It’s easy to find a list of the best hotels in London, but it’s probably more difficult to find the ideal hotel to match your specific travel style or interest. Our list of London hotels is steeped in village lore that reflects on a unique sense of place and community. These nine hotels act as ambassadors to distinctly different neighborhoods that provide welcomed, immersive experiences for guests to expand their exploration of England’s capital city.
The Dilly
Best for:Families
Mornings atthe Dillybegin at the 40-foot indoor pool.“It’s definitely our biggest attraction – very rare in central London,” says Daniel Loosley, general manager.“It opens at 6:30, so kids like to have a swim before breakfast, then try our pancake machine at the buffet.”
Enjoy the view overlooking Piccadilly while enjoying the hotel’s London-themed afternoon tea, which features a chocolate Big Ben filled withraspberryganache. After teatime, ask hotel’s legendary doorman, Rushy, to point you in the right direction to all the best “Harry Potter” filming locations. From the hotel, you’re less than a 10-minute walk away from the seven-storyHamleystoy store orSupernovafor smash burgers. For kids and parents alike, the thrill of Piccadilly Circus at night never gets old.
Good to know:Take your pint-sized bibliophiles across the street to peruse the Waterstones bookstore, known for having the largest kids’ section in London.
(See all the famous sights with our family city guide to London.)
Kimpton Fitzroy
Best for:Drama queens
Clad inthé au laitterracotta, the Fitzroy is quite literally palatial, based on a Parisian chateau destroyed during the French Revolution. Inside, designers have conjured pure fantasy—more mystical than the Bloomsbury address would suggest. Renovations in 2018 unearthed a zodiac mosaic in the lobby, leading up the marble staircase to a bronze dragon visitors rub for good luck. ArchitectCharles Fitzroy Dolldesigned an identical sculpture for the doomed Titanic. Guests can grab a drink at the hotel’s bar, Fitz’s, with its dark, velvet décor and discreet back entrance.
Good to know:Writers, philosophers, and artists of the Bloomsbury group met in nearby Gordon Square in the early 20th century. English writer Virginia Woolf lived at no. 46 and later rented the place to famous economist John Maynard Keynes.
The Goring
Best for:Royal watchers
This hotel's Royal Suite was redesigned for Kate Middleton’s royal wedding entourage, and during that time, CEO Jeremy Goring commissioned a painting to hang by the original toilet in the bathroom.In the painting, a Tudor courtier kisses the hand of Elizabeth I – a breach of royal protocol.
“The Sunthought it was treason,” says Goring. Luckily, the royals, longtime patrons of this Edwardian five-star property, were in on the joke. Standard hotel rooms here are no less regal, swathed in Gainsborough silks, matching those used at Buckingham Palace found around the corner.
Good to know:Spend time on the Goring’s croquet lawn and gardens, said to be larger than Wimbledon’s Centre Court.
Portobello Hotel
Best for:Free spirits
Kate Moss’s vintage shopping habit helped put Portobello Road Market on the map. Likewise, her taste for champagne helped boost the bohemian pedigree of the nearby Portobello Hotel in Notting Hill. “She and Johnny Depp reportedly took a champagne bath in Room 16, as you do,” says house manager Tomasz Augustynowicz. Even though the pretty pillared houses have skyrocketed in value, it’s almost as if the Swinging Sixties and louche ’90s have never left. Those free-spirited times are translated into the hotel’s décor: the lush wallpaper, Moroccan tile, miles of velvet, and rolltop baths large enough for two.
Good to know:For a quieter alternative to busy Portobello Road, take a stroll along Golborne Road and stop atRellik, one of Moss’s favorite vintage boutiques.
