A collection of the zaniest, wildest, trendiest and most colourful hotels and boutiques in the sprawling great capital of the United Kingdom, London. Featuring everything from chic art hotels for those on a budget, to classically styled hotels based on a boat bobbing on the Thames. Ideal for couples looking for a memorable break in the Big Smoke or travelling businessmen seeking something a bit more idiosyncratic than your bog-standard corporate chain. So why not browse through our collection to start planning your next city break?
For a boutique
- 40 Winks is wild and beautiful, furnished like the home of an eccentric time traveller: fading Japanese samurai-era artworks hang in rooms aglow with fluorescent magenta lighting. The hallways are adorned with statues, the rooms with black velvet sofas and the walls are covered with floral patterns seemingly plucked from a Minoan fresco. Strange, exciting and quite sexy — it's perfect for couples on a getaway.
- Zetter Townhouse is an intimate boutique with eclectic vintage decor. Expect wooden four-poster beds draped in the Union Jack offset by walls adorned with bright splashes of modern art; it makes for a fun place to enjoy a romantic break.
- The Exhibitionist Hotel is a hip luxury boutique with fabulous quirky design in high-end South Kensington. A range of rooms and suites are uniquely styled with sculptures, artworks, velvet fabrics, and plush headboards. With a lively cocktail bar and restaurant — this is a trendy base.
For luxury
- Ampersand Hotel is a five-star boutique located in upmarket South Kensington. Rooms are designed with a mix of modern elegance and whimsical charm. Expect throne-like velvet bedheads, dove-grey carpets and bold feature wallpapers. The restaurant Apero offer fresh Mediterranean cuisine and The Drawing Rooms serve wonderful traditional afternoon tea. A fun, yet luxurious, British stay.
- Courthouse Hotel is a stylish five star set in a converted Magistrates Court and police station. The building's converted cells (where the Kray twins were held) and court spaces give this property a unique and historic spin. However, interiors are seriously stylish and there are excellent facilities including a wellness centre, indoor pool, cinema, and bowling alley.
For an art hotel
- The newest of the Dutch budget hotel chain, citizenM Shoreditch, has interiors adorned like any of the many hip designer shops of Shoreditch: shelves are stacked with cute objets d'art and anime-inspired toys, and sofas are crammed with cushions emblazoned with the iconic red lolling tongue of the Rolling Stones and Marvel superheroes. Conversely rooms are simple, bright, and minimalist boasting wall-to-wall beds, floor-to-ceiling windows and an iPad to control mood lighting, temperature and the TV. Trendy, modern and colourful, citizenM is so Shoreditch.
- A hymn to the London music scene, The Megaro Hotel stands distinct in Kings Cross because of its colourful exterior facade. The underground bar has popcorn and jellybeans on tap and it doubles up as a music venue, plus there's a steam-punk-style double-storey eatery serving the best of British cuisine. With rooms inspired by various historic London music scenes. A good choice for those on a lively city break.
- Artist Residence London has a homely lived-in feel. Rooms feature exposed brick walls adorned with Warhol-esque pop art, desk lamps standing on old wooden crates and wood-panelled bathrooms that resemble Alpine saunas. A neon-lit café/bar opens from breakfast till late. It's a cool and colourful place, perfect for longer stays.
For hip design
- Mama Shelter London is a chic design hotel in London's hip Shoreditch area. Dion & Arles designed rooms are minimalist, comfortable, and each boasts high-end tech. There's a lively restaurant and terrace bar plus fun additions such as a karaoke room. Modern living, styled with the young in mind.
For a budget stay
- You needn't take a plane to Mexico when you could just stay a few nights in the Church Street Hotel — a patch of Mexico nestling amidst the bustling streets of Camberwell. With top-of-the-range tapas served in the wood-panelled restaurant and high-end cocktails served at the blue-and-white-tiled bar, the interiors are of a strikingly Latin nature, while the rooms, simple, elegant and colourful, make this one of the best value quirky hotels in London.
For period design
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Hazlitt's is in the heart of the West End, surrounded by a selection of quality bars and high-end restaurants. A gorgeous Georgian townhouse near the shopper's paradise of Oxford Street and the historic landmark of Trafalgar Square, the elegant wood-panelled rooms are ideal for a romantic weekend away or a honeymoon.
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Stepping into The Rookery feels a lot like stepping into a time warp. An 18th-century townhouse in hip and trendy Clerkenwell, it is draped in so much period charm it could've been stolen from the set of Downtown Abbey. The rooms are crammed full of antiques and boast roll top baths, four-poster beds, and regal red curtains. A grand stay.
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Once the home of the poet Edward Lear, Zetter Townhouse in Marleybone is the newest addition to Zetter's London collection. With period wooden four-poster beds, individually designed rooms adorned with objets d'art, curios and antiques, this chic and elegant boutique is famed for its cocktails, luxurious drapes and beds, and sumptuous cuisine.
- Batty Langley's is a beautifully converted 18th-century townhouse in the effortlessly cool Spitalfields district. It features plushly furnished rooms adorned with oil paintings, baths with brass taps, and busts of Greco-Roman gods. There's also a library overspilling with beautiful old books and comfy chairs and a marbled entrance lined with works of classical art.
For a floating hotel
- Moored on the Thames and just a stone's throw from Canary Wharf, Sunborn Yacht Hotel conveys a sense of Old World glamour. The entrance is breathtaking with a great glass stairwell and a ceiling crowned with a golden chandelier. The light-filled rooms — or cabins — are plush, classical and snug, with cream-white walls adorned with nautical paintings. If you're after a dreamy, elegant and romantic escape pad, climb aboard!
- Opposingly, Good Hotel offers a more contemporary experience. This trendy floating hotel offers both a chic city pad and the opportunity to give back. A social enterprise that originated in Amsterdam and is now set up in London's Victoria Docks. Expect industrial contemporary cool style, a great restaurant, fantastic and friendly staff and a lively rooftop bar. Ideal for the young and hip.
