137 Best Hotels in London, England

This grand hotel on the Thames enjoys some of the most landmark-loaded views in the city—right next door is the London Eye, and directly across the Thames are the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Until the 1980s this building was the seat of London's government, and the public areas are suitably imposing, full of pedimented archways, bronze doors, and acres of polished mahogany. All the business-friendly bells and whistles you could ever want are available, and many of the stylish but unfussy modernist rooms have that aforementioned amazing view.

A big favorite with the business crowd, this pleasant modern outpost of the Marriott megachain is just one of several big-name hotels on busy Cromwell Road. An enormous plexiglass frontage enlivens (and neatly soundproofs) the otherwise cookie-cutter exterior. It's so geared to business travelers that the breakfast room empties by 8:30, but it's also about as smooth and well-run as you could hope for. Guest rooms aren't huge, but they're quiet and comfortable. There's a good bar, but you'll probably want to eat out.

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.

Following an extensive renovation after a roof fire, the imposing Edwardian facade of this ultraluxe hotel on the edge of Hyde Park belies the modern and bright setting within that features spacious bedrooms filled with high-tech gadgets. The hotel's main, double-Michelin-starred restaurant has views over the park and is overseen by top-flight chef Heston Blumenthal. There's also a "Japanese izakaya experience" restaurant and a similarly Asian-influenced tea room. The large renovated spa is equally innovative and high-end. Service is exemplary (every floor has its own butler) and guests can use the outdoor terrace bordering Hyde Park.

Capitalizing on its location in central London's most intimate, village-like neighborhood, The Marylebone features contemporary designer rooms and drinking and dining options that match the boutique elements of its surroundings. Rooms are styled in neutral tones and those on the higher floors offer the kind of quaint rooftop views that have become increasingly rare in a city intent on building bigger. The elegant 108 Brasserie is the perfect spot for people-watching, whether from inside or poised on its outdoor terrace flanked by cobblestone Marylebone Lane. 

Located across from St. Pancras International station, this colorful, snazzily designed hotel offers guests rooms with a chic contemporary vibe and all the latest amenities, from espresso machines to Bluetooth speakers. Rooms come in decent sizes, with the more spacious ones on the upper floors, having huge windows to view the cityscape. Magenta, the hotel restaurant, serves good modern European fare.

Located next to a conference center and opposite a Tube station, this is very much a business hotel. The lobby is sleek and minimalist with polished marble floors and soaring blonde-wood columns, while the guest rooms are similarly tasteful (though bordering on bland) with neutral creams and earth tones complemented by light-wood desks and leather chairs. There are two bars and several restaurants (plus an attached casino), which means that you don't have to go out if you'd prefer to stay in.

Formerly the supercool Curtain hotel, the Mondrian takeover has only raised the hipness stakes here, thanks to a glossy but subtle refurbishment that sees the industrial look of the place toned down to offer a more elegant feel. Book direct for all-day access to the rooftop pool, which is otherwise limited to 7 am to 11 am. 

This friendly, comfortable Georgian townhouse hotel is a proverbial stone's throw from the British Museum. All rooms have air-conditioning and are well-appointed and comfortable, with the quietest ones overlooking the peaceful gardens out back. There's live jazz in the bar most evenings as well as an excellent in-house bistro. In the summer months, one of the garden terraces transforms into a pop-up beach bar, complete with palm trees and cocktails served in coconuts.

Rooms at this small chic charmer—tucked away down a side street in an upscale neighborhood—are tiny but sophisticated, with colorful pastel throws atop crisp white down comforters. The beauty is in the details: the fire-warmed bar serves light meals and tea; there's a relaxing spa; and the guest library lends DVDs and books. Tiny bathrooms are brightened by pale-pink granite countertops and the hotel claims to use feng shui principles in its design.

Just five minutes' walk from Oxford Street, this is a great option for those who tire of traditional hotels: 12 luxury suites—some with balconies and working fireplaces—filled with everything you could ever need, including a handy kitchen. Cupboards are ready-stocked with everything from cookies to herbal tea, and if you don't feel like fending for yourself too much then room service will deliver groceries or fetch meals from local restaurants. You can also arrange in-room spa treatments or ride around town on a hotel bicycle.

Nobu's first European hotel combines ravishing design (think soothing Japonism-inspired patterns and palettes alongside bold statements of industrial chic) with slick service, in a backstreet location in the heart of Shoreditch.

A fine Edwardian building, with an artsy lobby and an understated blend of contemporary and classic, provides pure modern luxury in a great location for theaters and shopping. Guest rooms are equipped with feather comforters, Italian linen sheets, and ample elegance, and suites have such amenities as private gyms, kitchens, and terraces. The gorgeous swimming pool in the health club has underwater speakers that play music you can hear only when you dive in.

