The best hotels in London, tried and tested by our editors
In a bid to seek out the best hotels in London and come up with a definitive list, the House & Garden team has undertaken the arduous task of travelling around the capital to test them. Putting our Princess and The Pea hats on, we've tested everything from the pillow density to the room service, spa facilities and of course the restaurants and bars on offer. The list, in no particular order, details the best hotels in London, marked by their service, style and comfort. Whatever type of hotel you're after and wherever you want to be in the capital, this is where to book.
Which location is best to stay in London?
There's a London neighbourhood to check into for every type of traveller. First timers might want to stay central for ease, from Covent Garden to Soho, Mayfair to Holborn. Some of the glitziest grand dame hotels are in the heart of the city, like Claridge's in Mayfair and The Savoy in Covent Garden. For an east London edge, Shoreditch has built a thriving hotel scene over the years with newcomers like One Hundred Shoreditch and Nobu. For stays on the more affordable end, The Hoxton has hotels across the city, from Holborn to Shepherd's Bush near Notting Hill. The north-west London neighbourhood has a thriving restaurant scene right now. Those wanting to escape the bustle might want to check into riverside stay The Mitre which is opposite Hampton Court Palace and minutes from Richmond.
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More places to stay in London
1/29Nobu Hotel London Portman Square
Design notes: Sleek Japandi style interiors conceal high tech offerings at Nobu Hotel London Portman Square. Think neutral tones and layered textures of polished wood and grey veined marble in the rooms–some of which come complete with Japanese TOTO toilets. In the communal areas, colour is used more liberally, with the lounge bar and lobby rendered in warm oranges and greens.
Why stay here: Perfect for an overnight stay or a week long city break, Nobu Hotel caters to all types of visitor. Naturally, Nobu Hotel is a foodie's paradise. Breakfast is served buffet style, with the option to order cooked meals such as matsuhisa crab benedict, served with a tofu bun, shiso hollandaise. Be sure to book into the restaurant for an omakase dinner, it's not to be missed.
What's around: Set in London's West End, Nobu Hotel London Portman Square is just around the corner from the shopping destinations of Oxford Street, Regent Street and Selfridges. For those looking for a spot of tranquility in the heart of the city, walk in the other direction and you'll find yourself in Hyde Park, London's largest green space. First time visitors to the city are also placed in easy reach of some of London's best spots: Buckingham place is little over a mile away, as well as the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Don't miss: A visit to the Nobu Wellness & Fitness area. The second floor is home to a fully equipped gym, spa zone offering a range of Grown Alchemist treatments and the world's first Nobu Pilates Reformer studio.
- Arabella Bowes
Address: 22 Portman Square, London W1H 7BG
Price per night: From £369 per night
2/29Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Knightsbridge
Best hotel in London for: For a London landmark hit-list in complete luxury
Design notes: This grande dame hotel dates back to 1887 and is all about elegant opulence. The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park is one of London's most famous and most lavish places to stay. Don't expect anything to feel dated inside though – the hotel had a lavish redesign in 2019 after a fire. Entering the doors of the grand Edwardian building, you're met with oodles of marble and Art Deco features, and grand floral arrangements – but all done with an unimposing touch thanks to interior designer Joyce Wang. You'll find all of the mod cons in suites, including Japanese toilets, Diptyque bathroom products and Bowers & Wilkins speakers.
Why stay here: Where do we begin? This is a place for going all out in terms of indulgence. Not only is Hyde Park literally your back garden (an extra handy feature if you're staying with your dog), but you also have first dibs on Harvey Nichols and Harrods across the road before the rest of the shoppers descend. Those not wanting to step outside have a particularly moody and sleek spa, pool and gym but the real draw is when it comes to dining. There's a two-Michelin star Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Japanese izakaya The Aubrey (a must-visit) and if the weather is on your side in London, al fresco dining facing Hyde Park at the quintessentially British Hyde Park Garden.
What's around: Sitting between glorious Royal Parkland and fashionable Knightsbridge, you're spoilt for choice with iconic London landmarks on your doorstep. Christmas visitors will be particularly rewarded with some of London's most festive activities, like Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland, a short walk away.
Don't miss: Walking around to see The Aubrey's secret six-seater bar.
- Tal Dekel-Daks
Address: 66 Knightsbridge, Westminster Borough, London, SW1X 7LA, United Kingdom
Price per night: From £790 per night
3/29Broadwick, Soho
The latest hotel to cause a splash in Soho is the Broadwick, a Martin Brudnizki-designed 57 room retreat, bedecked with lavish interiors and a flamboyant, cosmopolitan spirit. While it is on the larger scale given the amount of rooms, the hotel maintains the feel of a boutique hotel given its achingly cool yet utterly welcoming atmosphere. If a neutral decor is what you look for in a hotel, then this is not the one for you. But for those who want a fanciful interior, beautiful wallpapers and tactile furnishings, Broadwick is a masterclass.
There's a bar at the top of the hotel (Flute) that will host performances but its real draw is the wraparound terrace that boasts ridiculously good views of the city. The ground floor is home to Bar Jackie while Dear Jackie, the hotel's restaurant, is in the basement. This red-bedecked, fabric adorned space is pure dolce vita, dishing up modern Italian fare from the open kitchen. There's also a private lounge on the ground floor, reserved for hotel guests to use whenever they want a peaceful place for a coffee or cocktail.
