London has a world-class selection of hotels which can make it tricky to choose where to stay. However, our Hotel Gurus have compiled a definitive list of the top London chic hotels which arguably encompasses some of the city's very best accommodation. Selected on their design (naturally), service, amenities, and location — there is something to suit most tastes and budgets. Choose from grand five-star stays, stylish boutique hotels, or foodie-centric properties. With such a broad offering, why not browse through our collection to start planning your perfect city break?
For the West End
- The Covent Garden Hotel is a Firmdale Hotel in designer clothes with a good mix of elegance and metro chic. The Covent Garden location is difficult to beat, the decor is exquisite and breakfasts are a lavish affair. They even cater for the kids!
- Or there’s the Soho Hotel, another Firmdale classic, but this time with a more fashionable edge, close to the buzz of Soho. And complete with a gym and cinema, and a cerise pink drawing room and dashing motoring mural in Refuel, the hotel’s excellent restaurant.
For an intimate stay
- The Halkin Hotel, an early design hotel on the edge of Belgravia, boasts Asian inspired decor and is both chic and contemporary. Expect statement pieces of furniture and sculpture in the common areas. Plus top-notch service.
For access to the museums
- The Rockwell Hotel is a beautifully designed townhouse in a busy, Kensington location. It has a beautifully landscaped garden — which is surprising for this location — and a fine wine list in its elegant bar and restaurant.
- The Ampersand Hotel is an impressive elegant hotel in the heart of South Kensington. Rooms are individually designed and themed bold wallpapers reflect the museums which are close by. In-house restaurant Apero offers fresh Mediterranean cuisine and The Drawing Rooms serve wonderful traditional afternoon tea. A stylish city base.
For foodies
- An urban haven, Nobu Hotel, features beautifully designed rooms that are minimalist in style with floor-to-ceiling windows, large contemporary artworks and polished concrete floors. While the cavernous restaurant serves up that world-renowned Japanese and South American cuisine. A very sleek London offering.
For a City hotel
- The Zetter Hotel is a 59 room hotel in hip and happening Clerkenwell, close to The City, with fun, contemporary styling. A conversion of a 19th-century commercial building, the hotel is built around a six-storey, glass-roofed atrium lit in red and green.
For great value
- For great value try the Sydney House Chelsea, a popular South Kensington bolthole, converted from a pretty, chic little Grade II listed townhouse. The rooms are compact and modern and it’s in a great spot for cafes, bars and restaurants.
For a floating hotel
- Good Hotel is a trendy floating hotel offering both a chic city pad and the opportunity to give back; it's 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, friendly staff and a lively rooftop bar. Ideal for the young and hip.
For a pub
- The Clerk and Well is a beautifully renovated option boasting a central location in fashionable Farringdon. Chic rooms mix clean contemporary style with traditional features. A modern British menu and an excellent selection of ales are found in the restaurant. Pick this boutique stay for the design and location.
- The Grazing Goat enjoys an enviable location in the heart of Westminster. Rooms ooze charm with muted Farrow & Ball colour schemes and wooden furnishings. Expect upmarket British pub classics in the restaurant. A splendid spot for city explorers.
For a hip stay
- The Boundary Project in Shoreditch is by style guru and restauranteur, Terence Conran, and is design chic with a pleasing touch of retro. Known for its rooftop garden, local bakery and individually designed rooms this is a perfect London base.
- The Hoxton Hotel is cool in the way that swathes of East London are cool. Vibrant, stylish, fashionable and minimalist, with lots of unique details, the Hoxton is just like Hoxton, Hackney and Shoreditch. Expect bold wall colours, medieval fireplaces against bare brick walls, herringbone parquet, piles of books and vinyl — and the bar is cool too. Obviously!
- Industrial-chic accents define The Hoxton Southwark, nestled by Blackfriars Bridge. Exposed brick walls, Crittall-style windows and concrete ceilings bring the city inside, while leather headboards and olive panelling add a luxury finish. A very stylish choice.
- The Marylebone Hotel is a chic hotel in the heart of Marylebone Village. Expect funky public spaces and contemporary-classic style rooms and suites. Chill out in the 108 Brasserie and work it off in the hip Third Space health club. A cool option in the centre of town.
For a design hotel
- Close to Liverpool Street Station, Spitalfields and the Barbican, South Place Hotel looks quite ‘modern city hotel’ from the outside but inside it’s much quirkier with really cutting edge design throughout the 80 rooms. The lively rooftop bar, state-of-the-art gym, spa and Michelin starred restaurant ensure an indulgent stay.
- 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.
- The Stratford is a maverick design hotel reinventing long-stay travel in the heart of East London. Guestrooms juxtapose textures with comfy throws and sleek fittings. Scandanavian concepts meet old-world elegance in the Highline sky garden. A smart city hotel.
For Luxury
- The Hari is a five-star luxury stay set in upmarket Belgravia. Designer interiors ensure seriously stylish accommodation complete with indulgent marble bathrooms. Plus there's Italian fine dining at Il Pampero and a buzzing bar. Hip, happening and smart!
- COMO Metropolitan London is perhaps the hippest hotel in London. Set just across from Hyde Park, with a top restaurant, gym and spa and an A-list clientele. Expect fresh contemporary decor and spot-on service.
Still not sure?
