Find out where the best places to stay in London are and tips on specific budget or quality hotels.
Where to stay in London
Are you willing to sacrifice time on the tube in exchange for cheaper accommodation, or are you willing to pay extra and enjoy the short walking distances of the most famous places around Hyde Park?
This is the main dilemma you will face when choosing accommodation in London. Hotels in out-of-centre locations will offer significantly better rates than those in the centre.
Central London
The area between Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge is considered the true centre of London. The so-called City of London is administered by the City of Westminster, which is one of the 32 London boroughs.
It includes about 2 thousand accommodation options. The advantage is a significant reduction in commuting for sightseeing, which can save a few pounds a day on tickets. The disadvantage is obvious - the cost of the accommodation itself.
The lowest prices per night start at 100 gbp.
However, other boroughs within London Underground zones 1 or 2 can also be considered central London, where it's cheaper to travel from and you'll never be more than 20 minutes into the heart of London.
Also look for hotels in the quieter Kensington and Paddington areas around Hyde Park or the bustling Waterloo district on the south bank of the Thames. In these places, you may already be able to find prices from 81 eur per night.
Fringe areas
Exceptionally, you'll find lower prices of around 80 gbp per night in areas further away from the centre. Ideally, however, you should live no further than Zone 4 of the metro, where it still takes a reasonable 45-50 minutes to get to the centre.
Make sure your hotel is close to a metro or train station. Neighbourhoods where you'll find the highest concentration of hotels (including the larger and better-known chains) include Stratford, Wembley and Hammersmith.
Canary Wharf
If you prefer modern neighbourhoods surrounded by the water of the Thames and artificial canals, then turn your attention to one of London's business centres, the Canary Wharf area, where you will find particularly modern and newly built hotels with prices from 125 gbp.
Tips for the best hotels in London
To make it at least a little easier to choose the best accommodation, we've brought you tips on specific hotels, selecting the best deals for each category from thousands of offers.
The cheapest accommodation
The lowest prices around 75 gbp usually in London are offered by hostels in shared rooms for several people, or small private hotels further away from the centre with shared bathrooms.
It's also a good idea to read the reviews, which are often very poor, especially regarding the cleanliness and size of the place. Decent budget hotels can be found between 80 gbp and 100 gbp per night
- Pelican London Hotel and Residence *** - A modern hotel on the campus of the university hospital. Tooting Broadway tube station 300 metres (40 minutes to the centre)
- Mayflower Hotel & Apartments **** - aparthotel in Kensington, one of the most popular in London, Earls's Court tube station 30 metres (15 minutes to centre)
- Best Western London Highbury *** - well-known chain in a quiet location, Finsbury Park tube station 200 metres (40 minutes to centre)
Cheap hotels right in the centre
If you're looking for the best value accommodation right in the heart of central London (Westminster, City of London, Covent Garden, Soho), the lowest prices start at 100 gbp per night:
- Point A London Liverpool Street *** - Simple modern hotel, 50 metres from Liverpool Street station, which connects to Stansted Airport.
- Motel One London - Tower Hill *** - one of the nicest budget hotels, 150 metres from Aldgate or Tower Hill tube stations, near Tower Bridge
- Hotel Wardonia ** - small hotel in a strategic location near King's Cross / St. Pancras International station
Quality hotel chains
If you like to indulge or like the standard you're used to from other hotels, take advantage of these tips from multinational hotel chains.
Prices range from 140 gbp to 200 gbp per night for two, though some days can be cheaper.
- Holiday Inn Express London Limehouse *** - One of the cheapest chains, located on the banks of the Thames 100 metres from the DLR automatic train station
- ibis London Shepherds Bush - Hammersmith *** - classic, hassle-free ibis, 100 metres from Shepherd's Bush tube station
- Thistle London Hyde Park **** - one of the cheapest 4* hotels in the wider city centre and on the edge of Hyde Park 50 metres from Queensway tube station
- Radisson Blu Edwardian Grafton Hotel **** - a great hotel by Euston station 20 metres from Warren Street tube station and 75 metres from Euston Square station
Luxury hotels
London is one of the cities with the largest number of luxury five-star hotels in the world. From the cheaper hotels on the edges of London's motorways and airports to the most expensive hotels in Europe in the heart of the city, there's plenty to choose from.
Traditional 5-star hotels with reasonable prices around 250 gbp per night for two include London Marriott Hotel Canary Wharf.
Conversely, the most expensive hotels ever with prices around 1 000 gbp, where a stay is more a show of social status than a simple overnight stay, include the unique Bulgari Hotel London or Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.
London accommodation prices
As mentioned above, the price of accommodation will depend a lot on the distance from the centre. For the furthest London hostel you can pay even 35 gbp per person, while in the centre it will be a success 80 gbp.
For classic hotels of standard quality, expect to pay around 85 gbp for a room for two in the centre. Don't rely on comfortable accommodation, rooms will be small but have en-suite facilities.
A higher standard will then ask for as little as 200 gbp per night.
Beware also of the role of holidays, weekends and public holidays. Prices are very dynamic in London and the difference between winter and summer can be double. Similar principles can be seen in other metropolises.
