10 of the best hotels in London for every travel need

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10 of the best hotels in London for every travel need

The capital’s superlative stays for couples, families, party people, dog-lovers and more

Kate Weir

BY Kate Weir17 January 2025

When booking a stay in London, there are big decisions to be made: do you dive into Soho’s glorious chaos? Or put yourself in pole position for seeing plays around Covent Garden? Perhaps a more peaceful break by Hampstead Heath?

We’re here to unfreeze you from decision paralysis with our selection of 10 of the best hotels in London for all reasons, whether you’re bringing the kids and family pet, need some spa-hotel respite or want to cosy up as a couple.

FOR A ROMANTIC BREAK

At Sloane

For the best London hotel for a romantic break, follow Cupid’s arrow to At Sloane. This Chelsea hideaway is intimate and discreet (so much so that meals and drinks served are often a surprise to guests), with an injection of amour from French designer François-Joseph Graf, who clearly envisioned the red-and-pink speakeasy bar, highly decorative dining room and elegant dove-white suites through heart eyes.

There’s plenty to get you in the mood, be it a champagne bucket placed suggestively by a bath tub (plus a half-bottle as your Smith Extra to get things going), black-and-white photographs of couples hung on the walls or ‘pillow talk’ cards placed on your bed. Step out of this regal redbrick and you’ll have Sloane Square, big-name shops and some of London’s most refined restaurants on your doorstep, too.

Best room for couples The Suite Sloane’s cushioned window seats with leafy views and huge bath tub to share — plus his ’n’ hers sinks — makes it a luxe love nest.

Design details At Sloane’s 19th-century building by architect Edwin Thomas Hall captivates from the moment you lay eyes on it. You’ll only fall more in love as you discover Neo-Gothic, Wiener Werkstätte and Arts and Crafts influences within, from custom rugs and antique Singaporean vases to painted boiserie panelling and mosaicked floors. Twosomes should book the hidden-away dining space with just one table for a special meal.

Something to eat Menus vary, but there are some Gallic signatures: escargots, afternoon goûters and foie gras. Plus dishes replicated from Parisian sister stay Hotel Costes, including tom-yum sea-bass, and a cheesecake that inspired Kim Kardashian to hop on a plane just for dessert.

See the sights Popping the question? Cartier’s around the corner, but we prefer Cassandra Goad’s sparkly things, the glittering antiques at Bourbon Hanby Arcade and the custom creations at Robinson Pelham. Get down on one knee in the Chelsea Physic Garden, then celebrate with French fare at Le Poule au Pot. Culture connoisseurs will love the Saatchi Gallery, Japan House and the Leighton House Museum (which doubles up as a photogenic wedding venue, FYI).

FOR SPA SPOILING

The Ned City of London

Bank’s not all harassed City sorts and imposing neoclassical edifices: tucked into the hefty building that holds The Ned is a vast sanctuary for holism, body honing and even hairdressing, making it one of the best spa hotels in London. Admittedly this was once a bank and the spa sits in a former vault, but the trade here is in traditional Chinese medicine facials, LED light healing, cryotherapy, heat massages in sandstone pods and Theragun percussive rituals.

But this all-rounder doesn’t just dry needle you or slather you in CBD oil. It gets you moving in its 620-square-metre workout space, sets you straight in its osteopathy and physiotherapy suites (part run by Remedy), and adds the finishing touches in its beauty parlour and barbershop. Hotel guests also have access to a glittering pool, sauna and hammam, but we’re afraid the rooftop pool is members only.

Best room for spa seekers You’ll want a room with a bath tub just steps away from the bed for further indulgent wallowing. Most Heritage Rooms have one, plus handsome original features by starchitect Sir Edward Lutyens.

Design details There’s an adventurous feel to this vast building, where girthy vault doors sport Baroque locking systems; vertiginous staircases spiral into seeming oblivion; and Herculean marble columns hold up the main hall. But we also love Lutyens’ elegant walnut-wood panelling and throwback features, such as the lockers once used for storing bankers’ hats.

