My Favorite London Hotels for Every Type of Trip
“In London, everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in”
The first time I visited London, I was 16 and spending a month there for summer school. I stayed in an apartment with three other girls and pretty much immediately fell in love with the city. I loved figuring out the Tube, walking around different neighborhoods, and, perhaps most importantly, going to Harrods. I went so often that at one point my classmates started asking me to give them tours. Looking back, I guess it’s not particularly surprising that I eventually ended up doing a master’s in Luxury Brand Management.
Anyway, back to London.
After that first trip, I came back almost every year. The only problem was that I had absolutely no money, and London has never exactly been known for affordable accommodation. In my twenties, I stayed everywhere from hostels to guesthouses simply because that’s what I could afford. The last one even came with a few unexpected roommates. They were mice, but I’ll spare you that story.
Thankfully, at 35, I can now afford a little more than a room in someone’s house, and my London hotel situation has improved considerably. Over the past year, I’ve stayed at several hotels across the city, with the absolute highlight being earlier this year when I finally stayed at a hotel that had been at the top of my bucket list ever since that very first trip to London.
And if there’s one thing all those years of finding somewhere to stay have taught me, it’s that choosing a hotel in London can be surprisingly difficult. There are so many neighborhoods, prices vary enormously, and finding somewhere that gets the location, room, experience, and price right isn’t always easy. Where makes sense also depends a lot on what you’re actually coming to London to do.
So rather than giving you a list of hotels I found online, these are the London hotels I’ve personally stayed at over the past year and would actually recommend. They’re definitely not budget options, but they cover quite a range of hotel experiences, from a first taste of luxury to a proper five-star stay. And depending on the kind of London trip I was planning, I’d choose each one for a different reason.
One thing they all have in common is space. London hotel rooms can be notoriously small, and after spending hours walking around the city, the last thing I want is to come back to a room where my travel companion and I are practically sitting on top of each other. That does mean the hotels on this list are on the pricier side, but every room I stayed in gave us enough space to properly relax at the end of the day.
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Still planning the rest of your trip? Check out my London Travel Guide for my favorite things to do, see, and eat while you’re there.
For ultimate luxury
The Lanesborough
If there was ever going to be an obvious choice for the ultimate luxury stay on this list, it had to be The Lanesborough. As I mentioned earlier, this was the London hotel that had been sitting on my bucket list for years, so when I finally stayed here earlier this year, my expectations were pretty high. Thankfully, it lived up to them.
The hotel sits right on Hyde Park Corner, on the edge of Belgravia, with Hyde Park quite literally next door. Harrods and Knightsbridge are within walking distance, while Hyde Park Corner station is directly in front of the hotel, so despite being in a much quieter part of central London, getting around is incredibly easy.
But what made The Lanesborough stand out to me most was the service. I’ve stayed at quite a few luxury hotels around the world over the years, but the level of service at The Lanesborough really stood out to me. Every guest has a personal butler, but it was actually the smaller things that impressed me more. Staff remembered our names, offered to send our jackets up to the room, and when we ordered room service one evening and my friend had a cold, they immediately offered to bring her tea without us even asking. It never felt over the top, just incredibly attentive.
The rest of the hotel very much matches that experience. There’s the spa, the Library Bar, The Lanesborough Grill, and the famous Bridgerton Afternoon Tea. You don’t have to be staying at the hotel to book afternoon tea either, so if a night at The Lanesborough isn’t quite in the budget, you can still experience the hotel this way. And, perhaps most importantly depending on your priorities, meet the hotel’s resident cat, Lilibet.
Our Executive Room had that “home away from home” feeling The Lanesborough is going for. It had the same classic English style as the rest of the hotel and plenty of space, but more than anything, it felt incredibly cozy. Before we arrived, the hotel contacted me to ask if I had any requests for the bed. When I mentioned that I was traveling with a friend, they arranged the mattress so we could each have our own sleeping space. I hadn’t even considered asking for that, and it was another example of how they seemed to think of things before we did.
At some luxury hotels, you can almost become too aware of your surroundings to fully relax. I remember staying at Airelles Château de Versailles and feeling like I had to watch my every move because everything around me seemed so valuable that I was afraid I’d accidentally break something just by turning around. The Lanesborough never felt like that. It was every bit as luxurious, but also somewhere you could actually settle in, get comfortable, and feel at home.
Of course, this is also the hotel I'd choose when the hotel itself is meant to be a big part of the trip. It's expensive, and I don't think you need to spend this kind of money to have a great stay in London. But if you're celebrating something special, want to go all out, or simply love a proper luxury hotel experience, this is the one on this list I'd choose.
