Featured Hotels

Durrants

Durrants

London

The Rookery

The Rookery

London, London

With the feel of a private club rather than a hotel, this 'very special place' lies behind the 18th-century facade of three shop-houses in a once-notorious area that is now filled with hip eateris and bars.

Batty Langley's

Batty Langley's

London, London

Within a Georgian house in a trendy corner of East London once home to Huguenot silk weavers, Peter McKay and Douglas Blain set out to weave a fantasy of their own.

Portobello Hotel

Portobello Hotel

London

Beyond the Doric portico of a white stucco neo-classical mansion, this boutique hotel captures the eclectic charms of glamorous and bohemian Notting Hill.

Lime Tree Hotel

Lime Tree Hotel

London, London

After a 2020 lockdown makeover and change of ownership, this personable, affordable Belgravia hotel is on good form, with smart bedrooms, a 'secret garden' and breakfast, brunch and lunches on offer in the Buttery.

Hazlitt's

Hazlitt's

London, London

You can imagine nodding off in an armchair over the latest issue of Samuel Johnson's Idler, or William Hazlitt's polemics in the Tatler, when you step into this time-warp hotel and close the door on trendy Soho. It was here, on a Georgian terrace in the 1820s, that essayist Hazlitt penned his valediction, and antiques and furnishings keep faith with a bygone age.

The Buxton

The Buxton

London

Hip and convivial, this modish Spitalfields gastropub-with-rooms is a stroll up the colourful street from the Whitechapel Gallery.

Georgian House Hotel

Georgian House Hotel

London

Single, double, family room, boutique chic, contemporary simplicity or a wizard-themed basement 'chamber' accessed by a hidden door in a bookcase – take your pick at this smart but quirky hotel spread across imposing, stucco-fronted 19th-century town houses, where breakfast is served in the Pimlico Pantry, and they do a magical afternoon tea (but no fairy cakes!)

The Goring

The Goring

London, Middlesex

The epitome of Edwardian grand-hotel luxury, with its liveried doormen, dazzling interiors, glamorous bedrooms and Michelin-starred dining, the Goring is, for all its cachet, welcoming and unaffected, with an acres of garden at the rear.

The Orange

The Orange

London, Middlesex

On a leafy Pimlico street, this stuccoed gastropub, hotel and events venue serves foodie-pleasing fare in the bar and first-floor restaurant, with four high-ceilinged, beamed, unfussy bedrooms at the top.

Artist Residence London

Artist Residence London

London, Middlesex

Eccentric, fun and colourful, this Pimlico town house in a leafy residential street is as much neighbourhood hangout and art gallery as a place to sleep and eat.

The Grazing Goat

The Grazing Goat

London, Middlesex

Close to West End shops and theatres, this pub-with-rooms has a relaxed vibe, a pavement terrace, stripped-back chic, a restaurant serving modern dishes alongside classics, comfortable bedrooms over three floors.

11 Cadogan Gardens

11 Cadogan Gardens

London

A home away from home in the heart of Chelsea is the aim of these red-brick Victorian townhouses, which have been converted into a luxurious hotel of dazzling individuality.

The Lost Poet

The Lost Poet

London

'In a discreet building that could be a private residence', this 'beautifully designed' guest house is at the far end of Portobello Road.

The Beaumont

The Beaumont

London

The elegance is timeless, the style is Jazz Age glamour, the feel is New York fun – all of which makes The Beaumont, in the heart of Mayfair, one of London's leading luxury hotels.

The Mayfair Townhouse

The Mayfair Townhouse

London

The designers have gone to town on this city sister to Cliveden and Chewton Glen (see index), spread over a row of Georgian townhouses on Half Moon Street in swanky W1.

Ham Yard Hotel

Ham Yard Hotel

London, Middlesex

This is an exuberant, hip, modern hotel, from its residents-only roof terrace to buzzy basement bar, bedrooms decorated with a sense of fun, vast restaurant, spa and 1950s bowling alley.

Charlotte Street Hotel

Charlotte Street Hotel

London, Middlesex

A Bloomsbury Group theme runs through this lively hotel with pavement café tables, thoughtfully equipped bedrooms, lounge, library, heated terrace and all-day dining.

Eccleston Square Hotel

Eccleston Square Hotel

London

The Doric porch and white stucco exterior of a handsome Victorian terrace town house on a leafy garden square gives no clue to the ultra-high-tech facilities and modern décor at this Pimlico hotel.

Haymarket Hotel

Haymarket Hotel

London, Middlesex

Beyond a pristine, Greek Revival-style John Nash exterior, this family-friendly hotel, bursting with colour, has a glamorous basement pool, library, gym, treatment rooms and all-day bistro.

The Gyle

The Gyle

London

In vibrant King's Cross, this Victorian townhouse hotel mixes comfort with studied eccentricity, so expect upcycled coal-hole covers and repurposed airline trolleys alongside modern air con, smart TVs, good wines and platters in the TOAST B&B lounge.

The Princess Royal

The Princess Royal

London

'Just off affluent Westbourne Grove', this Victorian pub has been redesigned 'in an outdoorsy style' for Cubitt House (see The Orange, Grazing Goat).

St James's Hotel and Club

St James's Hotel and Club

London

A former diplomats' club in a quiet corner of Mayfair is today a high-end hotel, with plush bar, sleek bedrooms, spa treatments, concierge service, Michelin-starred restaurant and more informal bistro-style bar menu.

The Fielding

The Fielding

London

On a pedestrian street, steps from the Royal Opera House, this Georgian town house is home to four floors of individually styled bedrooms of character – and though they don't serve breakfast, Covent Garden abounds with places to eat and drink.

Sun Street Hotel

Sun Street Hotel

London, London

Under the south tower of One Crown Place, on the Shoreditch/City border, six 18th-century town houses form the front of this new hotel.

Hotel 41

Hotel 41

London, Middlesex

Guests are treated like royalty at this luxury hotel overlooking Buckingham Palace's grounds, with sophisticated chocolate-and-cream bedroom décor, marble bathrooms and opulent Grill Room.

54 Queen's Gate Hotel

54 Queen's Gate Hotel

London, England

In a row of stucco-fronted Edwardian town houses, this small hotel, a stroll from Hyde Park and the South Kensington museums, has smart, well-equipped bedrooms, a lounge, bar and secluded terrace.

London's arts, culture, rich heritage and spectacular range of restaurants are all part of its great appeal for holiday makers. It's a pleasure to experience it in summer with all its festivals and markets or in the winter when the shops are filled with festive cheer and the theatres glow from within. Boutique hotels and historic luxury From the smallest boutique hotel, to the largest of well established institutions, hotels in London have earned a reputation across the centuries for their stylish hospitality and sense of grandeur. From the eclectic hub of Soho to the elegant heights of Chelsea, Notting Hill's bijoux style to the buzz of Covent Garden, London has a little bit of everything when it comes to hotels and travel. The likes of Artist Residence are spectacular examples of London's living and breathing sense of art and culture, a jewel in the city and a comparatively new addition to the scene. Alternatively, longstanding stalwarts of the hotel institution such as The Capital Hotel are a reminder of traditional values complimented by contemporary renovations and additions. The location of Dukes is enviable, in close proximity to St James's Palace, and is amongst the best places for a cocktail in London. Meanwhile, the likes of Ham Yard Hotel herald the city as the home of some of the great designers in the world who turn travel and leisure into a luxurious art form. Setting the scene for special occasions and weddings as well as weekend getaways, London offers visitors something that few other places in the world achieve - a sense of past, present and future, all done with impeccably good taste. If you're in the mood to explore outside, check out our recommendations for hotels within two hours of London.