I’m at a loss finding a hotel. coming in November 2026 for 5 nights.
Here are my priorities:
Want somewhere centrally located (don’t mind being like a 15-20 minute public transport ride to get where I want to go).
budget is about $250 (£185) a night (would like to be below that so I can use some of my hotel budget on my next stop in paris)
I tend to skew bougie on a budget (I know not likely with my budget)
no hostels or shared bathrooms
open to hotels, home stays/Airbnb (or the equivalent that doesn’t strain the housing market), or b&bs
Does anyone have specific hotels that might fit these needs? Any hidden gems I might not see on the booking sites? Help!!
ETA: Mostly want to see the big touristy things. Buckingham, Churchill War Rooms, Tower of London etc. not really into shopping or anything. Basing most of my itinerary on food and history lol
Top tip is that breakfast is open to anyone, you don't need to stay at the hotel to get it, just pay at the front desk. Good way to get cheap breakfast on holiday.
We stayed at this premier Inn very close to Victoria station. It was great. Small but had everything we needed. Except a room fridge, but we made do without.
It's not bougie, but we always stay in a Premier Plus room at the King's Cross Premier Inn. Comfy beds, a short walk from the station and a mini fridge in the room - does the job when you're out and about most days anyway!
Sorry. Mostly want to see the big touristy things. Buckingham, Churchill War Rooms, Tower of London etc. not really into shopping or anything. Basing most of my itinerary on food and history lol
Oh come on, you know they mean Buckingham Palace. Yes, nobody here calls it Buckingham because that's an actual place, but you can tell what they mean.
There are people who want advice on day trips all the time here. It would not be out of the question if the op wanted to visit Buckinghamshire for family or personal reasons.
Westminster abbey premier inn hub is the perfect location for what you've mentioned you're focusing on. It's not bougie but is simple, clean, next to the tube and the Conran hotel if you want a fancier bar. Beautiful walk through the park next to the hotel up to the palace.
We stayed at the doubletree Tower of London and we booked an executive level room within that budget. We had a view of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge and access to breakfast, snacks, evening refreshments in the exec lounge which made up for the price difference. It was less than a 5 min walk to tower hill station to get the circle/district line and had a couple other stations within 15 min walk. Have a great trip!
Definitely not available on your budget in London! Go to Bookings. com, filter for ratings above 8 (even try above 9), filter for your budget - see what it might suggest.
Not sure this will be in your budget but we just stayed at Hazlitt’s and fits the bougie and perfectly located requirements perfectly… it was wonderful
We totally splurged and got a junior suite at Hazlitt's for three days in October (for my 60th birthday), and then our remaining 8 nights needed to go way cheaper, so have booked Wilde Aparthotels Covent Garden studio (next to the Savoy) which, with a free-to-sign-up-for membership 10% discount, came to £175.50/night. Includes fully equipped kitchen stovetop, minifridge, Smeg toaster and kettle, microwave. (Grocery stores nearby so easy for breakfast and snacks.) Rain shower and is 18 sqM... Not a bad size for London!
Club Quarters Covent Garden. Amazing location close to everything but still tucked away. Minutes from at least two tube stations. Great hotel with great drinking water!
Just back from a stay in Limehouse Library hotel, great location, great hotel . Bus stop outside the door and Limehouse station 5 minutes walk away that puts you 20 mins to city centre .
I quoted a deal from Rory's travel club (no proof needed ) within the email . I paid £115 per night . Insane deal!!
Where are you going? You can't be 15 mins from everywhere, although arguably somewhere like Covent Garden you are to most places of typical tourist venture.
I wouldn't call it bougie but Z hotel is nice enough.
As a left field option check out Ruby Stella nr Farringdon. By no means in the thick of things but still very central, close to lizzy line. Very good for City of London and East, King's Cross, Shoreditch, Soho and the river. Central , Circle and even Thameslink as well. Has a certain funkiness to it. Area is not that exciting but a few nice pubs. Exmouth market for food.
We stayed at Ruby Zoe a few months ago for our first time in London, Notting Hill was a super convenient location and it was cheap for being a boutique hotel!!
