Best Luxury Hotels in London

Privately owned, this hotel themes its rooms on high-brow local attractions: the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the Victoria & Albert and the Royal Albert Hall. So does its quirky and interactive Science Afternoon Tea, an award-winning experience – including jams served in petri dishes, chocolate spacemen and dinosaur biscuits – served in the Drawing Room. It’s understandably popular with children, but there’s also a grown-up version, featuring a cocktail flight. Venture beneath the building’s Victorian arches for a more substantial meal, in the Mediterranean eatery Apero. The 111 bedroom South Kensington hotel welcomes small pets in deluxe category rooms and above and won’t charge for their stay. Cots and extra beds can be added on request, for travelling families.

The Dutch design firm Concrete has been tasked with creating an eclectic aesthetic that blends retro with modern, while showcasing using natural textiles, at The BoTree. Found where Mayfair meets Marylebone, it has two destination restaurants — one on the rooftop — a live music club, a cinema room and a fitness centre. Each bedroom boasts a reception area, with sliding panels leading to sleeping and lounge spaces; upgrade to a suite for a lounge, a balcony and your own bar and with an integrated cocktail station. The BoTree’s service ethos is described as intuitive and personalised.

The Clermont London, Victoria, originally opened in 1862 as The Grosvenor Hotel is a historic Grade II listed railway hotel designed by James Thomas Knowles. Conveniently located next to Victoria Station, it provides easy access to London’s major landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey and Gatwick Airport is easily reached via the Express. The hotel offers a range of accommodation options, from classic rooms to deluxe suites, all featuring contemporary design with a touch of period charm. Guests can enjoy a variety of dining experiences, including The Soak an elegant setting with sumptuous seating, floor-to-ceiling windows and an eclectic menu, open for casual drinks, light bites to formal dinners. The Réunion Bar was once the first-class lounge for the Brighton Belle and overlooks Victoria Station – ideal for people watching whilst sipping on Champagne and cocktails, and The Tea Lounge is the perfect spot for a quintessentially British Afternoon Tea. The hotel caters to both leisure and corporate guests, offering a best-in-class breakfast buffet, corporate dining, and space for meetings and events.

Two red brick Victorian townhouses combine as one, to form The Egerton House Hotel in Knightsbridge. 28 plush bedrooms come with Savoir beds, bespoke handpicked furnishings, Floris toiletries, 200 thread-count Belgian linens, Belu mineral water, fresh fruit and flowers. Of these, the four-poster suites add espresso coffee machines and views over Egerton Gardens. Forbes Five Star rated since 2012, the hotel presents an award-winning afternoon tea and a famous signature martini. You’ll find original artworks by the likes of Toulouse-Lautrec and Erte, and cartoons by Charles M. Schulz, JAK and Sem.

The Franklin, situated in the Egerton Gardens, was established in 1992 when four elegant townhouses were combined to create a luxury hotel. This five-star hotel contains 35 rooms and suites, a fashionable bar that serves the finest wines and spirits as well as an excellent restaurant with Michelin-star status. Those who wish to visit the Franklin on a business trip will be pleased to know that the hotel contains it’s own meeting room, ideal for conferences and other events, that will enable business people to do conduct their affairs among stylish and comfortable surroundings.

The July London Victoria apartment-hotel is located just a five-minute walk from Victoria Station. Designed for modern lifestyles, the property offers 114 rooms, including family apartments with interconnecting spaces ideal for longer stays and multi-generational travellers. Interiors reflect Art Deco influences and Victoria’s rich architectural heritage with bespoke lighting, parquet flooring, marble details and an adventurous palette inspired by nearby royal parks. Each guest room is equipped with multifunctional oak joinery, integrated kitchen facilities and bathrooms with a distinctive chequered tile design.

The Idler Restaurant, led by Chef Jay Campbell, serves modern British cuisine with Mediterranean touches, complemented by a stylish bar for cocktails and wines. Guests can enjoy a deli for gourmet sandwiches, a dedicated co-working area, meeting spaces, an honesty bar, a fitness studio and wellness facilities including a sauna and cold room. Sustainability is central to the hotel’s concept, with BREEAM Excellent certification and eco-conscious materials used throughout.

The property’s “neighbourhood key” provides access to curated events and perks across all The July properties. Located near Buckingham Palace, St James’ Park and West End theatres, the apartment-hotel is well positioned for exploring central London.

The Guardsman Hotel, tucked near Buckingham Palace in Westminster, London, is a 5-star boutique establishment known for its luxury and personalised guest experiences. Offering exclusive services akin to a members’ club, the hotel boasts bespoke dining without fixed hours, uniquely designed rooms with high-end amenities, and a prime location conducive to exploring London’s landmarks and transport options. The hotel’s dining experience is tailored, featuring no standard menus and uses fresh, seasonal produce. The Dining Room and Bar, open only to residents and their guests, offer a vast selection of dishes, over 250 whiskies, and an extensive wine list. Afternoon tea can be enjoyed in the hotel or with an option for a picnic basket to take away whilst exploring the city. Room offerings are diverse, including executive, single, deluxe, and superior double and each are modern and uniquely designed for comfort and luxury, complete with amenities such as bespoke toiletries, and personalised minibars. The friendly team is on hand 24-hours a day highlighting the hotel’s commitment to personalised service and memorable stays.

Kids and pets are welcome at this 150 room townhouse hotel. Enter from the bustling Old Brompton Road, into a haven of calm. In-suite Aromatherapy Associates toiletries, Nespresso machines and a minibar help guests to unwind in their own private space. Or there’s the softly lit classic club-style K-Bar, where you can relax with a cocktail on one of its divinely cosy sofas (look out for the bar’s brass doors, which used to belong to Dublin’s General Post Office, the backdrop for the Easter Rising in 1916). Be sure to make a booking at its restaurant, Town House, too. The Kensington is super stylish, sporting statement lighting and plenty of sumptuously tactile textiles. 

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 Laslett occupies a total of five Grade II listed Victorian Townhouses in the ever-trendy borough of Notting Hill and is named after the founder of its famed carnival. Bedrooms – of which there are 51 – range from singles to suites offering up to two bedrooms and a living space. The Recharge Rooms offers cutting-edge spa treatments and wellness/fitness classes. And there’s a library, The Henderson Bar and a lounge – guests can order food to consume in any of these, or the bedrooms – as well as a boutique selling arty pieces worthy of its location.

This glorious 4-star hotel located across from Kings Cross station breathes a breath of fresh air into Kings Cross with it graffiti fronted facade and newly refurbished Design Rooms. The Megaro is independently run and integrates, design, fashion, cinematography and music together with a big dose of British pop culture! Design Rooms come in 4 different styles with our favourite rooms being Backstage Britannia. The hotel has an all-day dining restaurant ‘The Eatery’ as well as a speakeasy basement bar and the lobby doubles up as the hotel’s mini bar too!

Part of the Luxury Collection group, The Park Tower is a five-star establishment in the heart of Knightsbridge and Belgravia. It first opened to guests in 1973, a noticeable new landmark on the west London skyline, with its unusual circular architecture. All 271 rooms and suites come with a view thanks to its unique shape, as well as 200-thread count cotton sheets, robes, slippers and deep soaking tubs. In-room spa services are available, as well as The Park Tower Butler, for your every need. The Hyde Bar is the hotel’s main dining establishment, with afternoon teas served in The Knightsbridge Lounge.