Address: 20 Broadwick Street, W1F 8HT
4/29The Twenty Two, Mayfair
Interior designer Natalia Miyar won our Pineapple Award for Hotel Design in 2022 for her work at The Twenty Two, London’s smartest new opening of the year on a corner of Grosvenor Square, W1. A combination of glamour and comfort, beauty and practicality, there is a jewel box quality to the hotel's interiors as well as a deep respect for the elegance and history of the Edwardian building. Public spaces and bedrooms are full of joie de vivre, but without being ostentatious. There is a buzz, an energy and a wit to this hotel, which delivers a new youthful dynamism to the heart of Mayfair.
It's also a brilliant destination even if you're not staying at the hotel, thanks to its excellent eponymous restaurant, decked out in glossy powder blue and rich mustard upholstery. The menu is refined and luxurious, with oysters, steaks, and champagne feeling firmly like the order of the day. It's a more formal approach to dining than many restaurants in London go for these days, but that makes it feel all the more stylish. With its immaculate white tablecloths, impeccable service and impressive wine list, it feels like a special occasion at any time of day.
Address: 22 Grosvenor Square, London W1K 6LF
Nick Rochowski Photography5/29The Goring, Belgravia
Favoured by the royal family and with a history dating back to 1910, this hotel a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace is surely one of London's most classically elegant places to stay. There's a graceful, old world charm to it, though it certainly never feels dated. The rooms are beautifully done out in damasks and extravagantly swagged curtains, and there's that most glorious and unusual of amenities for a London hotel–a garden.
This is a marvellous place to come to eat and drink. The bar has to one of our favourite hotel bars in the city, with an airy open space decorated with plaster sea creatures, and generous banquettes to sink into as you sip on a martini. The Michelin-starred Dining Room is a temple to fine cuisine, with interiors by the Queen's nephew David Linley, and in the summer you can also dine on the heavenly veranda, with windows on three sides open to the garden. Afternoon tea, of course, is complete heaven here.
Address: The Goring, 15 Beeston Place, London, SW1W 0JW
Simon Upton6/29The NoMad, Covent Garden
While New York City's famed NoMad Hotel has now turned into The Ned NoMad, its London counterpart opened to much fanfare in 2021. An appropriate sense of occasion awaits guests arriving at The NoMad in Covent Garden. This, after all, is the beating heart of London’s theatre land, where its customary to expect an all-round wallop of drama.
The challenges were enormous in opening this hotel: the pandemic played havoc with the timing; staff shortages in the hospitality sector meant a slow start; and the building – or more accurately two conjoined buildings, one comprising the former Bow Street Police Station, the other the Bow Street Magistrates Court – proved a beast to convert. The police, in fact, gave up on the location back in the 1990s when the refit required to install modern technology proved way beyond government resources. The Magistrates Court moved out in 2006.
First impressions are decidedly dusky. Through a glass entranceway lined with potted greenery, past welcoming staff in natty suits and white trainers, and into a seductive, deep blue lobby. There are glimpses of the adjoining Library (dark red), the broad staircase (deep brown) and the Atrium, the show-stealing, architectural addition to the site which encloses the rear courtyard in a three-storey, Edwardian-style glasshouse to create the Nomad Restaurant. It is dark outside, but the Atrium sparkles with light.
The original NoMad Hotel, which changed the face of hotels in Manhattan when it opened 2012, had Jacques Garcia as the interior designer, the past master of sumptuous colour and texture in his lavish use of rich velvets and damasks. Garcia has been replaced in London by New York design studio Roman and Williams (the team behind Ace Hotels and the British Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) who pay suitable homage to their predecessor with a similar colour palette and sense of drama.
What struck me most about NoMad, however, was an over-riding sense that this a destination hotel, not a place merely to lay your head. If all you need is a bed for the night, don’t bother.
Instead get stuck in: take a tour round the hotel’s bijou police museum with its original prison cells; have tea in the Library, browsing curated books about theatre and opera, crime and punishment; move on to good-buzzing, cool-talking Side Hustle (already voted one of the 50 best bars in the world) for a devilish cocktail and a spicy Mexican snack; head out to the theatre or the opera (the hotel has a new opera package on offer for guests) before heading back for a night cap. - Pamela Goodman
Address: 28 Bow St, London WC2E 7AW
7/29The Mitre, Hampton Court
It's not often that you can experience the true customer service prowess of a team, but when I turned up a month early to my booking at The Mitre and the team made light work of sorting out my mess (while I drank a glass of wine in the lovely lounge) and accommodating me for the night, I learnt within three minutes just how welcoming The Mitre is. Decorated by Nicola Harding, it is quite unlike most of the hotels in this list for its colourful, joyous and incredibly comfortable surroundings. In fact, The Mitre feels more like spending a night at a stylish friend's house rather than a hotel and I mean that in the absolute best way. There are no iPads to baffle you as you try to open the curtains, no light switches with 29 options that make no sense and the shower turns on just as it would at home, albeit it with much nicer tiles surrounding it. It is disconcertingly refreshing that it feels so like home.
