Where to Stay in London: budget to luxury London accommodation

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You’re planning a trip to London – one of the biggest, and most exciting cities in the world!

London can be expensive and you are probably wondering where to stay in London that won’t kill your budget yet still get you close enough to the action and London attractions.

There are literally thousands of places to stay in London and to save you some time, and hopefully some money, I’ve researched the best London accommodation options from budget to luxury and narrowed down your choices to a few select properties.

If this is your first time visiting London, I’ve created a list of the 5 best options for accommodation in London for budget, mid-range and luxury travelers, and these London properties have been put into three categories; hotels, apartments, and hostels.

Fun Fact: Did you know London has more 5-star hotels than any other city in the world! Get your London Lux on!

Where to stay in London? What about best neighborhoods?

There is no ‘best’ area of London to stay in for everyone’s needs but I’ve focused the location of the properties in Central London so you have most of the top London sightseeing attractions on your doorstep to save you as much time getting around as possible.

The majority of the London accommodation options I’ve listed down below are located around the Victoria, Kensington, Waterloo, Hyde Park, St Pancreas, Westminster, and Southwark areas. These are centrally located areas of London. From here you can easily get to the majority of your London attractions and London transport.

You can stay further out of the city to save some money, but sometimes the trade-off between saving money and saving time on commuting by being central to the action cancels each other out, particularly on short getaways!

Wherever you stay in London, all the main accommodation districts are well served by the public transport system. The Tube really is an excellent transportation system that can get you around London quickly.

READ: Helpful Tips for getting around London: Tube, Buses, Cabs, Ferries, Walking

TIP: Book accommodation near a Tube Station

We recommend booking your London accommodation near a Tube Station. It will save you so much time, cost, and hassle.

The three hotels we stayed in during our London trip were all just minutes’ walk to tube stations and it was heaven.

Staying in Zone 1 or 2 is also your best option as a tourist to London.

The best tube lines to get you around to the major tourist attractions will be the:

• Piccadilly Line (dark blue) (will also take you to Heathrow)
• Circle Line (yellow)
• Central Line (red)

Make sure you also read our handy London itinerary guides which will make your travel planning a breeze!

Where we have stayed in London

Let’s start first with our personal recommendations. We stayed in three different, yet equally excellent, London hotels on our recent 10 day trip to London (March 2022) and enjoyed all of them. We’re very happy to recommend them.

Millennium Gloucester, South Kensington

We stayed at the  4-star Millennium Gloucester Hotel as part of our Independence by Globus tour from Globus Journeys! The hotel was included as part of the London getaway package, as well as a great half day tour of the city, and our own personal London local guides helping us to get around London and book in attractions, and plan our daily itinerary.

The hotel was located in the South Kensington neighborhood of London, which is one of the best areas to stay. It is within walking distance to many restaurants, bakeries, cafes and pubs. You can also easily walk to Kensington Gardens and Palace and further to the Westminster area if you’re up for it!

The Millennium Gloucester Hotel is also across the road from Gloucester Road Tube (Piccadilly Line and Circle Line /Blue and Yellow), which made getting around London so easy!

The hotel rooms were small, which is expected in London, but it was comfortable and clean. They came with a desk area for our remote workers and Wi-Fi is included. We loved the Buckingham Palace mural behind the beds! Families will be happy to know there were lots of kids around.

Their hot buffet breakfast had plenty of options to suit all dietary conditions and was a hearty start to the day. The girls enjoyed a pizza in the Humphrey’s Café and Bar, which was delicious.

Read more reviews on TripAdvisor

Hilton London Kensington

Another fantastic 4-star hotel in London, especially for families, is the Hilton London Kensington located in Shepherd’s Bush, West London. We stayed here for two nights as guests of the hotel.

Our girls LOVED the interconnecting rooms, which is a great option for families, especially for teenagers who love their space. The rooms were very light, spacious, comfortable and modern, with a work desk area. Wi-Fi is included in your stay. We had lovely views out over a residential garden across the road.

We found the service at the Hilton Kensington to be very friendly and accommodating. They knew we were going to Harry Potter Studios and so left Harry Potter themed treats for the girls, and delicious desserts for us!

The buffet breakfast had lots of options and was a perfect start to the day. I loved the kids breakfast section they had – the girls especially with the doughnuts available!!

The location of the hotel was excellent. It’s a give minute walk to Shepherd’s Bush tube station and five minutes in the other direction to Holland Park Tube, both on the red Central line.

You couldn’t find a better location if you plan on visiting Warner Bros Harry Potter Studios. Shepherds Bush Train station runs trains to Watford Junction (with only one quick change).

Close by is the stunning Holland Park and Kyoto Gardens ( a London park hidden secret) and Westfields Shopping Center is across the road – this is the largest shopping center in Europe with more than 265 shops and 50 restaurants. On the Southern terrace closest to the hotel is a cluster of 17 restaurants, which is where we stopped for great Thai one evening.

