When a man is tired of London, he’s tired of life, said Samuel Johnson. But what about when he’s just tired?
Thankfully the buzzing British capital is full of sexy, stylish places to stay, from boutiques in converted Victorian terraces and party pads in the middle of Soho to grande dames that occupy entire postcodes. And thanks to London’s endless stream of ambitious new developments, there’s always somewhere new to bed down in.
Here’s my pick of the best hotels in the capital.
Best for design: Ham Yard
Neighbourhood: Soho
Named after an 18th-century pub called The Ham, “urban village” Ham Yard is found in a quiet (quiet!) courtyard just moments from Piccadilly Circus. The hotel, part of the Firmdale Hotels brand, is all patterned wallpaper and mismatched furniture – very much the MO of its interior designer owners Tim and Kit Kemp. The highlight of the property (if you discount seeing celebs rolling in and out) is the guests-only roof terrace.
Rooms from £485, B&B
firmdalehotels.com/hotels/london/ham-yard-hotel
Best for a nautical vibe: Four Seasons Trinity Square
Neighbourhood: Tower Hill
Just moments from the Tower of London is the capital’s newest and grandest Four Seasons. Housed in the former Port of London Authority building, the beaux-arts property has paid more than just lip service to its nautical heritage. There are Corinthian columns, brass plaques stating the distance an arrow could reach from the Tower of London in the entrance hall and a grand rotunda under which the chic bar and grand piano sit. Rooms retain the Four Seasons’ signature sophisticated business vibe, all black and mirrored, with impressive bathrooms. And in keeping with the nautical theme: giant gold-tiled baths.
Rooms from £450, room only
fourseasons.com/tentrinity
Best for scene: London EDITION
Neighbourhood: Fitzrovia
Legendary hotelier Ian Schrager is behind the EDITION brand, which landed – boldly, stylishly, loudly – on Berners Street in Fitzrovia in 2014. Schrager’s signature design – sexy, super-chic and thoroughly contemporary – is evident throughout, from the swishy throws in the rooms and suites to Berners Tavern, a gilded, always-busy brasserie stacked with framed paintings that is overseen by Jason Atherton. A fancy Soho crowd hanging around in the low-lit lobby bar only adds to the vibe.
Rooms from £276
editionhotels.com/london
Best for royalty: The Goring
Neighbourhood: Westminster
Right around the corner from Westminster Abbey, The Goring’s biggest claim to fame is that it was the hotel that Kate Middleton used as her Royal Wedding ground zero in 2011. The sumptuous hotel, built by the Goring family in 1910, is a "baby grand" – basically an English country house in the middle of the city. The Goring Gardens are a particularly lovely spot, and hold their claim as one of the largest private gardens in the capital.
Rooms from £360
thegoring.com
Best for rooftop hanging: The Curtain
Neighbourhood: Shoreditch
It’s almost impossible to visit the Curtain’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it rooftop ‘lido’ and not Instagram it: which is pretty much the vibe at this neighbourhood boutique on formerly gritty, now hyper-cool Curtain Road in Shoreditch. There’s the hip Green Room bar downstairs, serving drinks dedicated to local hotspots, and an outpost of Harlem original Red Rooster, complete with a gospel choir brunch on Sunday. The members-only rooftop Lido restaurant, which overlooks the pool, is full of Shoreditch trendsetters and hands-down the best place to while away a sunny day. Rooms are all bronze accents and comfy sofas, and some rooms have freestanding bathtubs.
Rooms from £240
thecurtain.com
Best for celebrity spotting: The Savoy
Neighbourhood: Charing Cross
Probably the best-known hotel in London, The Savoy has been a firm favourite of the world’s jetset since it opened in 1889. Everything is suitably regal (think art deco meets Edwardian era) and the American Bar, the oldest cocktail bar in London, is worth a stop if you can’t afford to spend the night here. Quaintly, the hotel entrance is also the only place in the UK where you drive on the right.
Rooms from £450
fairmont.com/savoy-london
Best for views: Shangri-La at The Shard
Neighbourhood: London Bridge
London didn’t really do vertical hotels when the Shangri-La opened in the Shard, Western Europe’s tallest building, in 2014. Taking up floors 34 to 52, this luxury bolthole blends subtle Asian touches with a smart, businesslike vibe. On a clear day, it afford views all the way into Kent – but if not’s clear (and it’s usually not), the surrounding high-rises of the City and residential sprawl of Southeast London are on wide-screen view.
Rooms from £550
shangri-la.com/london/shangrila/
Best for high glamour: Rosewood London
Neighbourhood: Holborn
It’s hard to believe that this palace is just off High Holborn. Wander through the cobblestone path under the archway and you’re transported to a totally different world: one of chicly dressed hotel butlers, luxury cars parked outside and an Edwardian landmark that makes a seriously zingy entrance. Until recently Pearl, the resident golden retriever, welcomed guests to the Rosewood London – so rest assured it’s dog friendly. Inside is a swaggering Asian-inspired residence: licks of black lacquer, premium soundsystems in the room and exotic birds tweeting from birdcages set on the impressive stairway. The dining options – the excellent Holborn Dining Room and fun Scarfe’s Bar – have not even a sniff of ‘hotel restaurant’ about them, while the homecooked pies at Holborn Dining Room are legendary.
Rooms from £474
rosewoodhotels.com/en/london
Best for wellness: COMO Metropolitan London
Neighbourhood: Mayfair
Clean and crisp are the watchwords of the COMO Metropolitan London, on busy Park Lane overlooking Hyde Park. The design is all brushed wood and white linen, while the London outpost of Nobu sits elegantly on the second floor and continues to attract a loyal clientele. While it might look like an Asian-inspired luxury city hotel (and the famous Met Bar is soon to be rebranded), COMO is a wellness hotel brand at heart. Its heavenly COMO Shambhala Urban Escape is just that: an escape. The spa has six rooms and offers a range of expert therapies from award-winning therapists, including super-luxurious Guinot facials, a well-loved French salon brand that's unique to COMO. The Guinot Age Summum Facial is the best thing you can do to your face in 60 minutes: a slathering of vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and pro-collagen, massaged gently into the skin.
Rooms from £272
comohotels.com/en/metropolitanlondon
Best for train geeks: Great Northern Hotel
Neighbourhood: Kings Cross
The closest you can get to Kings Cross station short of sleeping on a platform, the Great Northern Hotel remains, more than 150 years after it was first built, a Victorian landmark and London’s best railway hotel. A curved brick façade hides within it a luxury boutique hotel with quietly elegant rooms and an excellent restaurant and bar, Plum and Spilt Milk, which is the best place to recover from a delayed train journey.
Rooms from £189
gnhlondon.com
Best for a dose of greenery: The Principal, Bloomsbury
Neighbourhood: Bloomsbury
In the midst of London’s literary heartland is the renovated The Principal. Not only does its striking terracotta facade overlook groomed Russell Square, but its central Palm Court – conceived by designer whizz Tara Bernard, who created the interiors for the property – is stuffed full of light and bright plants. Rooms are spacious and richly decorated, and have been designed with period features in mind.
Rooms from £225
phcompany.com/principal/london-hotel