The public spaces are just as heavenly, with a former courtyard turned into an enclosed library, where you can order an after dinner digestif while you peruse the curation of books and pop some tunes on the jukebox. When it comes to food, there are three options: 1665 for an elegant dinner, Coppernose bar for a more relaxed setting and the orangery, which is a wonderful afternoon tea stop off.
The situation of The Mitre, opposite Hampton Court Palace (you'll find all the rooms are named after King Henry VIII, his wives and his hobbies) and on the Thames makes it a refreshing change from other London hotels. Hampton Court station can whizz you into Waterloo easily enough, while the river, Bushy Park and Richmond Park on your doorstep provide ample space and fresh air – a rare commodity in London. – Charlotte McCaughan-Hawes
mitrehamptoncourt.com | Hampton Ct Rd, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9BN
8/29The Covent Garden Hotel
A stones throw away from the west-end, vibrant independent shops and Covent Garden’s eclectic collection of restaurants and bars lies The Covent Garden Hotel. A perfect home-away-from home hotel, full of design expertise, and a must for any staycation or romantic break with a Parisian flavour.
Like so many of Kit Kemp's hotels, The Covent Garden Hotel oozes personality. The hotel feels distinctly gallic, paying homage to its previous life as a French Hospital. Each room, full of Kit’s unique sense of style and whimsy, feels more like a fashionable Montmartre apartment than your standard hotel room, while also reflecting Covent Garden’s uniquely creative atmosphere.
The rooms embody Covent Garden’s soul, from its history as a flower market, with delicate floral schemes to rooms steeped with drama, evocative of extravagant sets from a Royal Opera House production, each still reflecting Kit’s attention to detail and shying away from more corporate hotel design. The rooms echo the guest experience - uniquely tailored to their needs and expectations, from the amenities one would expect from a luxury hotel to the extra special additions, like the abundant honesty bar, the screening room and classic touches like monogrammed bathrobes for returning guests. Each room also features Kit’s signature tailors bust in coordinating patterns.
The restaurant offers classic hotelier fare: brasserie style dishes served with the same attention that the rooms are given; Exceptional execution, presentation and flavour, assuring you that you’re definitely in safe hands. The prawn cocktail - often passed up as a 1970’s throwback - is one of my favourites in London. Get a seat by the window to watch the hustle and bustle of Monmouth street go by.
Every element of the hotel from its menu, to its suites and its social spaces are thought through and seamless, whilst being incredibly laid back and inviting. The Hotel’s Junior Suite might be my top pick, with its charming balcony, and spacious bathroom – the huge tub - said to be the deepest in London comes with a Television for catching up on your latest Netflix binge.
Address: 10 Monmouth St, London WC2H 9HB
9/29The Mayfair Townhouse
The brains behind Cliveden House and Chewton Glen (home to one of our favourite luxury treehouse stays) opened this elegant Georgian townhouse hotel in the heart of Mayfair in 2021 and it's the ideal spot for exploring the best of London. It's There are dog-friendly amenities inside the bedrooms too–from dog beds to bowls, snacks, squeaky toys and a dog robe. Early morning walks are best placed in Green Park which is a two minute walk away from the hotel. It's not every day you can stroll to Buckingham Palace before the crowds roll in. - Tal Dekel-Daks
- Address: 27-41 Half Moon St, London W1J 7BG
- Price: from £271 per night
Nikolas Koenig10/29The London Edition
For a hotel that’s part of such a famed chain, The London Edition has something rather intimate and personal feeling about it. The ethos of the Edition brand is that each of their hotels are recognisable as part of the chain but also have something of the city’s identity within them, be they in Miami, Barcelona or Tokyo. Standing tall on Soho’s Berners Street, The London Edition touches on a few classic London conventions.
As in every one of London’s drinking spots, residents and office workers alike descend on the hotel bar each evening, imbuing the lobby with a lively atmosphere that threatens to descend into a full blown party at every moment. It’s a charming ambience to walk into and one that makes you feel you’re right in the heart of the action. Turn to your right and you’ll see Berners Tavern, the famed restaurant, headed up by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton, which does supremely upmarket British food. Think battered Cornish cod with crushed peas tartare sauce, triple cooked chips, served alongside champagne that arrives wheeled to you on a brass trolley. Deep in the basement, there’s a 24 hour fitness suite that has an impressive range of equipment.
Our room was perched up the top of the hotel with a framed view of Victorian mansion blocks in the foreground and the BT Tower in the back. The rooms are peacefully decorated with neutral colours and veined marble bathrooms that house powerful showers. It’s the perfect room to return to after a day in town–one that’s ideal for tourists and locals alike. After all, there are few hotels quite so centrally located. – Arabella Bowes
10 Berners St, W1T 3NP | editionhotels.com/london
PHILIPVILE11/29The Hari
One of London’s lesser known five-star hotels in one of the city’s smarter villages, The Hari has the feel of an insider secret thanks to its Belgravia garden-square location and unassuming modern exterior. Its bar has a chic library vibe with its floor-to-ceiling bookcases and sleek velvet and leather upholstery, and, along with the adjacent garden terrace (with a retractable roof), is clearly as popular with locals as hotel guests. Bare brick walls are enhanced by regularly changing art, often reflecting The Hari’s support for emerging talent – in spring 2021, two young artists enjoyed a month’s residency in the hotel in collaboration with ArtUltra.
