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STYLE
The Philippe Starck-designed The Sanderson attracts
the A-list guests who you'll see at its stylish spa, high design bars, or the courtyard garden. The rooms have no interior walls, with silk
drapes used if you need privacy in the bathroom encased in floor-to-ceiling glass boxes.
St. Martins Lane was also designed by Starck but opened a year earlier. He combined a sophisticated futuristic décor with antique French touches, and allowed the rooms to provide fantastic city views through floor-to-ceiling windows. The rooms themselves are completely white but guests can choose from various vivid colors of mood lighting.
Almost everything is also white and light at The Hempel, with rooms done in minimalist style. The refined atmosphere is also present in the public spaces which has made it a favorite of both business and leisure travelers.
The Rockwell is a more affordable choice, with an understated contemporary style and a good location in Earl's Court.
Just as reasonably priced is myhotel Bloomsbury, one of the most affordable choices for those who have smaller budgets but still want to sleep in style. Its tasteful minimalist rooms are not huge, but the service is excellent, personalizing your stay according to your tastes (pop or classical music; foam or feather pillows). A second branch in Chelsea, myhotel Chelsea offers similar style and services.
Much more expensive is the Baglioni Hotel, and as the name suggests, this is an Italian-inspired and Italian-owned space. This sensual hotel is housed in a Victorian building and is decorated with Murano glass chandeliers, dark and gold tones, and modern furnishings. There's also a gym and a spa in addition to a restaurant and a bar.
The Mandeville Hotel is just as sophisticated, located in fashionable Marylebone. Each room features a tasteful design, with luxurious fabrics and wall coverings from leading design houses.
Stylotel is much cheaper, but also features an ultra modern design interior, and is just a two-minute walk away from Paddington Station.
Base2Stay in south Kensington is a similar but more spacious choice, with each room offering a mini kitchen with microwave and refrigerator.
For a more sumptuous stay, consider One Aldwych, located where the "Morning Post" once called home. Contemporary art now decorates much of the space, and discerning travelers enjoy its two fine restaurants and pool with underwater music.
Home to the famous Nobu restaurant and known to be the London home of celebrities, The Metropolitan attracts paparazzi outside and many wannabes to its rooms. Don't let that dissuade you from staying here, as its cutting edge design, Michelin-star restaurant, and hip bar is one of the best experiences you can have in London.
The Zetter placed modernist design and art inside a historic Victorian building, and created a funky space at surprisingly reasonable prices. It also includes a stylish bar and an excellent modern Italian restaurant on the ground floor.
At the Andaz, the redbrick Victorian façade, the 19th century staircase, and stained-glass windows are the only remains of the building's past, as everything else is sleek modern design. It offers fine restaurants and bars, while other services include 24-hour dry cleaning and laundry, and limousine service on request.
Blakes was decorated by renowned designer Anouska Hempel, with every room featuring a special, beautiful, and slightly extravagant décor. Opened in the 1980s, it was arguably the first real boutique hotel in the city, and has maintained a buzz of glamour and elegance until today. At the restaurant you'll be served a fine menu inspired by the Middle East.
The Gore is not filled with the contemporary design typical of a boutique hotel, but instead has an elegant, unique, characterful look. Every room has a rather theatrical but tasteful décor, filled with antiques but not in a stuffy way.
54 Boutique Hotel is a more affordable boutique option, an intimate townhouse in a good central location, but if you're looking to splurge, choose Threadneedles, a bank in the 19th century but now a sophisticated boutique hotel. It maintains an impressive hand-painted glass dome at the center of the building, while the rooms are decorated with elegant furnishings.
At the stylish The Halkin even the staff has designer uniforms. Behind the Georgian façade are elegant and chic rooms, while its "Nahm" was the first Thai restaurant in London to receive a Michelin star.
The Soho Hotel is one of the current favorites, located in a former multilevel car park. The individually decorated rooms attract the most glamorous Hollywood crowds.
At the Charlotte Street Hotel your fellow guests are more likely to be from the art and media world, who enjoy the cosy rooms featuring soft colors and patterns in the contemporary English décor.
