Covent Garden and the West End
Theatres, restaurants and shopping streets in the middle of everything. The most central choice, and usually the busiest.
Sources and further reading · Covent Garden and the West End
United Kingdom
Hotels in London
London is large and spread out, and most trips are shaped by the Underground. Pick the area whose streets you want to walk in the evening, then check which lines the hotel is close to.
This guide helps you choose an area. Hotel prices and availability are checked when you search with dates and guests.
Get to know the area before choosing a hotel
South Bank
The riverside walk past the London Eye, the Tate Modern and Borough Market. A good base for walking along the Thames and crossing into the centre.
Sources and further reading · South BankKensington
Museums, garden squares and Hyde Park in west London. Quieter in the evening, and a short Underground ride from the West End.
Sources and further reading · KensingtonGetting in from the airport
Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton
London has several airports. From Heathrow, the Heathrow Express runs to Paddington, and the Elizabeth line and the Piccadilly line run into the centre. From Gatwick, trains run to Victoria and London Bridge; from Stansted, the Stansted Express runs to Liverpool Street; Luton is linked by a shuttle to its own railway station. Check the airport on your ticket before choosing where to stay.
Before choosing your address
- Check the nearest Underground station and its lines: a hotel next to a direct line to your airport or your sights saves changes every day.
- Rooms in central London are often compact. Read the room size and bed type in the room description.
- For a quiet night, ask whether the room faces the street or the back of the building.
Worth reading before you book
How to choose a hotel: what to check before you book
The right hotel is not the grandest on the list; it is the one that fits the days you planned. Five checks, in this order.
What you pay at the hotel: taxes, fees and the deposit
The booking closed at one price and the bill shows another. Usually that is not a mistake but a local tax.
How to read a flight before you book: times, stops, duration and the fare rules
Two flights at the same price can be very different trips. Everything that tells them apart is already on the result — it only has to be read in the right order.