There is a hint of the sexy bachelor pad about the 85 bedrooms (including 14 suites) and their marble-clad bathrooms, impeccably designed by Tara Bernerd and EPR Architects to capitalise on every inch of space and the views from the large picture windows.
Il Pampero restaurant has a casually swanky vibe. Its monochrome tiles, leather banquette seating and outsize pendant lights suit the Italian menu of creative handmade pasta, such as creamy carbonara tortello parcels, and refined meat dishes like perfectly cooked loin of venison with chard, mushrooms and raisins. These were well matched by excellent wine-by-the-glass suggestions from Naomi Delle Cave. We finished our dinner by sharing a zabaione, which came topped with amaretti biscuits, hazelnuts and a dusting of gold leaf. The Hari is a stone’s throw from Harrods after all. – Caroline Bullough
thehari.com | 20 Chesham Pl, London SW1X 8HQ
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12/29Claridge’s
There are hotels, and then there is Claridge’s. Its name precedes it, its reputation is world-renowned but what’s more, it doesn’t for one single second rest of its laurels. What this means in practice is that the rooms, restaurants and bars have all had recent renovations to make them fresh and exciting for modern customers and loyal fans alike. There are still gilded mirrors and classical antiques, alongside curvy pink marble, sculptural mahogany in-room bars and all-singing, all-dancing Japanese loos in the rooms.
Bryan O’Sullivan has had a hand in updating many of the rooms and suites, with plush furnishings, pops of colour and art deco motifs that expertly fuse the heritage and modernity of Claridges. It’s the communal spaces that shine too, with three bars on offer depending on your mood; The Painter’s Room is modern, pink and vibey with an intriguing cocktail list, while The Fumoir is a moodier, darker atmosphere with more of a speakeasy feel and all the classics on offer. Claridge’s Bar is bang in the middle, a standard hotel bar but with the flair and service you expect of this stalwart of hospitality. It has a terrace too that wraps around the side of the hotel and serves a succinct menu of comfort food in an elevated setting. As for dining, Davies & Brook has sadly shut for now, but watch this space as you know something brilliant will be coming soon. The Reading Room and Foyer – the renowned Claridge’s space right at the heart of the hotel – is an elegant setting for lobster bisque, steak tartare, Claridge’s famous chicken pie and seasonal dishes.
Put simply, Claridge’s has it all, and then some. The spa is about to be reopened and you’d have to work extremely hard to find better service. Test it; order a pot of tea or breakfast to your room and see just how fast and hot it arrives. – CMH
Brook Street, W1K 4HR | claridges.co.uk
The Standard13/29The Standard, King's Cross
The Standard is pure disco. In the metaphorical sense, of course, but almost literally, too – if Paul Thomas Anderson ever wanted to shoot a follow-up to Boogie Nights, he’d be well catered for by the Kings Cross hotel’s neo-Seventies decor and strictly laid-back vibe. Perhaps some of this can be put down to DNA extracted from The Standard’s now-defunct sister hotel on LA’s Sunset Strip, but the group’s WC1 edition more than carries the torch in 2022. Start at Sweeties, the tenth-floor cocktail bar with views across central London and one of the cheekiest menus we’ve come across in aeons. (Our favourites were the Purple Rain, Sweeties’ take on a Manhattan, and the Holy Thursday, a dressed-up cousin of an Irish Dream or a Grasshopper. But we also loved the creamy, spiced WAP, if you can bring yourself to order it straight-faced.) Then head to in-house restaurant Isla and – trust us on this – commit heavily to the small plates and the lemon sole, before retiring. Rooms, by Shawn Hausman Design, have a colourful pillbox aesthetic, and with curved banquettes under the large windows almost feel like being on an incredibly chic, futuristic train – appropriate enough for the hypnotic views across the road to grand, gothic St Pancras.—TB
10 Argyle St, WC1H 8EG | standardhotels.com
©ZAC and ZAC14/29The Beaumont
With polished walnut furnishings, chequered flooring, and walls covered in black and white photographs of the Roaring Twenties, The Beaumont exudes old-world, Art-Deco glamour. The 50 rooms and 22 suites and studios are another level of luxury, providing plush bedding and stunning marble bathrooms with heated mosaic floors and an array of sustainable D.R. Harris toiletries. Suites include dining areas and comfortable sitting rooms, complete with playing cards, board games, and plenty of reading material.
Make sure to try out The Colony Grill Room – the hotel’s dark-red leather clad, New-York style grill restaurant – which offers a range of steaks, fish dishes and salads, as well as a variety of delicious breakfast and lunch classics in the day. A dinner menu staple is the Colony Bespoke Sundae; a check-list is brought to the table, where you can choose from unlimited toppings, including honeycomb and lemon meringue, dulce de leche and creme anglaise. The Colony and the hotel’s bar (Le Magritte) have recently been refurbished under designer Thierry Despont’s direction – the timeless, sophisticated ambience remains, but with an added splash of colour, and an additional lounge and terrace.
