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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.