Where to stay in London
The best places to stay in London for a first visit are Covent Garden, the South Bank and Westminster. All three are central, close to the big sights.
That is where to stay in London for most visitors. South Kensington suits museum days and families. The City and Tower Hill put you next to the Tower of London. Every hotel we list scored 8.0 or higher on Booking.com on 24 October 2026.
| Area | Best for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Covent Garden & the West End | A first visit, theatres and walking to the sights | Rooms at the cheaper end are small: The Z Hotel lists compact rooms |
| South Bank & Southwark | The river, Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe and Borough Market | Borough High Street Rooms has shared bathrooms, so check the room type |
| South Kensington & Kensington | Museum days and families | Further west than the other central areas |
| Westminster & Victoria | Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and the Gatwick Express | Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms have been closed since 27 September 2026 |
| The City & Tower Hill | The Tower of London, Tower Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral | Breakfast costs extra at Motel One, the budget pick |
| Windsor town | Windsor Castle at opening time | Out of London; the castle is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays |
Area 1 of 6
Covent Garden is the best base for theatres and a first visit. Our four picks sit near the Covent Garden Piazza, the Royal Opera House and Trafalgar Square.
Two of them have kitchens. The Resident has a mini kitchen in every room, and the 1st Class Residences have full kitchens.
The Resident Covent Garden
A hotel on Bedford Street a few minutes' walk from the Covent Garden Piazza and Charing Cross station, where every room has a mini kitchen with a fridge, microwave and Nespresso machine.
Middle Eight - Covent Garden
A 5-star hotel on Great Queen Street near the Royal Opera House and Theatre Royal Drury Lane, with a restaurant, a gym, a bar and a ticket desk.
The Z Hotel Covent Garden
A 113-room hotel on Bedford Street right behind St Paul's Church and the Covent Garden Piazza, with compact en-suite rooms and a café on the ground floor.
1st Class Covent Garden Residences
A set of apartments around New Row, about five minutes' walk from Trafalgar Square, each with a full kitchen with an oven, hob and dishwasher.
Area 2 of 6
The South Bank is the best base if you want the river on your doorstep. Our picks are near Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe and Borough Market.
Sea Containers sits right on the river, and some rooms look over the Thames. Borough High Street Rooms is the simple choice.
Sea Containers London
A 5-star hotel on the riverside at Upper Ground on the South Bank, with the 12th Knot rooftop bar and some rooms with Thames views.
citizenM London Bankside
A modern hotel on Lavington Street, two minutes' walk from Tate Modern and near Borough Market, where you control the lights, blinds and TV from an iPad.
ibis Styles London Southwark - near Borough Market
A hotel on Southwark Bridge Road under 200 m from Tate Modern and a few hundred metres from Shakespeare's Globe, with air-conditioned en-suite rooms.
Borough High Street Rooms
A simple guesthouse on Borough High Street about 1 km from London Bridge, with private rooms that share bathrooms.
Booking.com has no South Bank page, so this link shows all of Southwark, a wider area.
Area 3 of 6
South Kensington is the best base for museums. The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A are all free to enter.
The Ampersand is a minute’s walk from South Kensington station. St Simeon is a budget hotel under 10 minutes’ walk from the museums. Lexham Gardens has apartments with full kitchens, handy for families.
The Ampersand Hotel
A hotel in a large Victorian building on Harrington Road, one minute's walk from South Kensington station, with a Mediterranean restaurant and a science-themed afternoon tea.
Number Sixteen, Firmdale Hotels
A boutique hotel in a Victorian townhouse on Sumner Place in South Kensington, with a private garden and afternoon tea served all day.
Lexham Gardens by Cheval Maison
Thirty serviced apartments in a white-columned period building on Lexham Gardens in Kensington, each with a full kitchen, around a planted atrium garden.
St Simeon
A budget hotel in antique style on Harrington Gardens, under 10 minutes' walk from the South Kensington museums, with breakfast and a shared guest kitchen.
Area 4 of 6
Westminster is the best base for royal London. The Resident Victoria is 300 m from Buckingham Palace. The palace’s State Rooms have been closed since 27 September 2026.