It is the details that count, and The Beaumont triumphs on all accounts. With complimentary treats awaiting my arrival, fresh mint tea in a thermos – brought up whilst I was exploring the spa and gym facilities – and a private terrace with views over Mayfair and Brown Hart Gardens; I could not have been made to feel more special. – Rachel Holland
thebeaumont.com | 8 Balderton Street, W1K 6TF
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Jamie McGregor Smith 201815/29The Connaught
Sometimes, it can be difficult to know what criteria to judge a hotel on: do you benchmark against the average actually-existing luxury hotel, or the ultimate, imaginary institution? There’s no such trouble when you stay at The Connaught, which basically passes both tests with flying colours.
Start with the obvious: The Connaught Bar is literally the best in the world (as staff will repeatedly tell you with a strong hint of pride), named so in 2020 and 2021 by The World’s 50 Best Bars. Go for a dry martini in the David Collins-designed Irish Cubist space, or go for anything else: staff are naturally perfect at recommendations even when faced with the most difficult of customers (H&G asked, potentially perplexingly, for “something sweet but not floral”, and our waiter absolutely delivered the goods).
Then there’s calm Jean-Georges, the low-key modernist restaurant frequented by smart Americans, and the Red Room, perhaps the most beautiful single space in the hotel, all flowing Gaudí-esque concrete forms and rouge Louise Bourgeois works on the walls. Add in the as-standard beds you can sleep in sideways (we literally did this in our suite; H&G stayed in the old-school Carlos Suite), another bar and restaurant each, and the usual trappings – that underfloor heating, that discreet service, that TV in the bath so you can watch Homes Under The Hammer while you gently steam – and The Connaught remains the standard to beat in London. The grande dame feels like she could have died a hundred times in her century-plus existence, being outpaced and outmoded by newer, elbows-out competitors, and yet the hotel persists, solid and dignified, sitting quietly on Carlos Place awaiting your next visit. – Thomas Barrie
Carlos Pl, W1K 2AL | the-connaught.co.uk
Durston Saylor16/29Rosewood London
Rosewood London is one of capital's most lovely hotels and it strikes you from the moment you see the exterior. Set against the backdrop of busy Holborn, the building is impressive on an unrivalled scale and as you walk under the archway, across the central courtyard and into the lobby, the bustle of the city disappears into a distant memory. The hotel caters to a business and tourist clientele and manages to strike a good balance in its decoration. The public areas are plush, glitzy and decadent, while the rooms are cosseting, comfortable and decorated in a more neutral manner. Rosewood London does boast some of the best suites in the city, sprawling lengthily into cavernous living rooms, dressing rooms bigger than my bedroom at home and bathrooms that go on and on.
Of course, the spa is just as lovely as the rest. While it's on the smaller side (there's no pool), the treatments are unparalleled, there's a steam room and sauna in the changing rooms for pre- and post-treatment relaxation and a lovely central room where you can lounge before and after a massage with a hot infusion matched to your treatment. Guests of the hotel have access to the spa if you fancy a quick morning steam, but it's certainly best used for its wonderful range of massages, facials, wraps and exfoliations. What's more, once you've been pampered, you get to pad back to your room in your slippers, enjoy the plush surroundings and get ready for a night at Scarfe's Bar and one of the restaurants on offer. Breakfast at The Mirror Room the next morning is the icing on the already perfect cake. – CMH
rosewoodhotels.com | 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN
michael weber17/29The Langham
The Langham is an enticing haven amongst the hustle and bustle of Oxford Circus. Classic, refined and elegant in its design, with a focus on perfected details and a light, welcoming feeling, the interiors aren’t imposing, but rather welcome you with open arms. They don’t scream “I’m a design hotel, look at all my cool pieces”, nor do they shout “I’m a new hotel, everything is bright and shiny”; they are just more subtle, refined touches, like the particularly well-chosen art prints and coffee table reads in my one bedroom suite for the night, the beautifully crafted spiral handrail of the entrance lobby or the candle fixture wall lights flanking the bathroom mirrors.
The Langham has all the great benefits of a luxury hotel; enormous (and we mean enormous) beds, heavy curtains, ample storage space and soothing marble bathrooms; yet it still manages to achieve as close to a sense of homeliness as one can get when staying at a hotel in the epicentre of London.
We stayed in a one bedroom suite, consisting of an entrance hall, guest wash closet, living room, bedroom and en suite. The living room was inviting and cosy with an upholstered ottoman, two person table and leather-clad drinks cabinet. Meanwhile, the bedroom was light and spacious, with a wall of large full length windows, equally large wardrobes and a fittingly large bed (yes, we’re mentioning the bed again). Even the bathroom, in its marble clad grandeur, felt welcoming with its tucked away recess bath and flanked central basin.
Guests looking to relax and regenerate will find The Langhams spa facilities slightly on the smaller side but nonetheless perfectly formed, with both a sauna and steam room. Those looking for livelier pastures on the other hand, might make a reservation at the Langham's adjoining pub, The Wigmore. Set in a former banking hall, the large, open and smart looking “tavern” (by the most Langham of definitions) plays host to an energetic and lively crowd of guests and non-guests alike come post-work hours. Serving hearty twists on traditional pub fare, for a respite from the crowd reserve a table in the smaller side room, with its brilliant wallpaper, low slung armchairs and more relaxed vibe. For an even more intimate setting, try Artesian, The Langham’s bar to the left of its main Portland Place entrance. An impeccable high end bar with wonderfully personal service, sample one of their changing specialities, created with a minimal waste approach.
