London’s best places to stay

The historic St Ermin's hotel sports a 21st century revamp.

From funky flashpackers to regal retreats, discreet townhouses to sky-high suites, England's capital boasts a bewildering array of accommodation. Whether you're watching your pennies or happy to splash out, travelling solo or coming with a partner or the family, there's a bed to suit every visitor here.

The Londoner

Perfect for: Splurging couples, celeb spotters, entertainment junkies
At the heart of the West End, with red-carpet movie premieres and grand theatres on the doorstep, The Londoner bills itself as a "super-boutique" hotel, although it's really more of an urban resort, spanning 16 storeys, half of them underground. Plush fabrics, Toto toilets and actors-style vanity mirrors adorn the 350 rooms and suites. A Japanese izakaya and casual-chic French Mediterranean restaurant are among the on-site dining venues, while a subterranean spa lures guests for pool dips and pampering treatments. Read Traveller's full review here.
From $706 per night. 38 Leicester Square, WC2H 7DX. Phone: [phone]. See thelondoner.com

The Academy Hotel

Perfect for: Literary lovers, museum buffs, flaneurs, solo travellers
New York-based Champalimaud Design refashioned a row of quintessential Georgian townhouses into this bookish boutique hotel, taking inspiration from the storied personalities who lived and loved locally — such as Virginia Woolf, whose novels grace the Academy's adorable little library. Contemporary-elegant rooms range from snug singles to a suite with a fireplace. Staying here, you're well-placed for the British Museum and for strolling the charming streets and leafy squares of Bloomsbury.
From $241. 21 Gower Street, WC1E 6HG. Phone: [phone]. See theacademyhotel.co.uk

The Ned

Perfect for: City slickers, business travellers, the cool crowd, gym bunnies
Masterminded by private members club Soho House, this always-buzzy address occupies a vast converted Square Mile bank, with restaurants fringing the majestic Gringotts-esque former banking hall, and a bar, spa, gym and hammam by the basement vaults. Upstairs, the 250 rooms, from cosy 17-square metre “Crash Pads” to two-bed 95-square metre family suites, flaunt art deco furniture, vintage-modern textiles and original features by the bank’s architect, Edwin “Ned” Lutyens.
From $543. 27 Poultry, EC2R 8AJ. Phone: [phone]. See thened.com/london

Shangri-La The Shard

Perfect for: Splurging couples and families, wellness seekers, London panoramas
The views are as gob-smacking as you’d expect at this five-star favourite, nestled high up Western Europe’s tallest building. Blessed with floor-to-ceiling windows and bathrooms with heated marble floors, the 202 rooms and suites are generously sized for central London, from the 30-square metre superiors to the interconnecting family quarters. Expect mesmerising vistas, too, from the swish Asian-influenced dining spots and the 52nd-floor infinity pool and sauna.
From $870. 31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9QU. Phone: [phone]. See shangri-la.com

Selina Camden

Perfect for: Flashpackers, rockers and rollers, families, groups, digital nomads
Boasting lushly planted co-working spaces, a vegan-vegetarian restaurant, yoga classes and live DJs, this hostel-hotel caters for an eclectic crowd. Sleeping options include an eight-bed dorm, family rooms with queen beds and bunks, train cabin-sized “Micro” rooms and a loft suite with a balcony. Selina is ideally positioned to embrace Camden’s markets and music scene, while the chic neighbourhood and pretty park of Primrose Hill is also within walking distance.
From $143 (for private rooms). 89 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AR. Phone: [phone]. See selina.com/uk/camden

The Goring

Perfect for: Traditionalists, monarchists, splurgers, fine diners
Touted as London’s oldest family-owned luxury hotel, The Goring sits around the corner from Buckingham Palace and has a stamp of approval (the Royal Warrant) from the Queen. Kate Middleton stayed here before marrying Prince William, while the Queen Mother was a fan of Drumkilbo — a lobster and egg-based speciality at the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant. Tastefully decorated rooms and suites have silk-lined walls, Italian linens and royal artefacts, with some overlooking the Goring garden, an enchanting, herb-scented guests’ retreat.
From $1089. 15 Beeston Place, SW1W OJW. Phone: [phone]. See thegoring.com