Those who need plenty of space should choose the No.5 Maddox Street Hotel, which doesn't offer rooms but rather stylish studio apartments. It's perfect for those looking for 5-star privacy in the heart of Mayfair before a shopping spree or a night out in Soho.
Number Sixteen on the other hand, is a smaller, cosier, more charming choice, with impeccably decorated rooms overlooking a lovely garden. You can be served food there throughout the day, or you may choose to sit at the library or drawing room instead.
The same team is behind the Haymarket Hotel, with a fantastic swimming pool available for private hire, a beauty treatment room, and a stylish bar and restaurant. Each room was individualy designed in contemporary English style.
CHARM
The Cadogan is known as the hotel where Oscar Wilde was arrested in 1895 (in room 118). It's an elegant place located in the heart of Knightsbridge, combining a historical setting and feel with a 21st century look. Have an afternoon tea at the sumptuous drawing room before a meal and a drink at the restaurant and bar.The Dukes Hotel also combines classic British furnishings and elegant modern design. In the evening head to the bar, renowned for its martinis.
Hazlitt's is a discreet hideaway in Soho, created to be an atmospheric home away from home. It includes some original Victorian furnishings in the middle of the contemporary amenities, and is one of the best choices in town for a romantic stay. The Rookery also offers romantic rooms decorated with restored old furnishings and a period feel. Located in the city's financial district, the building used to be a brothel. There is also a lovely inner courtyard and a lounge with a beautiful fireplace.
The Colonnade Town House is a charming and luxurious choice in a quiet location away from the center, which explains the more affordable prices for this type of accommodation. Former guests Sigmund Freud and JFK now have suites named after them, and all rooms have a period charm.
Also in a quiet, central location, Knightsbridge Hotel is a small but very special place to stay. Each individually designed room has a modern and traditional English style, while sculptures and paintings by British artists decorate the remaining spaces. It's a good value for such a chic place.
Eleven Cadogan House is a wonderfully unique late-Victorian space in the heart of Chelsea. The rooms at the back overlook beautiful gardens, but no matter which one you get, you'll likely be charmed by the in-room fireplace and William Morris wallpaper.
VIEWS
Admire the views from the Trafalgar Hilton's open-air roof garden and enjoy the prime central location in Trafalgar Square. Each room has a boutique-style decor and there's a restaurant serving classic international cuisine.SPLURGE
Brown's Hotel was London's first luxury hotel, opened by Lord Byron's butler in 1837. It remains a sophisticated British experience, from the bar and "English Tea Room," to the restaurant serving English and modern European cuisine, to the rooms mixing Art Deco, British artworks, and contemporary styles.Claridge's is one of Europe's most famous hotels. It is the choice of the rich and the famous, offering modern comfort and a fabulous art deco style in half of the rooms, with the other half showing an opulent Victorian style. You may also want to splurge on Gordon Ramsey's restaurant (one of the best in the city), and have a cocktail at the well-designed bar (known for having been Kate Moss' choice for her 30th birthday party).
The Berkeley is one of the most fashionable addresses in London, with its stylish rooms, fine dining restaurants, and rooftop pool, while instead of a place to see and be seen, the Covent Garden Hotel offers privacy to the fashionable crowds who have been staying in it for years (Liv Tyler stayed in it for three months). When you want to leave your luxurious and stylish room, head to the library and drawing room to relax by a log fire.
Another classic is the palatial Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. It was last renovated in 1999, but has kept its marbled, chandeliered interior, with many of the richly decorated rooms offering park views. It now also offers a spa, and a renowned restaurant attracting a sophisticated (and older) crowd.
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CHEAP HOSTELS
Palmers Lodge is the most tastefully furnished budget accommodation in London, mixing Victorian elegance with modern styles. You also get laundry facilities in addition to free breakfast and internet.YHA St. Paul's is more like a typical hostel, but with a good central location and modern facilities, while Meininger City Hostel is another attractive option and centrally located.
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