Whatever your intended approach to a stay at The Langham, don’t skip breakfast, either at the lobby-adjacent palm court, or in the beautiful club lounge. Or perhaps just in that really, really large bed. – Bradley Palmer
1C Portland Pl, London W1B 1JA | langhamhotels.com
18/29The Savoy
The Savoy is one of those London addresses with an unfailing mystique to it. The first true luxury hotel in the city, it carries with it some of the most glamorous associations any hotel could have: its foundation by Richard D’Oyly Carte, the Gilbert & Sullivan producer; its first head chef Auguste Escoffier; its countless fashionable guests. Its cocktail bars are justly celebrated, and its restaurant overlooking the Thames is surely one of the most beautiful settings in London. This is a place to do things in style.
The rooms are classically decorated, with just the right amount of swags and frills, parquet floors and gilded mirrors. It's like stepping into an incredibly well-curated antiques shop where you would just like to take everything home. Amongst all this elegant, old world charm however, there are all the mod cons you expect from a hotel of The Savoy's calibre. It was utter heaven to retreat to the field-sized bed in the suite - the bedroom of which is bigger than many London flats - pick up a book from the impeccably curated bookshelves, and forget there’s a big bad city out there beyond the sparkling thread of the river. If you’re looking for the last bastion of true luxury, this is it, and it’s worth every penny. – Virginia Clark
thesavoylondon.com | Strand, London WC2R 0EZ
- Beaverbrook Townhouse</a>","brand":{"name":""},"id":"61894590b028fc86ce4883ad","index":18,"contentType":"photo","offers":[],"component":"gallery_slide_component"}" data-testid="GallerySlideWrapper">
19/29Beaverbrook Townhouse
Nicola Harding, the winner of House & Garden’s 2021 Pineapple Award for Hotel Design, has fast established a reputation for her masterful use of colour and few others could carry off the bold combination of purples, pinks and blue hues with grass green and red as well as she has at Beaverbrook Townhouse, the London outpost of one of our favourite country hotels. Nor has she skimped on decorative details, so there are lashings of Samuel & Son passementerie and patterned lampshades by the likes of Vaughan and Rosi de Ruig dotted round the room. A moodily dark bathroom with a medley of tiles in turquoise, aqua and teal completes the dramatic look.
Nicola has cited The Great Gatsby as one of the influences for the hotel’s interiors. The glass and brass bar cart next to the purple velvet sofa may be very 2020s, but crystal glasses and decanters and a leather lidded ice box introduce a note of 1920s decadence. There is a marbled-paper letter rack, a bamboo magazine holder, a Roberts radio and piles of old cloth-bound novels and shiny new coffee table books, which all help perpetuate the illusion that you are staying in the well-appointed apartment of a glamorous and hospitable friend. Lest an unsightly black screen detract from all this soothing opulence, the television turns out to be hidden in the ottoman at the end of the canopied bed. And because this is a room in which every detail of comfort seems to have been thought out, a swivel action means it can be watched from either the bed or the sofa.
Sir Frank’s Bar, with its gleaming tiled and stained-glass bar, leather bar stools and booth seating, velvet sofas and low-level lighting, is equally cocooning as the rooms. Gallery-wall displays of Japanese woodblock prints are continued in the hotel restaurant – The Fuji Grill, where deep green panelling contrasts with the foxy pink of the velvet banquettes. – Caroline Bullough
115-116 Sloane St, London SW1X 9PJ | beaverbrooktownhouse.co.uk
20/29Hotel Café Royal
There are many remarkable things about Hotel Café Royal, the regal hotel on Regent Street, right by Piccadilly Circus but perhaps the most remarkable is the one you might never notice at all: the silence. When I stayed, my room was on the third floor, at the Piccadilly Circus end and overlooking the traffic jams of Regent Street below but did I hear one single honk of a horn or anguished scream of an angry cyclist? Not a peep. It was quite amazing. The rooms themselves are peaceful in their decoration, with neutral tones and soft fabrics alongside jawdropping marble bathrooms. In fact, the bathrooms are so marble-dominated that they were hand-carved on site to create bathtub, walls and floors honed from a single block. Needless to say, the floors had to be reinforced to support such grandeur.
The hotel spa – deep underground – is a bunker of peace and relaxation where what is surely one of the loveliest pools in London awaits. The whole spa is carved from smooth stone, which echoes the feelings of relaxation, while dim lighting and blue tiles create a somewhat magical atmosphere as you swim lengths of the pool. Of course, there is a steam room, a sauna and a jacuzzi for the full package, as well as pampering treatments where the occasional sound of a tube rumbling past acts as a lullaby of sorts. – CMH
10 Air St, W1B 4DY | hotelcaferoyal.com
21/29The Belmond Cadogan
““Mr. Woilde, we ‘ave come for tew take yew
Where felons and criminals dwell:
We must ask yew tew leave with us quoietly
For this is the Cadogan Hotel.””So concludes John Betjeman’s nine stanza poem entitled ‘The Arrest of Oscar Wilde at the Cadogan Hotel’, solidifying the hotel’s place in literary history. There are few hotels that can claim such a sparkling history as this one or, indeed, such a long heritage. The original Cadogan hotel was built in 1887 and was made up of four separate Victorian townhouses. As the Cadogan expanded, they bought 21 Pont Street from Lilie Langtry, the much loved socialite and ‘favourite’ of Edward, Prince of Wales, who lived in the building from 1891 to 1895. Upon the sale of her property, she struck a deal with the hotel that allowed her to keep her original bedroom (now named the Lillie Langtry suite), entertain in the hotel’s spaces and eat and drink at the bar and restaurant for free–in perpetuity. Since then, the hotel has been an understated and welcoming place for celebrities, locals and international visitors alike.