Something to eat Perhaps antithetical to your reason for staying here — depending on your spa/gym goals — there are eight eateries to try at The Ned. Asian-Pacific Kaia and LA-style Malibu Kitchen are the most health-conscious, with superfood salads, poke bowls, flatbreads and smoothies.The latter has a sashimi brunch on Sundays, but you might want to call it a cheat day at Cecconi’s instead, where there’s all-you-can-eat lobster, pizzas, pastas and desserts.

See the sights History runs deep in Bank, especially at London Mithraeum, where you’ll descend to the Roman Temple of Mithras. Explore the Guildhall Art Gallery and get serious about souvenirs, shopping the heritage brands and big labels in the monumental Royal Exchange and Leadenhall Market (with a brief detour to fuel your travel dreams at Daunt Books). Get tickets well in advance for free entry to the Sky Garden bars and see London laid out before you after dark.

FOR PET-FRIENDLY BREAKS

The Laslett

The Laslett doesn’t announce itself loudly. Named after Rhaune Laslett (credited with starting the Notting Hill Carnival), it sits very comfortably in the community, putting guests up in quiet-luxe rooms filled with local art and curios from nearby antique store Les Couilles du Chien (‘the dog’s bollocks’, in case you were wondering). And your pup will be an equally welcome fixture at this pet-friendly London hotel, where it’ll get its own bed, bowl and treats for a £30 donation fee for the Wild at Heart foundation, which helps to control the global stray-dog population.

Owners will be equally pampered, with personalised treatments at the Recharge Spa, wine and cheese tastings each Monday night and a ‘big bar’ in-room, with full-size bottles of spirits. And you couldn’t find a more chi-chi ’hood for walkies. Wags guaranteed.

Most pet-friendly room All rooms accommodate dogs, but give your four-legged friend some extra space to play by booking a Master Bedroom Double or Master Bedroom Suite.

Design details The Laslett isn’t a flashy dresser — its soothing grey rooms are given a gentle zhuzh via colourful throws and what’s hanging on the walls.

Something to eat The Henderson Kitchen is named after Russell Henderson (a fellow founder of the Notting Hill Carnival), and serves light lunches and suppers, with vegan dishes on offer such as cauliflower with faux ‘’nduja’ and green goddess dressing. Brunch is naughtier, with bacon- and egg-topped waffles, Turkish eggs and warm brownies.

See the sights Pets are very pampered around these parts — within walkies distance, The Mutz Nutz sells upmarket products for all manner of beasts and has a doggy spa; and Verve Pet Boutique has a café with a dedicated caviar menu and a range of Swarovski collars alongside other designer treats. Otherwise, healthy eatery Jusu Brothers, less healthy brunch spot Sunday in Brooklyn and welcoming pub The Elgin are all pooch-friendly.

FOR FAMILY GETAWAYS

One Aldwych

One Aldwych’s tidy, pastel-hued rooms and suites belie its status as a very family-friendly hotel in London. Luxuries are scaled down for younger guests, who get mini bathrobes and slippers, gentle bath products, games and special treats. There are baby cots and plentiful kit to borrow, and babysitters on call if parents need a time-out for Oskia and Natura Bissé spa treatments, or to dine in more sophisticated fashion at Indigo restaurant.

The kids’ menu isn’t exactly childish, but the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea is a sweet tooth’s fever dream of candyfloss, ‘snozzberry’ jam and mallows, washed down with milkshakes, lemon-sherbet tea or punch shot from a water pistol. Supervised, swim-confident kids can play in the pool, with its aquarium projections and underwater music; and the concierge can narrow down the multitude of all-ages activities nearby.

Most child-friendly room There are several accommodation options, from the Classic Suites (which sleep two children under 10 or one child under 12) upwards. But if you’re visiting with older children or want your own apartment in the city, book the huge Terrace Signature Suite.

Design details Public spaces favour bold hues, while rooms showcase a more demure palette. Collabs with the likes of ceramicist Richard Brendon and interiors expert Robert Angell — and an impressive art collection — ensure striking visual cues throughout.