Read more reviews on TripAdvisor

Holiday Inn Camden Lock

We stayed for four nights at the 4-Star Holiday Inn situated right on the Camden Lock as guests of the hotel.

We were very surprised at the number of kids staying at the hotel. I wouldn’t normally typically consider Camden an overly family friendly place, nor for a place for tourists to stay, but we really enjoyed it.

Here’s one reason families love it! Kids ages 17 and under stay for free when sharing their parents’ room. Up to four kids ages 12 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn® on-site restaurant.

Our girls absolutely loved being able to grab some snacks – i.e chocolate – as they came in after a long day exploring. Well played Holiday Inn.

Seasonal monthly menus created from fresh ingredients and light snacks can be enjoyed in the 24hr Lobby Bar, which also serves Starbucks coffees.

It’s location right on Camden Lock and within a two minute walk to Camden Markets, 15 minutes to Regents Park, and five minutes to the tube makes it ideal.

It’s easy access into the city via the Northern (black) tube line. You could even walk down into Covent Garden in about 40 minutes.

The Holiday Inn at Camden Lock is a great place to stay if you want to experience this funky and alternative London neighborhood (especially if you love music as its the biggest music scene in the city)

Since we travel with a teen now, Craig and I could duck out of an evening to enjoy the Camden nightlife with a few drinks at some pubs, some with live music, and all with a really cool Camden vibe.

The rooms are small, which is to be expected for London hotels, but they were comfortable and more than adequate since we spent so little time in them. There was also a desk area and Wi-Fi is included.

Their buffet breakfast had plenty of options and was the perfect hearty start to a day of exploring.

The hotel has a Camden vibe with local artwork adorning the walls, a 24-hour bar, and a very cool mural that shares the music history of this London neighborhood.

You can also read more reviews on TripAdvisor and Booking.com

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Best London Accommodation

To make my list on where to stay in London, each property had specific criteria to meet and for my research, I used the Booking.com website.

Where to stay in London if you like hotels (3, 4, and 5 star)

3-Star Hotels in London:

The criteria I used to create this list of 3-star hotels in London includes:

• Review Score of 8+
• Free WiFi
• Tube station nearby – must when choosing your London accommodation
• Central London
• Breakfast included
• Air Conditioning
• Parking available

3-Star Hotels in London to choose from:

Click on each link to read a full description of the London property.

• Holiday Inn Express Southwark
• Ibis Styles London Southwark
• Premier Inn London Bank – Tower
• Roof Garden Rooms
• Hampton by Hilton – Waterloo

4-Star Hotels in London:

The criteria I used to create this list of 4-star hotels in London includes:

• Review Score of 8+
• Free WiFi
• Tube station nearby
• Airport shuttle
• Central London
• Breakfast included
• Restaurant
• Air Conditioning
• Parking available

4- Star Hotels in London to choose from:

• DoubleTree by Hilton – Marble Arch
• London Marriott – Marble Arch
• Windermere Hotel
• Rubens at the Palace
• Park Plaza – Victoria

5-Star Hotels in London:

The criteria I used to create this list of 5-star hotels in London includes:

• Review Score of 8+
• Free WiFi
• Tube station nearby
• Airport shuttle
• Central London
• Breakfast included
• Restaurant
• Air Conditioning
• Parking available
• Spa
• Indoor pool

5-star hotels in London to choose from:

• The Savoy
• The Dorchester
• Claridge’s
• Hotel Cafe Royal
• St Pancras Renaissance – a Marriott luxury hotel

Where to stay in London if you like apartments

Criteria I used to create this list of London apartments:

• Review score of 8+
• Free WiFi
• Parking
• Air Conditioning
• Kitchen
• Laundry
• Family rooms
• Central London

Apartments in London to choose from:

• Arlington House Apartments
• The Roseberry Aparthotel
• Presidential Marylebone / Mayfair
• Cheval Thorney Court at Hyde Park

Where to stay in London if you like Hostels

The criteria I used to create this list of London hostels:

• Review score of 7+
• Free WiFi
• Central London
• Breakfast included
• Front desk open 24/7
• Restaurant

Hostels in London to choose from:

• YHA London Central
• YHA Earls Court
• St Christopher’s Inn Village – London Bridge
• PubLove @ The Exmouth Arms, Euston

I hope this page helped you to find the best London accommodation to suit your needs.

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Need more tips for visiting London?

Check out these posts:

• City Guide – things to do in London
• Insider London travel tips
• Our thoughts on why we loved our trip to London
• Is the London Eye Worth it? (Includes the River Thames Cruise)
• 15 of the best views in London (from above and below)
• 7 Top Things to do in London for Teens
• 21 best Places to visit in London

FREE London Bucket List Printable PDF

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London Bucket List + Itinerary Guides

A FREE Printable Checklist of the best things to do London and itinerary outline. 

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Can you recommend a place to stay in London? Please share any tips in the comments!