After an extensive five year refurbishment, the doors to the Cadogan reopened in 2019 revealing the edited layout which kept as many original period features as possible, just with a little more breathing room. What had felt like multiple townhouses now feels like one cohesive space. Each of the 54 rooms housed in this Queen Anne-style building are welcoming and stylish, with that ‘just right’ level of luxury you’d expect from a British brand. A pillow menu lies on the bedside tables, offering you a selection of different pillows and weighted blankets. Whichever you choose is brought up during turn down service, along with a pillow mist.
Those who arrive with hungry stomachs will be satiated quickly. The Lalee is the Cadogan's main dining area, where the floor features an eye-catching floral tile design, a replica of the entrance hall in Lillie’s house. Afternoon tea can be sampled in The Lounge and, in summer, fully catered picnics can be laid out in the hotel's gardens (surely one of its most impressive features). Given this, you're sure to have a grand time at the Belmond Cadogan, just don't pull an Oscar Wilde and get yourself arrested. – AB
75 Sloane St, SW1X 9SG | belmond.com
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JAMIE MCGREGOR SMITH22/29The Berkeley
The Maybourne group own a trifecta of hotels in London, each as impressive as the other. Where Claridge’s and Connaught have an air of being a ‘grande dame’ on the scene, The Berkeley seems like their younger sibling and offers a slightly different location from the Mayfair pair. Over in Knightsbridge, overlooking Hyde Park on one side, The Berkeley sprawls across over eight floors, with a small roof terrace that boasts a heated outdoor pool and views over the park. On the ground floor, you’ll find all the amenities you need to eat and drink to your heart’s content: The Blue Bar, The Berkeley Bar, Cédric Grolet’s brand new patisserie, the outdoor dining lodges (Alpine in winter, beach-themed for summer), Collins Room, Berkeley Café and Marcus Wareing’s Marcus restaurant. It’s an exhaustive, and impressive, list. Start at The Berkeley Bar, which has walnut walls, pale pink leather seats and marble tables to create an atmosphere of old world meets new. In winter, the winter cabins have Alpine feasts to enjoy, but be sure to go hungry.
Of course, in-room dining is always a good option, especially when you have a suite with a dining area to enjoy. The furnishings are much like that of the bar – sculptural modern pieces, bouclé furnishings and luxurious materials alongside classic crisp white sheets and acres of marble in the bathrooms. They’re big enough to stay in for a long time without ever feeling cramped, or for a short trip to feel utterly pampered. The suite I stayed in was likely quite a lot larger than my own flat, and decorated in a much more impressive manner. For a home away from home, it really is quite wonderful. – CMH
Wilton Pl, SW1X 7RL | the-berkeley.co.uk
23/29The Zetter Townhouse
Clerkenwell’s ultra-chic Zetter Townhouse has long been a favourite for cocktails – its bar has drinks designed by Tony Conigliaro and some of the most knowledgeable staff in London. With an interior design scheme described as “the private residence of a most beloved and eccentric Great Aunt”, we should have known that the rooms would be beautiful too, as indeed they are. The smaller rooms (still spacious by London standards) are decked out in bright colours with four-poster beds and quirky accessories; the expansive, Regency-style Townhouse Apartment has comfortably enough room to swing your great aunt’s cat in, as well as an utterly luxurious bathroom. You can enjoy a sumptuous breakfast in the Cocktail Lounge, as well as small bites in the evening, and the neighbourhood has plenty of options for dinner.
49-50 St John's Square, Clerkenwell EC1V 4JJ | thezettertownhouse.com/clerkenwell
24/29Henrietta Hotel
Few locations can be as ideal for exploring London as the Henrietta’s. A stone’s throw from Covent Garden, this boutique townhouse hotel is within easy reach of the best restaurants, theatres, and museums in the city. Inside, all is glamorous and comfortable, in a modern, pretty colour palette of pink, blue and gold. Between the brass fixtures, curvy Art Deco shapes, and velvety fabrics, the interiors are a Pinterest dream world. The bathrooms in particular with their millennial pink paint and rounded marble backsplashes make the perfect backdrop for getting ready to go out, or just soaking in the tub. And if you don’t want to leave the building, there is a buzzy bar-cum-restaurant downstairs offering cocktails and modern European plates. It all makes for a very stylish weekend break.