For a laid-back 5-star stay
Kimpton Fitzroy
The Kimpton Fitzroy is a great option if you want a five-star hotel that still feels relaxed enough for a city trip. It’s a fairly large hotel, so despite the grand surroundings, you can come and go without feeling like there’s constantly someone paying attention to you. There’s still a definite sense of luxury, but it never feels overly formal.
The building is a huge part of what makes staying here so interesting. Originally opened as the Hotel Russell in the late 19th century, it has some fascinating connections to the Titanic. Its original restaurant was designed by the same architect responsible for parts of the ship’s interiors, and once you know that, it’s hard not to see the similarities in the dining room. Then there’s the huge marble staircase, chandelier, zodiac mosaic, and famous dragon statue. There’s a lot to look at, and you get all that history without the hotel feeling stuffy.
You’re also in a really convenient part of London. Russell Square Tube station is practically next door, the British Museum is around the corner, and you can easily walk to Covent Garden, Soho, and Oxford Street. That makes it particularly good for a London city break, because you can spend the whole day out exploring without making getting anywhere into a whole production.
We stayed in a Premium Family Room with two double beds, and there was plenty of space for both of us. It was quiet and comfortable, and definitely felt like somewhere we could properly relax after a full day in London. There’s plenty going on in the hotel too, with Fitz’s Bar for cocktails, breakfast downstairs, a gym, and bikes you can borrow.
That’s really why the Kimpton works so well for a laid-back five-star stay. You get the grand building, beautiful interiors, a spacious room, and all the fun of staying somewhere with a bit of history, but it’s also the kind of hotel where you can walk through the lobby in sneakers after spending the entire day sightseeing and not give it a second thought.
For a boutique getaway
The Franklin
If you prefer smaller boutique hotels over the huge hotels you often find in London, The Franklin is the one on this list I’d look at. It’s part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and has just 35 rooms and suites, which makes the experience feel much more personal than staying somewhere like the Canopy or Kimpton Fitzroy.
That was probably what I liked most about staying here. The hotel feels cozy rather than grand, and because there are so few rooms, you’re never surrounded by lots of other guests coming and going. I can really see the appeal for a romantic weekend in London, particularly if you want somewhere that feels a little more private to come back to at the end of the day.
We stayed in a Junior Suite, which gave us a surprising amount of space. We had a separate room where we could unpack our suitcases, leave our clothes and get ready, rather than having everything spread around the bedroom. The suite was a little darker than I personally prefer, although I think this was partly because of where our room was located, as rooms on the other side seem to get more natural light. It did, however, add to that cozy feeling in the evenings. And the bed deserves a mention because it was incredibly comfortable.
The location is another big reason to stay here. The Franklin is in Knightsbridge and Harrods is only a few minutes away on foot, so it would work particularly well for a weekend that involves quite a bit of shopping. You’re also close to South Kensington and some of London’s biggest museums, while Hyde Park is within walking distance.
I do think The Franklin is quite expensive for the overall experience, and there were a few things during our stay that could have been a little more polished. But by the time we checked out, those things didn’t really outweigh what I liked about the hotel. The staff handled everything really well, and that more personal level of service is something you notice much more here than at some of the larger hotels on this list.
For me, that’s really where the appeal of The Franklin lies. If you prefer smaller boutique hotels, are planning a romantic weekend, or just don’t want to stay somewhere with hundreds of rooms and people constantly coming and going, this is the one on this list I’d choose.
For an Upscale City Break
Canopy Hilton London City
Not every trip to London needs a five-star hotel, and Canopy by Hilton London City is a really good example of why. It sits more in the upper mid-range category, so you’re not getting the same level of service or luxury as some of the other hotels on this list. But you’re also not paying for it.
What you do get is a really comfortable place to stay. London hotel rooms are notoriously small, but ours at Canopy was clean, surprisingly spacious, and had enough room for both of us to move around. Does it have the same level of service as The Lanesborough? No. Could I walk around the room without tripping over my carry-on? Absolutely. And sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
The location was another big reason I liked staying here. The hotel is in Aldgate, just a few minutes from the Tube, and you can walk to places like the Tower of London and Leadenhall Market. It’s particularly convenient if you’re flying into London City Airport. We took public transportation from the airport when we arrived, which was really easy, and only took a taxi back because we were running late.
There’s a fitness center, bikes you can borrow, and a concierge, although on my long weekend I was far too busy running around London to make much use of any of them.
I really enjoyed staying here, and I’d happily book it again for the kind of London trip where I’m going to spend most of my days exploring the city but still want to come back to a hotel that feels comfortable rather than cramped. It may not have all the bells and whistles of a five-star hotel, but as a London base, it does its job very, very well.
Hopefully this helps you find the right hotel for your next trip to London. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
Happy Travels!
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