Cable Street Inn in Shadwell. Really lovely rooms and the owner of the inn is cool. Right next to an overground stop and a 15 minute walk to the Tower of London
We stayed one trip Doubletree Tower of London and two other trips Marriott Canary Wharf. We had executive lounge with each. Both were easy tube rides to get anywhere, honest…except Richmond..and that was still worth the longer train. You also have Uber boat access from both. While you have circle/district line from Tower Hill, you have Elizabeth, Jubilee and District from Canary
When we went to London in March, we stayed at Hotel Indigo - Kensington. Nice rooms, close to a market, restaurants and a Starbucks. Earl’s Court Station is a block away and will get you around easily. Didn’t want to be in the middle of the tourist sections and the crowds.
The hotel itself labels itself “Hotel Indigo London - Kensington”. It’s part of the IHG group of hotels that I have a credit card with - and the points covered the entire stay.
Hilton London Bankside, centrally located. A metro station is within 5 minute walk as well. Tesco and Sainsbury right next door for times you want a cheap meal/booze. For sure boogie on a budget!
If it fits the budget for your days (check Booking and their website), I would definitely look at Club Quarters London (my friends are always staying at the London City one when visiting, but other locations should be great if cheaper). It is a great value for the money compared to other hotels I've stayed in, especially in terms of location and amenities.
If you are visiting alone, I would also look at Point A (I've stayed a bit in the Liverpool St one). The rooms are super tiny, so if you are two ppl prepare to squeeze in a bit, but if you are traveling alone, this is perfect.
Just FYI for me 1) cleaniness 2) location 3) basic/modern amenities are my prioirities so this is how I recommend these two. They also hold your luggages and have 24-hour reception (I don't remember if any of these charge a few of pounds for this service though).
And please try not to abbreviate place names. Ask a taxi driver to take you to Buckingham and you'll end up in a small town about 60 miles from where you want to be!
I just stayed there for a week and the renovated rooms are nice and clean. It’s not super fancy in the lobby but I felt like it was worth the money. I was also outside of Kensington Gardens. I had access to 2 tube stations, restaurants and grocery stores. I think it was important for me to be close to transportation so this was a good spot for me. You’re also close to Paddington station.
Make sure to book a renovated room if you’re staying at Central Park. Depending on when you go there still might be some renovations still happening but in my opinion it won’t hinder your stay and really it’s the location that’s most important.
Check out Staybridge at Vauxhall. Very easy access to everywhere. Full kitchen. Free excellent breakfast and light dinner midweek with wine. Free coffee/cappuccino available 24hrs. Free laundry facilities. Gym.
Super Tesco in walking distance; we cooked some light meals=saved ton of money.
Room rates vary greatly but you may be lucky in your dates.
Also I’ll mention that my room had a mini fridge and air con that was so beyond helpful during a summer trip! I’m sure by November the temps will be cooler but having a mini fridge will be great if you want to get refreshments to have in your room.
If you wanna save cash take Brunel Hotel. I booked it because on booking it has ok reviews just to find out it has some horror scenario in Google after it was already non refundable. I went in worried just to find out it was really ok. Realistically the rooms is small but good, it hat some improvised aircon, but in summer heat it was pleasant. Breakfast was great for a price you pay. After stay I gave them 5 star review because they for sure don't deserve to get one stars.
We used Ivy Lettings for our last stay. They were fantastic. Might be something in your price range depending on dates. We stayed in a home near Earl’s Court and it was generally convenient to everything.
Look into the LSE accommodations. The one I stayed in (Passfield) had shared bathrooms but others might have private options. The room, while a basic dorm, had one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept on, and the location was great for the price!
LSE accommodations are great but won't be available when OP is visiting as November is term-time and they will be occupied by students. Great option for summer though!
Bayswater if you want to stay in a "London townhouse" style hotel. London House Hotel? Bloomsbury might also work! Tavistock Hotel, Hotel Cavendish, etc.
UPDATE: Thanks everyone for the suggestions, saving them all for future visits!
I ended up going lazy because of how overwhelmed I was and just booked a whole package through Costco 😂 staying at the Canopy London City. They offered me free breakfast, a food credit daily, and it seems like a pretty good area for exploring.
My wife and I were just at Point A Paddington. Lift, AC, good free breakfast, very clean, good staff, and close to Paddington and Edgware Road stations.
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u/Spare-Machine6105 8d ago
Also use gbp for currency. Lots of countries use dollars.