Something to eat Little ones can enjoy a simplified take on Indigo’s elegant eats, with dishes such as grilled Cotswolds chicken, Devonshire day-boat fish and homemade Jaffa Cakes.

See the sights Set just off the Strand near the dead centre of London, One Aldwych is the gateway to weeks of family fun. Somerset House often has exhibitions tailored to kids (and a winter ice rink), and Covent Garden has Theatreland Shows and bus ‘driving’ opportunities at the London Transport Museum. There’s always something showing in the South Bank’s cultural centres, plus Gamebox’s interactive rooms, a legal graffiti wall, skatepark, Sea Life London Aquarium and the London Eye all close by.

FOR NIGHTLIFE

Broadwick Soho

It’s less X-rated these days, but Soho is still London’s up-all-night — and up for anything — ’hood, and the Broadwick sits amid the decadent fray. It’s fully invested in the fun, with two lively hangouts, for which maximalist designer Martin Brudnizki’s brief seems to have been ‘just chuck everything at it’. Bar Jackie, which pays homage to founder Noel Hayden’s mother, rocks a retro, Italy-by-way-of-Seventies-Bournemouth look, with top aperitivo snacks.

Ride up to the top floor to continue the night, where rooftop bar Flute (named for a 19th-century flutemaker who lived nearby) has a wraparound terrace, acting as a crow’s nest for the capital, albeit one parcelled in leopard and palm print. The views will encourage you to heed Soho’s call, and your bedroom — when you finally reach it — will be every inch as vivid.

Best room for post-partying recovery The Penthouse gives you a lingering look at those privileged views, and serves as an after-party setting (just watch the art collection), and morning-after recovery station, with crisp, cool Frette linens, deep-soaking tub and steam shower to blow away the cobwebs. There’s a packing service on request if you can’t face doing it yourself.

Design details The Broadwick is as loud and proud as its surroundings: elaborate chandeliers dangle over patterned deep-pile carpet while two types of wallpaper vie for attention. Brudnizki paints with a very broad palette indeed.

Something to eat Italian restaurant Dear Jackie is as delightfully busy — in look and ambience — as the bar, and serves elegant eats: porchetta with salsa verde, beef crudo with caviar, and seasonal pastas.

See the sights The orbit of bars and clubs surrounding the Broadwick covers the spectrum of after-dark fun. Mingle with media sorts at The French House, sip cocktails at sleek Soma, date-ready Nightjar or quirky Cahoots Underground; then find soulful live sessions at Ain’t Nothin’ but the Blues, burlesque at Cirque Le Soir and intimate revelry at The Little Violet Door or Stormzy-backed The House Party.

FOR SHOPPING

Nobu Hotel Portman Square

Nobu Hotel Portman Square may have soothing Zen-minimalist-style rooms — in hues as quiet as the sound of one hand clapping, and decor with form and function both beautifully considered — but you’ll soon clutter them up with your haul from the city’s main shopping drags. You’re mere steps away from Oxford Street, home to many beloved brands; Bond Street’s very high-end boutiques; and the Selfridges mothership.

But you can also get an indulgent rush from dining on iconic nikkei dishes in the Nobu restaurant, which has a sit-up sushi counter; sipping Japanese whiskies and Asian-inspired cocktails on the leafy terrace; pushing yourself in the dedicated Pilates studio (which hosts HIIT-like reformer classes) and pampering yourself with hi-tech spa treatments.

Best room for storing souvenirs Size-wise, you’ll want at least a One-Bedroom Suite, so some of that calming orderliness is retained after you’ve stashed your bags in the separate lounge.

Design details Rooms are pared back to make them all the more peaceful; nothing talks too loudly here, with lots of sleek wood, white and grey hues, and abstract black-and-white artworks. We like the Japanese touches, such as the tea set and yukatas.

Something to eat Rest assured, the all-stars are here: black cod miso, yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño, rock-shrimp tempura… But new dishes land each season. Be sure to try the fabulously fresh sushi and the aesthetically pleasing bento boxes too.

