle under glass. Order the duck confit and pretend you’re dining in a Victorian greenhouse gone wild.
• Sleep Tight: Rooms mix original high ceilings with beds so plush, you’ll miss your checkout. Pro move: Book a suite where the walls have literal stories (former judge’s chambers, anyone?).
• Be Unique: It’s in the list of “cool hotels London” that serves history with a side of hipster.

Broadwick Soho: Soho Flair

If Liberace designed a hotel, it’d look like this. Think zebra-print carpets, chandeliers wearing more sequins than Beyoncé, and a rooftop bar where the Aperol spritz flows like tap water. Not for the faint of heart — or anyone who thinks beige is a personality.

• Room Rules: The Penthouse’s bathtub could double as a swimming pool. “Cozy” rooms? Perfect if you enjoy brushing your teeth while sitting on the bed.
• Soho Secrets: The Italian restaurant does truffle pasta so good, you’ll forgive the £28 price tag. Maybe.
• Vibe Check: Ideal for travelers who think “subtle” is a dirty word. Hotels don’t get louder than this.

Raffles at The OWO: Whitehall Splendor

Churchill’s old war office is now a most expensive hotel London contender — because nothing says luxury like plotting D-Day from your suite. Marble halls, spy tunnels turned spa pools, and afternoon tea served where generals once sipped whiskey.

• Sleep Like a Spy: Suites have panic rooms (for… reasons?) and desks where you can pen your memoir. Or a ransom note.
• Eat Like Royalty: The courtyard tea service includes scones and a side of espionage lore.
• Splurge Factor: Costs more than a small yacht. But where else can you shower where MI6 once bugged phones?

Chelsea Townhouse: Chelsea Retreat

No doormen, no fuss — just 35 rooms in a Victorian row house where the art’s actually from local markets. This hotel city of London feels like crashing at your posh friend’s place… if your friend had heated bathroom floors and a whisky trolley.

• Neighborly Love: Staff send you to cafés where the scones cost £6, not £16. Real ones know.
• Sleep Simple: Rooms are “cozy” (translation: pack light), but the Roberts radio and Bramley products scream quiet wealth.
• Why Stay: It’s the anti-palace. Perfect for avoiding central London hotels that charge £50 for a croissant.

Your Perfect London Hotel

Picking a hotel isn’t about finding a bed — it’s about choosing your character in this urban play. Will you be the Mayfair socialite sipping champagne at the most expensive hotel in the town? The Shoreditch creative crashing at a cool hotel with a rooftop DJ? Or the savvy explorer bunking in London hotels between market raids and museum sprints?

Decode Your Stay Style

The Classicist
Crave gilt mirrors and butlers who iron your newspaper? Hotels in this city like Claridge’s or The Dorchester serve tradition with a side of theatrics. (Yes, afternoon tea here counts as a meal and a performance.)

The Trend Surfer
London’s new hotels scene never sleeps. Think Broadwick Soho’s leopard-print lounges or Raffles’ spy-lair suites. Pro move: Book early before the TikTok crowd descends.

The Wallet Whisperer
Hotels of London aren’t all gold-leaf ceilings. Swap Mayfair for The City on weekends — those glass towers slash prices faster than you can say “weekend brunch.”

The Eco Warrior
1 Hotel Mayfair proves hotels can be leafy and luxe. Carbon-neutral cocktails, organic linens, and a lobby that’s basically a terrarium. Guilt-free pampering unlocked.

The Anti-Tourist
Skip the postcard clichés. Chelsea Townhouse’s “posh aunt’s flat” vibe or East London’s hotels (think converted warehouses) let you live like a local who actually knows where the good coffee is.

Location, But Make It Personal

• Hyde Park Adjacent: For runners and picnic pros.
• Soho Sidekick: When you want neon lights as your nightlight.
• Covent Garden Core: Theater buffs and pasta-bar enthusiasts, unite.

The Golden Rule
Your hotel should echo your itinerary.

• Foodie? Stay near Borough Market’s hotels in London city — midnight cheese raids await.
• History lover? Raffles at The OWO lets you sleep where spies schemed.
• Here for vibes? Broadwick Soho’s maximalist madness won’t disappoint.

Final Word
London doesn’t do one-size-fits-all. Whether you’re blowing budgets at the most expensive hotels or scoring a chic bolt-hole in hotels, your pick should feel like you — just with better towels.