14–15 Henrietta Street, WC2E 8QH | henriettahotel.com
25/29The Bloomsbury
Dating from 1928, The Bloomsbury's handsome red-brick Sir Edwin Lutyens building is just a heartbeat from Tottenham Court Road. Ascend the Portland stone front steps and you walk straight into the hotel’s humming new bar, The Coral Room, where designer du jour Martin Brudnizki has installed antique mirrors and huge Murano chandeliers that light up the deep-pink walls and specially commissioned Bloomsbury-inspired art by Luke Edward Hall. The crowd is glamorous, the cocktail list is 10 pages long and there is live jazz every weekend. Guests can choose to eat here or on the equally buzzy Dalloway Terrace, whose striped awnings have made it one of the most Instagrammable spots in London. The menu is sophisticated comfort food – steaks and burgers – accompanied by an extensive wine list. Martin also reworked the hotel’s public areas, including the intimate new reception, accessed from the side of the building, which gives the feeling of arriving at a private house rather than a hotel. The 153 rooms, including the 11 suites, were designed by Michaelis Boyd, which has also worked for the Soho House group, and these spaces have a similar feel, furnished with a smart mix of art-deco-inspired and mid-century furniture against a backdrop of rich colours and acres of marble and brass. If you are looking for a glamorous hotel in central London, with just the right balance of formality and character, it does not get much better than this.
16-22 Great Russell Street, WC1B 3NN | doylecollection.com
26/29The Laslett
Five white-pillared Victorian terraced townhouses mark The Laslett, a boutique hotel that feels more like a private home, residing in a leafy street minutes from the bustle of Portobello Road. A collaboration between Tracy Lowy of Living Rooms' hotel collection and Tom Bartlett of British architect and design studio Waldo Works, 51-bedroom The Laslett is decorated in a jovial manner. Each room is like a cabinet of curiosities, full of interesting objects and artwork (all for sale), including Penguin Classic books and finds from antiques dealer Jerome Dodd of Les Couilles Du Chien. In the laid-back lobby downstairs, where sitting room sofas have been made bespoke by Pinch, The Henderson bar and restaurant have become a hip neighbourhood hangout, serving up seasonal cocktails and suitably wholesome, homely meals such as shepherd's or fish pie, and a hearty mac and cheese.
8 Pembridge Gardens, W2 4DU | living-rooms.co.uk
27/29Artist Residence
You’ll spot the red and white striped awning of Artist Residence first, inviting you into its charming five-storey Georgian building that resides on a quiet street between Victoria and Pimlico. On entering, exposed brick work walls are bedecked with works by contemporary artists including Harland Miller and the Connor Brothers, and the furniture is a stylish mix of contemporary and antique. There are 10 bedrooms, ranging from huge suites to smaller attic rooms – you’d be more than happy in any of them - and they are astonishingly quiet considering you’re only a stone’s throw from Victoria. If you can, splurge on the Grand Suite, which spans across the front of the first floor and is kitted out with a metal four-poster bed, a Catchpole and Rye claw-foot bath, and a his-and-hers washstand. Make the most of the Bramley bubble bath before heading down for an evening tipple in the American-style cocktail bar, Clarendon Cocktail Cellar, where popcorn is dished out in little china cups. Restaurant Cambridge Street Kitchen on the ground floor serves up delicious, seasonal food – order the butternut squash arancini to nibble and choose from mains that include venison haunch with pearl barley and blackberries, or cod with brown shrimps. Breakfast, where offerings range from granola and yoghurt to the more indulgent smoked salmon and truffle scrambled eggs, is also served in the restaurant, from 7.30am.
52 Cambridge Street, SW1V 4QQ | artistresidence.co.uk
28/29Kettner's Townhouse
It's hard not to be impressed by the rich history of Kettner's Townhouse, established in 1867 by its namesake August Kettner, who was rumoured to have been the chef to Napoleon III (which would explain the hotel's délicieux French-inspired restaurant), and having played host to many iconic figures such as Oscar Wild and Maggie Thatcher. Hidden in the centre of Soho, Kettner's has some of the finest bars, shops and theatres in the land on the doorstep, but don't face the throng before trying a Kettner's Fizz (clementine and grapefruit juices, Grand Marnier, Ruinart Rose) at the hotel bar. The hotel has 33 rooms, ranging from 'Tiny' to the 'Jacobean Suite', all decorated with the roaring 20s in mind and with a great host of Cowshed products to help you feel your best.
29 Romilly Street, W1D 5HP | kettnerstownhouse.com
29/29Bankside
The recently-opened Bankside has a playfully modern and art-filled interior dreamed up by LA-based designer Dayna Lee of Powerstrip Studio. Housed in a glass building that’s part of architect Ian Simpson’s One Blackfriars development, the hotel is set one street back from the river, with Tate Modern and Borough Market nearby. The interiors combine mid-century modern furniture with commissioned works by emerging makers and artists, including wall murals by ceramicist and illustrator Laura Carlin and handcrafted wooden tables by Galvin Brothers - some of whom exhibit in the gallery-like foyer of the hotel. And never has a vending machine captured our imagination quite like it does here. An “emergency” engagement ring, sequined pants, S’well water bottles, Polaroid snap cameras, reading glasses, and luxury shaving sets are just some of the desirable dispenses available via a touch screen vendor on each floor of the 161-room hotel. Not your average bag of crisps, then! With a co-working library space, and the buzzy ART|YARD bar and restaurant open to all, this South Bank hotel is as much a place to stay as a hip city hangout.
2 Blackfriars Rd, Upper Ground, SE1 9JU | banksidehotel.com