See the sights By all means tick off the high-street stalwarts on Oxford and Regent Streets and admire Bond and New Bond Streets’ big-name boutiques (some of which offer free personalisation services and have fragrance-refill fountains). For a more relaxed browse, walk 10 minutes to Marylebone for cooler stores on Chiltern Street (Monocle, Bella Freud, Trunk Clothiers) and the indies of the Village (Bayley & Sage, Sirplus).

FOR CULTURE

Henrietta Experimental

Like a catchy chorus from a musical infiltrating the collective consciousness, London’s Theatreland has inspired Covent Garden’s Henrietta Experimental hotel. It’s evident in Dorothée Meilichzon’s design, which borrows from neoclassical pediments, stage-curtain velvets and plenty of drama in the details.

Aside from set dressing at its finest, there’s a Jackson Boxer-helmed eatery that goes full Gallic, serving seaweed canelés, snails on veal rice and pigs’ feet with Agen prunes. Meanwhile the bar brings the expertise of the Experimental group’s drinks background back to London, and mixologists craft cocktails as convoluted as an opera plot.

Best room for cultured sorts The Grand London Eye Junior Suite sits at the top of the hotel and has a small balcony overlooking its namesake landmark, for Romeo and Juliet reenactments or perhaps giving a rousing soliloquy to the city below (don’t be surprised if an early-rising trader gives you a harsh review).

Design details There are sophisticated shades of blue, red and green throughout, and strokable fabrics. We like the handwritten gilded signs above bathroom doors and strong curvaceous silhouettes. But to see it go from trendsetting to gloriously tacky, arrive at Christmas, when the Miracle pop-up bar busts out the best and worst of festive Seventies kitsch.

Something to eat Beyond the brilliant Parisian-style bistro fare on-site (yes, there’s a pre-theatre menu), drinks such as Maïté (with Calvados, rose liqueur, lemon and crémant) or the Jardin d’Été (gin, Cointreau, apricot liqueur and lavender bitters) add hipster flair to classic French flavours.

See the sights The Adelphi, Savoy, Lyceum, Duke of York’s, Noël Coward: the show goes on and on in this part of London, with theatres all around, plus the Royal Ballet and Opera and street performers aplenty (of varying talent). You’re also steps from legendary London restaurants, such as 18th-century Rules, wildly romantic Clos Maggiore, The Petersham’s London outpost and West African fine-diner Ikoyi.

FOR A BUDGET-FRIENDLY TRIP

Bingham Riverhouse

Riverside Richmond is indeed as expensive as its first syllable suggests, with huge celebrity homes hidden away along its leafy streets and a deer-roamed park. But Bingham Riverhouse, which lucked out on its Thames-side location, has rooms starting from just over £100 a night, making it a more budget-friendly hotel option in London. For your money, you get handsome mid-century-style decor and free access to members’ events, such as wine tastings.

Wellbeing outfit Bhuti holds frequent wellness workshops here too, covering breathwork, manifestation, meditation and more; and come summer, the garden terrace is a popular perch for working your way through the lengthy champagne list. The hotel has an intriguing past as the former home of some controversial 19th-century lesbian poets and lovers who entertained London’s literati.

Best value room The Double Rooms have freestanding copper bath tubs; splurge a little more on a River Room for views over the water.

Design details The Bingham has good Georgian bones, but they’ve been fleshed out with modern colours, mid-century furnishings and look-at-me abstract artworks. We especially like the handsome retro styling in rooms.

Something to eat Food at the Riverhouse Restaurant is comforting but in a healthy way — case in point: the brûléed goat’s cheese with apple salad or roast aubergine with chilli-tomato ragout and a seed crumble. But it occasionally has healthier pop-ups if you need more of a kick in that direction. There’s also a dainty afternoon tea, hearty Sunday roast and ‘BYO’ wine nights each Wednesday.

See the sights You don’t need to splash out to enjoy the surroundings; hire a bike and explore Richmond Park, or the grounds of Ham House, Marble Hill and York House to the east (the latter of which has a very dramatic statue-clad fountain in the grounds). Cross over to Eel Pie Island while you’re there to hang with its artsy community and stop in the White Swan pub along the way. And the Museum of Richmond and Landmark Arts Centre (in neighbouring Teddington) have free exhibitions.