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 the first boutique hotels ever in London, this still-stylish choice is just a short stroll away from the Natural History, Science, and Victoria and Albert museums. Settle down at the end of the day with a book from the well-stocked guest library in the stylish, wood-paneled drawing room complete with honor bar, or go straight to the chic, contemporary guest rooms, each individually decorated with the hotel's combination of classic British country house style infused with a touch of Italian glamour. Michelin-starred chef Alfredo Russo offers an innovative twist on traditional Italian cuisine in the downstairs La Trattoria restaurant.

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.

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.

This Edwardian stucco town house close to bustling Earl's Court Road (but on a quiet street overlooking a garden square) offers a useful compromise between a full-service hotel and self-catering lodging in the form of clean comfortable rooms with well-designed modern looks. Basic double rooms are very small, but larger doubles offer more space and fold-out couches. All have tiny kitchenettes equipped with microwaves (reception will accept your delivery order from one of the many local restaurants and bring it to your room). Some rooms have bunk beds that are great for families.

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.

Located on charming Lamb's Conduit Street—a 10-minute walk from the British Museum—these serviced one- and two-bedroom apartments (some of the latter sleep up to six people) are spacious, modern, and well equipped, including kitchens with dishwashers and washing machines. Top-floor apartments have large terraces, ideal for alfresco drinks or dining. A maid cleans the apartments once a week, and there's a staffed reception area, but otherwise you're left on your own to live like a Londoner. There are plenty of good restaurants and bars in the neighborhood, and a grocery store is a block away.

This is a classic example of what the British mean when they refer to an "inn"—a pub with bedrooms, albeit one of better-than-average quality for London. Guest rooms are air-conditioned and temperature-controlled, with decent-size beds and antique-style furnishings along with coffee-making facilities, fresh milk, and bottled water. The pub is open from 7 am, almost unheard of in central London, and offers a huge breakfast menu, which is free for hotel guests. It specializes in hearty British fare for lunch and dinner—think slow-braised beef and ale pie with roasted heritage carrots, beetroot, shallots, and red wine gravy. With a range of ales and a decent wine list, it draws the nearby Parliamentary and office crowds from 4 pm until late.

Originally designed by French designer Philippe Starck, the style of this fashionable, quirky hotel is part surrealist baroque, part Alice in Wonderland; sleigh beds are positioned in the middle of bedrooms at playful angles, and so are the freestanding bathtubs and wash basins—indeed, everything is off-center. This extends to the hotel's popular afternoon tea, with its Mad Hatter's Tea Party theme. Amenities include an excellent spa with holistic bathhouse and indoor-outdoor fitness classes. There's also a pretty Japanese garden courtyard where you can get away from it all.

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.

A mecca for film, media, and fashion folk, this super-trendy hotel personifies Soho's enduring hipness with its artsy, urban-chic vibe. The boldly designed public rooms are filled with bright colors and big statement artworks, while the large bedrooms are calmer, most with neutral beige and cream tones, or subtle, sophisticated pinstripes, all offset by modern furniture. The bar and restaurant, Refuel, is consistently excellent, and there are handy private film screening rooms downstairs (in case the wide-screen TVs in the bedrooms aren't big enough for you).

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.

Design-conscious travelers come to this Philippe Starck–designed spot positioned artfully between Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden. Giant Baroque mirrors, pink hydrangea-filled vases, and golden molar seats dot the lobby, while leopard print–carpet bedrooms are very modish with white-lacquer fittings, etched glass, and aluminum teardrop lights. Be sure to sneak into the secret Blind Spot speakeasy bar for late-night cocktails, hidden behind a fake tea counter and entered via twisting a creepy golden hand–shape handle.

A hotel that caters to guests who are here for sightseeing rather than the daily grind of the financial district, Sun Street Hotel makes its case with a quiet luxury. Opting to embrace the history of the building it inhabits (it resides within six combined Georgian town houses), the hotel is awash with heritage colors, William Morris-esque prints, and plush velvet and buttoned leather at every turn, creating an atmosphere of grown-up, elegant luxury. Close to the buzz of Shoreditch in one direction and the likes of the Tower of London in the other, all while enjoying its place among the peace (particularly on weekends) of the City, Sun Street is well placed for exploratory wanderings.

The elaborate building housing this grand hotel in the financial district is a former bank, and the vast old banking hall—beautifully adapted as the lobby, with luxurious marble and mahogany panels—really sets the scene. Guest rooms are stylish and spacious, with modern bathrooms, big comfortable beds, and sage green and taupe decor along with more mahogany. Given the location, it's no surprise that this place looks as if it were custom-designed to please business travelers although its decor will appeal to anyone with a penchant for classic glamour.