Best Luxury Hotels in London

Staying at the Hoxton puts you in easy reach of the River Thames and South Bank’s best galleries and food markets as well as easy access to central London’s other attractions. Arrived to work, rest or play? Relax for this four-star hotel has 192 creatively designed guest rooms with comfy beds, concrete ceilings and marble surfaces. There’s a choice of restaurants as Seabird offers panoramic views from the rooftop with a menu presenting Portuguese and Spanish influence from sea to table. Or opt for oysters with fizz, martinis or your choice of cocktail. Then there is Albie, an all-day lobby spot offering proper breakfasts, modern dishes and a killer wine and cocktail list. For parties, the ideal spot is the hotel’s Apartment, a fresh and airy space with a wraparound balcony. It has six useful rooms available separately for team away days and brainstorming sessions or combined for a network event or product launch. It also has The Pantry, an open plan kitchen providing a communal help-yourself space stocked with tea, coffee, snacks and fruit that can flip to a private bar in the evening.

CitizenM graces South Bank with a luxury hotel experience at an affordable price handily placed in the bustling cultural area near Tate Modern and the Borough Market. The open-plan ground floor offers great space to relax, work or play with comfortable furniture, communal desks and private conference rooms. Bright décor includes world-class art and books to browse and the four-star hotel’s 192 guest rooms are cleverly designed for two adults with floor-to-ceiling windows, pod-style bathrooms and extra-large beds. The Dutch chain, which is increasing its number of popular city outposts, provides super-fast free Wi-Fi and iMacs for guests to use, while the canteenM restaurant and bar offers food and drinks 24/7 and a buffet breakfast in a five-hour window. Southwark and London Bridge stations are nearby, providing easy access to the rest of the city.

This is a place to stay with that wow factor. Sea Containers London is designed with more than a nod to those elegant cruise liners of the 1920s yet firmly anchored on the South Bank of the Thames. There are 359 guest rooms and suites to choose from, ideal for couples or families, some with amazing river views, all featuring bespoke furniture and en suite marble bathrooms. One suite even has its own fitness equipment. Located just around the corner from Blackfriars Bridge, guests can find the National Theatre, Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre nearby. The five-star hotel, part of the Lore Group, offers three in-house venues. At 12th Knot’s rooftop lounge, there are panoramic Thames views to go with the refreshment, opt for award-winning cocktails at Lyaness, or savour delicious seasonal food at Sea Containers Restaurant. And when it’s time to unwind, treat your senses to a treatment at the Agua Spa London, blow off steam in the hotel gym, or see a movie at its Curzon cinema.

The first art’otel in the capital officially entered London’s hospitality landscape in February 2023. Spanish artist and designer Jaime Hayon is behind the interiors, which take inspiration from the Power Station, while Foster + Partners and Electric Boulevard were responsible for the architecture. The hotel is in Battersea Roof Gardens, part of a whole new district, served by a recently opened tube station. It includes the TOZI Grand Cafe, JOIA, the 15th-floor restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, a spa, a rooftop bar with an infinity pool and 164 arty bedrooms.

Escape the noise of the capital, with this Belgravia townhouse as your base.  The grand building, formed of arched windows, portland stone and Georgian brick, has been reimagined inside, by Milan-based architecture studio Laboratorio Associati and Linzi Coppick. 41 bedrooms and suites channel the elements, in a sophisticated, warm, elegant and upscale home-like style. The COMO Shambhala philosophy is evident throughout, be it in the healthy cuisine options, or the in-room therapeutic treatments (there’s no spa onsite, but guests have access to the Halkin’s sister property’s wellness facilities, a ten-minute walk away). Families are catered to with mini bathrobes and COMO the Halkin teddy bears for little ones.

Walking distance from the poshest landmarks in the city, The Hari is an exclusive pad for distinguished travellers. Its 85 bedrooms include 14 suites, draped in velvet and marble with contemporary artworks on the wall (the hotel hosts its own annual art prize). Dine in-house at the refined Italian restaurant, il Pampero, drink in the Hari Bar, and relax with a cocktail on the Garden Terrace during warmer months. The Hari’s fitness room includes a Peloton bike and you can book personal training sessions. The hotel has strong eco-credentials too, having received Silver Accreditation from EarthCheck.

88 bedrooms and suites (including two-bedroom family rooms) at this Knightsbridge hotel, come with The White Company bathroom amenities, iHome radio alarms and Nespresso coffee machines. Chef Isabela Vaz heads up the bistro-style restaurant, The Lowndes Belgravia, with service from 7 am to 10 pm. There’s a chauffeur-driven car to whisk you to and from the airport. And there’s The Map Room, catering for any meetings, receptions and private dining requirements you may have while in town. Jumeirah Lowndes is every bit the modern urban boutique hotel, with a palette of muted tones and plush furnishings. It’s also dog-friendly.

The Covent Hotel is housed in a building that served as the Frech Hospital back in the 1890s. It features a fusion of traditional British designs with contemporary architecture. The hotel has 58 rooms and suites. The Covent Garden Loft suite is probably their most luxurious suite. This suite covers two floors and has a vast drawing-room. This hotel is situated at the heart of the theatre district, and that makes it ideal for pre and post-theatre dining. In the basement, there is a 48-seat cinema with red leather seats. You can score a discount on the tickets and food on Saturdays.

This hotel is located on Henrietta Street, and this street is known for its fine architecture. The hotel is owned by a Paris-based business group, but it does not feature French designs. In fact, the rooms have a traditional English and highly unusual design and feel. The general mood in the place is calm, professional and friendly. In total, the hotel has 18 rooms, and one of them is specially designed for visitors with disabilities. There is also an exquisite cocktail bar and a remarkable restaurant.

Hazlitt’s is located in Soho and takes it’s name from William Hazlitt the 18h century essayist. Prepare to step back in time to a bygone era of old world English opulence, the minute you step through the door you won’t believe you are right in the heart of central London. Hazlitt’s is popular with creatives coming to the city and remains very much low key with much of it’s success based solely on word of mouth reviews. Very much a home from home, relax in the library with a good book, have a drink from the honesty bar or unwind in your rooms Victorian roll top bath.

Petite in size at just 24 rooms, this former Georgian townhouse is located in the heart of Marylebone. The hotel oozes personality and charm with each room individual in style and complete with antique furniture and curios. If you like to finish the day with a cocktail, head to Seymour’s Parlour for some of the best drinking in the city.

Part of the same group as the Ham Yard, the Haymarket lies in the heart of Theatre-land on the corner of Haymarket and Suffolk Place offering the best of the cities bars and restaurants on your doorstep as well as some of the best shopping in the city. The hotel has 50 bedrooms each designed individually by style and design director and owner Kit Kemp and you can unwind in the hotels pool after a day exploring the city.