FOR ALL-OUT LUXURY

Rosewood London

Rosewood London is the kind of grand hotel that comes with wings, suites with assigned butlers — one so large it warrants its own postcode — and a grade-II listing. But what makes it truly luxurious is that the impeccably trained staff will make you feel as big and important as the hotel itself.

Within its sumptuous warrens, an art-themed afternoon tea showcases masterpiece pâtisseries, the buzzy Holborn Dining Room has a special side room for snacking on gourmet pies, the Sense Spa hosts Hollywood favourites Face Place, and Scarfes Bar has cocktails as characterful as the creations by the cartoonist it’s named after.

Most extravagant room That postcode-toting suite, the Manor House Wing, isn’t just vast and lavishly dressed — it comes with a host of free extras too: a Fortnum & Mason minibar, return airport transfers, personalised stationery, fruit and snacks… But even the entry-level rooms feel cosseting as can be.

Design details Designers Tony Chi and Martin Brudnizki (reigned in a little this time) were careful to work with the hotel’s Grade-II listing status, sensitively restoring the frontage, dome and sweeping marble staircase. But they did make some updates with mosaics, mirrors and room styling that looks as expensive as it undoubtedly is.

Something to eat There’s no fussiness to the Holborn Dining Room’s menu, which is as full as you’ll be with hearty British fare: Scotch eggs for starters, deep-fill pies, Sunday roasts, and puddings and crumbles for dessert. To drink, it has to be a G&T — the dedicated gin bar has limited-edition and signature blends.

See the sights The hotel’s concierge adds some extra sparkle to London’s tick-off sights, arranging private tours at The National Gallery or Sir John Soane’s Museum, cookery masterclasses and city-secret-filled bike tours with tweed-sporting Tally Ho! guides. Otherwise, you’re near the quirky Hunterian and Novelty Automation museums, Dr Johnson’s House, and a host of theatres and comedy clubs.

FOR A PUB WITH ROOMS

The Bull & Last

Set beside Hampstead Heath, London pub with rooms The Bull & Last pulls off a delicate balance. It’s gastronomic but loyal to the regulars’ favourite dishes, and not above serving you just a plate of its lauded fried chicken; it’s elegantly dressed but homey; and despite its monied surrounds, there’ll be no sideways glances if you stroll in muddied from a dog walk (dogs are only allowed in the bar, not the rooms).

Its seven guestrooms are named after notable locals (including John Keats and slave-turned-gentlewoman Dido Belle) and have been stylishly outfitted in Farrow & Ball-painted panelling and artwork that nods to neighbourhood lore — some have a Catchpole & Rye bath tub, too. Whether you come for an all-courses assault on the menu or simply to sip the cocktail du jour, you’ll be tempted to chase it with a stint in what might be the capital’s cosiest rooms.

Best room for a low-key stay Sparks will fly in the Faraday, named for the ‘father of electricity’, which has a freestanding copper bath tub, plants and antique prints, and some unique taxidermy pieces on display.

Design details With its wood cladding and stag mounts, The Bull & Last has a rustic cabin feel to it, and little pretension. Look closer at what’s hanging on the walls: there are paintings and plans that leave clues to the pub’s storied past.

Something to eat The menu changes frequently, but you’ll always find the fried chicken, the fish board with crab, mackerel pâté, fried cod cheeks and more, and the Béarnaise-slathered shorthorn prime rib. Otherwise, there’s elevated hearty pub grub, such as skate cheeks with chorizo and pistachio or herby gnudi with porcini sauce, ricotta and chestnut.

See the sights Londoners would kill to be in the position you’re in, across the road from Hampstead Heath, so make the most of it with long walks — doing so inspired C.S. Lewis and Constable, after all. Admire London’s skyline from Parliament Hill, book early to swim in the ladies’ and men’s ponds, spy statues by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, and explore Kenwood House. From there, stop into the Dickens-famous Spaniards Inn, nab a pint at The Flask or The King William IV, and swing by Keats’ former residence.

Now see the best of the rest in our full collection of hotels in London