Como Metropolitan London
London, United Kingdom
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Luxury holidays in London
From the revived East End to swish Notting Hill, London accessorises her heritage beauty with couldn’t-give-a-damn street cred. This feisty lady is effortlessly cool: glorious parks, historic squares, monuments galore, museums aplenty and stages showcasing theatre’s top talent. The King’s Road punks and Carnaby Street swingers may be long gone, but there's still singular shopping in Covent Garden, King's Cross, Borough and Maltby Street markets, too.
Recommended offers
See our boutique hotel deals
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One Aldwych
London, United Kingdom
Stay Four Nights, Pay for Three - Free night every 4th night
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L'oscar
London, United Kingdom
Smith Exclusive: Romance package
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Nobu Hotel London Portman Square
London, United Kingdom
Stay Longer, Save More - Non-refundable
Areas in London
When to go
London empties out in August, but tourist sites still get crowded. Spring and summer can be lovely, even if the weather is reliably unreliable.
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Tales from our travels
Getting there
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Planes
London has several international airports: Heathrow to the west is on the Piccadilly Line or 15 minutes from Paddington on the Heathrow Express train (www.heathrowexpress.com; tickets are cheaper if booked online). Gatwick to the south is 30 minutes from Victoria via the Gatwick Express (www.gatwickexpress.com). Stansted to the east and Luton to the north are where most of the budget carriers land. There are trains to Liverpool Street four times an hour from Stansted and a regular rail service to King’s Cross from Luton. City Airport in Docklands is dominated by European business flights and is on the DLR line. -
Boats
There are commuter and leisure boats all along the river: the main service runs from Putney with regular stop-offs all the way to Greenwich Pier. See www.tfl.gov.uk/river for timetables and routes. -
Trains
International trains arrive at St Pancras (www.stpancras.com), which has good links via the Underground. The Tube network will be your saviour, taking you anywhere you need to go (www.tfl.gov.uk/tube); your best bet is to use your chip-and-pin card to touch in and out, or to buy an Oyster card from any station for reduced-price journeys (valid on buses too) across the capital. -
Automobiles
On weekdays from 7am to 6pm there’s a daily Congestion Charge (£11.50 if paid on or before the day you're travelling; £14 if paid the following day) payable to drive into and around central London (www.cclondon.com); parking is easy but pricey. Beware overzealous traffic officials. Taxis
You can hail one of London’s trademark metered hackney cabs anywhere, or download and book using the Gett app (http://gett.com/uk) and a black cab will arrive to whisk you from A to B for a pre-arranged fare. Avoid unlicensed minicabs.
Pubs with rooms in London
A properly poured pint, a serious kitchen, an inviting sofa by the fire. We've hand-picked the pubs with rooms in London that get the full picture just right: neighbourhood atmosphere, food worth booking a stay around, and a bedroom upstairs that you'll have to wrench yourself away from next morning.
Offers in London
The capital has a knack of bleeding your capital. Our hotel offers in London help stem the flow a little. So whether it's a spontaneous Sunday night sojourn in Soho or Shoreditch or a full-blown shopping and spa weekend out west, you can escape to London for less.
Spa hotels in London
Our collection of spa hotels in London covers the full wellness spectrum. There are the grand addresses in Mayfair and Knightsbridge with classical treatment menus and gleaming subterranean pools. But there are more alternative offerings where the agenda runs to breathwork, sound therapy and the occasional cacao ceremony.
Budget boutique hotels in London
Affordability and a stay in London don't have to be mutually exclusive. Our collection of budget boutique hotels proves it — characterful rooms, serious style, luxury linens and stay-defining service, all at prices that won't keep you up at night.
Dog-friendly hotels in London
London's a surprisingly good city to explore with a dog. The parks are enormous, the pub gardens are plentiful, and a growing number of the city's best hotels have worked out that four-legged guests are worth the welcome.
Our collection of pet-friendly hotels in London finds the ones that mean it — not just a water bowl in the corner, but a genuine preference for pooches.