The Dixon

Perfect for: Sightseers, amateur detectives, art aficionados
There’s been a trend in London for transforming disused courthouses and police stations into stylish hotels, and this Marriott, a 10-minute walk from the Tower of London, is an arresting choice. From the lobby chandelier woven with golden handcuffs to a wood-panelled bar featuring mug-shots of ex-cons, there’s much to steal your gaze here. The Dixon has 193 rooms and suites, some with super-high ceilings and original Edwardian fireplaces, others bright and modern and within eye-shot of Tower Bridge.
From $297. 211 Tooley Street, SE1 2JX. Phone: [phone]. See thedixon.co.uk

Sea Containers London

Perfect for: Thames views, couples, business travellers, cocktail connoisseurs
Inspired by the golden age of cruising, this hotel is berthed in a former shipping company's HQ on the south bank of the Thames. Retro-chic rooms have jazzy marble bathrooms and signature wingback chairs by Tom Dixon, the hotel's interior designer. Some rooms have river views, but you can also admire the Thames-side setting from the elevated 12th Knot lounge-bar and terrace. Master mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan, has his own bar by the nautical-flavoured lobby.
From $376. 20 Upper Ground, SE1 9PD. Phone: [phone]. See seacontainerslondon.com

St Ermin's Hotel

Perfect for: Couples, families, history buffs, budding spies
A hub for special operations in World War II, then a hive of Cold War espionage, St Ermin's sports a 21st century revamp with 331 rooms, including several spacious family options. Kids love the hotel's roof apiary – which houses about 350,000 buzzy, honey-producing residents –while a kitchen garden also provides ingredients for in-house dining venues like The Terrace, which peeks above a tree-lined courtyard, and Caxton Bar, a one-time champagne-quaffing haunt of Winston Churchill.
From $515. 2 Caxton Street, SW1H 0QW. Phone: [phone]. See sterminshotel.co.uk

Leman Locke

Perfect for: Creatives, self-caterers, East End buzz-seekers.
Offering travellers a window into a more “local” side of London, Locke Living has a clutch of intriguingly located apart-hotels - including this one, not far from Brick Lane’s street art, markets, bagel shops and curryhouses. Self-contained studios and one-bed apartments, with wooden flooring, pink sofas and kitchenettes, are sized from 19 to 39 square metres, some with washer-dryers and city views. On site, expect good coffee at Shaman and “globally inspired” vegan dining at Alter.
From $224. 15 Leman Street, E1 8EN. Phone: [phone]. See lockeliving.com

The Ritz

Perfect for: Splurging couples and families, high-end business travellers
Liveried top-hatted doormen welcome you into this iconic Mayfair hotel, a byword for glitz and splendour since 1906. Couples on romantic breaks have long enjoyed the British-French cuisine at the Michelin-starred Ritz Restaurant before retiring to their lavishly appointed room or suite decorated in Louis XVI neoclassical style. A high-end choice for families, too, The Ritz has connecting rooms, cribs, babysitting services and complimentary kids’ ice-cream at The Palm Court (one of London’s swankiest afternoon tea venues).
From $959. 150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR. Phone: [phone]. See theritzlondon.com

The Treehouse

Perfect for: Big kids, shoppers and theatre-goers
This endearingly quirky bolthole soars above London’s urban jungle, with the attractions of Regent Street, Oxford Street and Soho tantalisingly close by. Expect stirring London panoramas from The Treehouse’s lofty public areas – including the 15th-floor reception and Madera Mexican restaurant – and in the 95 guest rooms and suites. The hotel’s decor blends nature and nostalgia with reclaimed wood-clad walls, bird boxes, lush plants, water-refilling stations, lampshades tangled like nests, sloth-shaped cushions, classic children’s books, kaleidoscopes and Paddington Bears.
From $277. 14-15 Langham Place, W1B 2QS. Phone: [phone]. See treehousehotels.com/london

Steve McKenna travelled as a guest of Visit Britain.