London hotels

	All hotels in London

Hotels by neighborhood

	All hotels by neighborhood
	Bayswater
	Belgravia
	Bloomsbury
	Earls Court
	Kensington
	King's Cross
	Paddington Station
	Soho
	South Kensington
	Southwark/Bankside
	The City
	Victoria Station
	Neighborhoods Overview

London city guide

London Hotel Overview

Everyone knows that London is an expensive city through and through. Its hotels are no exception. Unlike many other cities in Europe, such as Rome or Prague, where hotel rates outstrip the daily cost of living in a dramatic manner, London is a true-blue pricey place. It will cost you a lot to sleep, eat, and get around. Accept this, and you'll be off to a good start.

That said, research counts in London. If there was ever a city where solid hotel research will inevitably result in a better hotel experience, it's London. What you get in return for your precious pounds varies greatly, and not just by neighborhood.

There are several parts of town—Bayswater, and the areas near Paddington, King's Cross, and Victoria Stations in particular—that host huge numbers of hotels. In these 'hoods, hotels situated adjacent to one other in nearly-identical townhouses may have rates that vary by as little as a few pounds, despite the fact that one may be a complete hovel, while the other will feel like a home away from home.

We'll say it again. Do your research.

If you really need to save money, then you can get a double room with a shared toilet in a hostel for about £40-£70 during the high season. For £90 a night, you can sleep in a fairly new hotel that's clean but not charming near Victoria Station, a slightly seedy area at night. Or you could head a bit west to Belgravia and pay the same amount to stay at a small, family-run hotel that's cute though certainly not fancy.

£60-£75 will get you a standard, chain-like hotel room in a personality-void hotel in a hotel-heavy strip. If you're willing to forgo a private bathroom, you can shave £15 off your nightly total there. And for £90-£120, you can slumber in a boutique B&B in South Kensington, Paddington, or even Bloomsbury. Off season prices can lower all of these rates, though often by very little.