United Kingdom
Hotels in London
The largest hotel market on this site. Rooms are small and prices are high, so the thing that matters most is which zone you book in.
London has more properties available here than any other city, and the range runs from converted townhouses with a dozen rooms to very large modern hotels by the stations. What it does not have is space: rooms are noticeably smaller than the equivalent price elsewhere in Europe, and a 'double' in a period building can be genuinely tight. Read the room description rather than assuming from the star rating.
Location does more work here than anywhere else, because the city is enormous and moving across it eats an hour. Staying centrally costs more per night but usually saves more than it costs once you count travel time and fares. Hotels beside the main rail terminals are the exception to the usual rule — they are central, well connected and often cheaper than the equivalent hotel a few streets into a smarter neighbourhood.
Prices move with the events calendar rather than the weather. A midweek night in a quiet month can be a fraction of the same room during a major conference, a big sporting fixture or the run-up to Christmas.
Where to stay in London
The area you book in changes the price and the trip more than the star rating does.
The centre and the West End
Theatres, restaurants and most of the things visitors come for, all walkable. The most expensive area per square metre and the smallest rooms, but you will not need to travel much.
Around the main rail terminals
Large modern hotels beside the stations. Well connected to the airports and the rest of the country, generally better value than the West End, and a short ride from the centre.
The river and the south bank
A stretch of big-name hotels facing the water, close to several major galleries and walkable to the centre across the bridges. Quieter at night than the West End.
Further out
Rates drop steeply once you leave the centre, and the transport network is dense enough that this can be a genuine saving rather than a false economy. Check the journey time to where you actually plan to spend your days before booking on price alone.
Properties in London
A sample of what is bookable. Open one for photos, rooms and live rates for your dates.
Royal Lancaster London
Lancaster Terrace
Exceptional
7,385 reviews
Montcalm Royal London House, London City
22-25 Finsbury Square
Exceptional
11,554 reviews
Strand Palace
372 The Strand
Exceptional
20,000 reviews
Hampton By Hilton London City
12-20 Osborn Street
Exceptional
6,670 reviews
Park Plaza County Hall London
1 Addington Street
Exceptional
15,706 reviews
The Dilly
21 Piccadilly
Exceptional
18,068 reviews
The Clermont London, Victoria
101 Buckingham Palace Road
Exceptional
9,373 reviews
Riu Plaza London The Westminster
30 John Islip Street
Exceptional
10,741 reviews
Shangri-La The Shard, London
31 St Thomas Street
Exceptional
2,687 reviews
Hilton London Metropole
225 Edgware Road
Exceptional
13,271 reviews
Leonardo Royal London St Paul’s
10 Godliman Street
Excellent
19,957 reviews
Park Plaza London Westminster Bridge
200 Westminster Bridge Road
Excellent
20,000 reviews
London: common questions
Is it worth paying more to stay in central London?
Usually, if your trip is short. The city is large and crossing it takes real time and money, so on a two or three-night stay a central room often works out cheaper overall than a discounted one further out. On a longer stay the maths flips.
Why are London hotel rooms so small?
Much of the central hotel stock sits in converted period buildings that were never laid out as hotels. It is worth reading the room detail — size, bed type and whether the bathroom is private — rather than inferring it from the star rating.
When are London hotels most expensive?
Prices track events more than seasons. Major conferences, big sporting fixtures and the weeks before Christmas push rates up sharply; quiet midweek nights outside those periods are the cheapest you will find.