CitizenM Southwark Bankside
Best for:Eco warriors
CitizenM took a chance on this south-of-Thames location when it debuted in 2012. “We’ve become a creative hub for people around Bankside, thanks to new restaurants and retail,” saysAnnalise Tyrie, the environmental, social, and governancedirector for theBREEAM-certifiedbuilding. She helped implement an in-house app to minimize food prep and waste in the hotel’s busy cafe and co-working space. The hotel’s app has also partnered with the surplus-food marketplaceToo Good To Goso uneaten breakfast finds a home. “Over 22,683 meals have been diverted from the dumpster since 2019,” she says.
Good to know:Guest will appreciate the hotel’s proximity to free diversions such at the Tate Modern, Borough Market, and Thames Path.
The Ned
Best for:Foodies
In the evening, the art decoNedtransforms into a Gatsby-esque event with nine raucous restaurants and bars. “Londoners cross town for Electric Diner’s lobster roll and the 44-day-aged prime rib at Lutyens Grill, named for the architect of this former bank, Edwin ‘Ned’ Lutyen,” says Jack Cohn, food and beverage director. The Sunday feast – catnip for a Tiktok post – features a pyramid of lobsters. Cohn adds, “With the live jazz, the swing dancers, it’s like a time machine back to the 1940s.”
Good to know:Order a jelly “fronut” (a donut with ice cream in the middle)at the new in-house ice creamparlor.It’s the dessert du jour.
The Zetter Clerkenwell
Best for:Homebodies
Arriving at the cobbled square outside of the Zetter Clerkenwell’s 13-room townhouse (furnished with period Chesterfields) is like something out of Jane Austen novel.Guests who prefer a night indoors can enjoy the cozy, candlelit Parlour, run by mixologist Anas El Bahhaj. An evening spent in a velvet armchair with his signature Nettle Gimlet—made with East London Gin and foraged herbs—is transformative! “The combination of gin and homemade nettle cordial captures the essence of Clerkenwell’s unique character,” say El Bahhaj.
Good to know:The most beautiful buildings in the neighborhood have been retrofitted with chic bistros and bars. TrySessions Arts Club, or head up to busy Exmouth Market for a pint atMikkeler Brewpub.
(Get fun facts about London, the best times to visit, and more.)
The Hoxton Shoreditch
Best for:Art mavens
When Shoreditch was still a gritty patch of galleries, The Hoxton transformed an adandoned parking lot into a round-the-clock open art house. Artists, curators, and musicians converged in the exposed-brick lounge, helped themselves to treats from the open pantry, or crashed in a bijou bedroom. Many others followed.
“Being part of the rich artistic heritage and continuing to celebrate that was really important to us,” says Harry Raikes, who recently opened Haricot Gallery in a graffiti-splashed warehouse around the corner. “It has an energywe’re able to feed off, and a really strong community that cares for the arts – we didn'tknow it would be that strong, but we’re really grateful for it.”
Good to know:Head to the Llama Inn, the hotel’s new Peruvian rooftop bar that servers three types of pisco sours and offers a great view of the neighborhood’s outdoor art and murals.
The Luxury Inn
Best for:Late-night revelers
Artsy party types started migrating northwardfromShoreditch and Hoxton after they became well-known destinations in the 2000s.TheDalstonareawas a beneficiary, and thequiet, cozyLuxury Innhasbecomea popular crash pad.Theformer printing factory,nowfurnished with vintage finds and moody lighting, it’s an easy walk toBrilliantCorners,one of the bars that havereplacedWest Indian haunts like the Four Aces, whichserves asa community librarynow.
The Afro-CaribbeanRidley Road Market Baris another neighborhood pillar.“We’ve tried to capture the beautiful chaos of the market and the feeling of a holiday bar, where everyone is welcome and the drinks are fun,” says owner Kerry Maisey.“The true essence of Dalston lies in its strong community spirit.”
Good to know:For LGBTQ+ guests staying at The Luxury Inn, you may want to consider a trip toDalston Superstore, a hub for all things LGBTQ+, including a Queer club, café, and community space.
(11 must-do experiences in London.)
Ellen Himelfarb is a freelance travel writer. Originally from Canada, she’s been based in London for more than 20 years.