From the airports: the Gatwick Express runs from Gatwick to Victoria in 30 minutes. National Express airport coaches leave from Victoria Coach Station.
Staying further out? A London tour bus on your first morning shows you the centre.
St. Ermin's Hotel, Autograph Collection
A hotel on Caxton Street next to St James's Park station and close to Buckingham Palace, set around a green courtyard with marble bathrooms in the rooms.
The Resident Victoria
A hotel on Palace Place 300 m from Buckingham Palace and about 1 km from Westminster Abbey, where every room has a mini kitchen with a fridge and microwave.
Riu Plaza London The Westminster
A 4-star hotel on John Islip Street near the river in Westminster, with a gym, a bar, a buffet breakfast and some rooms with river views.
Room Mate Lime Tree
A small hotel on Ebury Street about 1.2 km from Buckingham Palace, with a garden, a terrace and a restaurant.
This link opens Booking.com’s Victoria page.
Area 5 of 6
Tower Hill is the best base for the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Cheval Three Quays is right next to the Tower. Vintry & Mercer is 700 m from St Paul’s Cathedral.
Motel One is the budget pick here, about 0.8 km from Tower Bridge.
Motel One London-Tower Hill
A design budget hotel on Minories about 0.8 km from Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, with a bar and breakfast sold separately.
Cheval Three Quays at The Tower of London
Serviced apartments on Lower Thames Street next to the Tower of London, each with an open kitchen and living room, some with Thames views.
Apex City Of London Hotel
A 4-star hotel on Seething Lane close to Tower Hill, with a restaurant, a bar and a gym.
Vintry & Mercer Hotel
A 5-star hotel on Garlick Hill, 700 m from St Paul's Cathedral, with custom-made interiors, a gym and a bar.
This link opens Booking.com’s page for the whole City of London.
Area 6 of 6
Sleep in Windsor if you want the castle at opening time. Two of our picks face Windsor Castle across the High Street.
From 1 November 2026 the castle opens 10:00 to 16:15. GWR trains run to Windsor from London Paddington.
Macdonald Windsor
A hotel on Windsor High Street right opposite Windsor Castle, with individually designed rooms and the Caleys restaurant.
Castle Hotel Windsor
A 4-star hotel on the High Street opposite Windsor Castle and the Guildhall, on the route of the Changing of the Guard parade.
Sir Christopher Wren Hotel
A 4-star hotel in a 17th-century house on Thames Street between the river and Windsor Castle, with a riverside brasserie and some rooms looking at Eton Bridge.
Goswell House Hotel
A listed 17-room 3-star hotel on Peascod Street in central Windsor, about two minutes' walk from Windsor Castle.
In the 2026 London Travel Cost Study, the median advertised price of a 4-star hotel room in London was £155 a night for two adults, from 341 prices on Google Hotels read on 24 October 2026 for stays from October 2026 to September 2027.
No overnight visitor levy was in force in London when we checked (24 October 2026). A bill in Parliament would let mayors, London’s included, set one. UK hotel prices include 20% VAT.
The cheaper hotels on our list are Motel One by Tower Hill, St Simeon in South Kensington and The Z Hotel in Covent Garden. Borough High Street Rooms has private rooms with shared bathrooms.
On Booking.com, a low price can be a bed in a shared dorm. Check the room type before you book.
With a National Rail ticket, 2 for 1 London offers can cut the cost of some sights, such as the Tower of London.
If you drive, filter by parking on Booking.com. Driving in central London costs the £18 Congestion Charge, from 07:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and 12:00 to 18:00 at weekends.
Cars that fail the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) rules pay £12.50 more, every day. A hotel in Zones 1–2 caps your Tube and bus fares at £8.90 a day instead.
Hotels checked on Booking.com on 24 October 2026: each link opened in the browser and showed the hotel, rated 8.0 or higher there. The scores shown are from that day; we list no prices because they change daily. Booking.com shows the live ones.
Written by the Things to Do in London editorial team.