Hotels in London

Thousands of London hotels, you say. We say, never fear! TravelSupermarket is here to take the hassle out of finding a place to stay...

As Europe’s biggest city, it's no surprise that the choice of accommodation in London is huge and potentially baffling.

There are luxury hotels in London city centre that cost thousands of pounds a night. There are budget B&Bs run by lovely old ladies. There are faceless chains where bland rooms and reasonable prices balance out well. There are serviced apartments in which you can create your very own London home, even if just for a few nights. There are business hotels with sky-high rates mid-week, and bargain breaks at the weekend. There are waterside pads at decent prices at Docklands. There are boutique hotels with abundant style.

Yep, there is something for everyone in the UK capital, that's for sure. It's just a matter of knowing where to stay.

The most central area for tourists is the West End, otherwise known as Theatreland, which covers Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street and Leicester Square.

The area of Bloomsbury, a little further north, offers good budget hotel options, while Mayfair, Marble Arch and Regent Street are home to many of London's luxury hotels and five-star hotels.

Knightsbridge and Kensington boast shopping and green spaces and offer a number of surprisingly affordable mid-range hotels. Conference visitors at the nearby centres of Earls Court and Olympia will appreciate these hotels, while delegates at ExCel should stay in Docklands hotels, or those a little further away in East London.

The Barbican, Europe's biggest multi-arts venue and part of the City of London, can be a cheaper choice for weekend breaks in business hotels.

But sports fans will want to stay near the football action at Wembley, in northwest London, or close to Twickenham Stadium in the southwest for rugby thrills. Those going to watch a concert at the O2, meanwhile, should head southeast, to areas such as Greenwich.

London hotels can be expensive, but it's worth staying at the heart of the action. Compare hotels on TravelSupermarket to find your ideal room and book well ahead to secure the lowest prices. With our handy sliders and filters you can narrow your search by star rating, guest rating, location, price, and facilities that matter to you (such as free WiFi or a swimming pool).

When you’ve found the right place at the right price, go straight to the provider to book or save the deal into My Suitcase. TravelSupermarket’s clever planning tool lets you create trips, share plans and track price changes, so you need never miss a deal again.

For short breaks in London, it pays to search wider, plan smarter and Travel Super with TravelSupermarket.

One of the world’s most important cities, London captivates with its vast offering of historic and modern attractions…

Top five attractions

Natural History Museum

A wonderful day out for all the family; you’ll enjoy some of the best animal collections in the world. Don’t miss the dinosaur exhibition, which makes this museum one of the most fascinating you’ll ever visit.

The London Eye

Hop aboard one of the 32 pods on the world’s highest observation wheel for 30 minutes of amazing views of this sprawling city.

Tate Modern

Proudly standing by the Thames and free to enter, this formidable former power station dominates the skyline and dictates the trends of modern art throughout the world. There’s always a temporary exhibition by a great modern artist, as well as many thought-provoking works by up-and-coming names.

Hyde Park

This is one of the largest parks in London and a fabulous green space that was once home to the Crystal Palace, the centrepiece of the 1851 Great Exhibition. Take a stroll, row a boat, have a picnic – the park is there for all to enjoy.

Tower of London

It’s been the scene of history-making misery for centuries, but this famous landmark is now a brilliant tourist attraction. See the Crown Jewels, the executioner’s room, the mini zoo and even the King’s bedchamber.

London can be an expensive place to visit, but with a bit of know-how you can still have a great time on a budget. We asked London expert, Peter Carty, for his top tips for keeping costs down.

My insider tips

For discounted tickets to West End shows visit the TKTS booth in Leicester Square. You can get half-price tickets on the day for some performances, as well as discounts on advance tickets.

If live music is your thing, you can normally find a free concert. There’s free classical music at lunchtimes in churches, including St Martin-in-the-Fields. The Southbank Centre has a variety of free performances, while pubs in Camden and Shoreditch often host free gigs by up-and-coming bands.

Some of London’s cheapest beer and meals (including breakfasts) come courtesy of the JD Wetherspoon pub chain, and mostly they are family-friendly venues. If you want to go slightly upmarket, select a Samuel Smith’s pub. There are more than 30 of them, often housed in historic buildings, and their prices are as refreshing as their beverages.

All of London’s main museums and art galleries are free (except for special exhibitions) so if you are a culture vulture then you’re horribly spoilt. Many visitors head for Tate Modern, the vast art gallery formerly known as Bankside Power Station. It’s markedly family friendly with free daily children’s activities and acres of space for romping around in.

Or if you’d prefer to eyeball one of the finest collections of old masters anywhere, cross the river for the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square. Nearby is the British Museum, indisputably one of the best museums on Earth, and which on its own could easily take a couple of days to investigate.

Make sure you bring comfortable shoes because some of the city’s finest attractions are its walks. The Queen’s Walk takes in Westminster Bridge, the south Bank of the Thames – including Tate Modern – and St Paul’s Cathedral, with great vistas en route. Or try the Regent’s Canal from Little Venice to Camden. You’ll stroll through the middle of London Zoo and end up at the Camden Lock and its busy tourist markets.

Given that many of London’s best attraction are free, city passes are often overrated. Having said that, if you have train tickets (they must be paper tickets and can include travel cards for public transport, but not Oyster Cards) then the “2For1” offers can work well, particularly for pairs of adults.

Bear in mind that many major attractions are near each other, so you can walk between them. When you do need public transport, your first choice is likely to be an Oyster card – that’s a smart card that you pre-load with cash. There are daily caps on expenditure: if you use buses and trams only, the £4.50 cap is a bargain, and so is the cap of £6.80 if you take public transport solely in Zones 1 or 2. You can also use a contactless debit or credit card - ticket prices are the same as using an Oyster card.

The main alternative is paper travel cards which cover all public transport. If you buy them from a National Rail station (not a London Underground station outlet) then you are eligible for “2For1” offers (see above).

The famous “Boris Bikes” (now Santander Cycles) get you around by pedal power. There are more than 11,500 bikes and over 750 docking stations across London. It costs £2 to access the bikes for 24 hours and the first 30 minutes of each journey is free, so they are best for short trips. Longer journeys cost £2 for each extra 30 minutes.

If you’re coming into London from Heathrow use the Piccadilly tube line, because it’s cheaper than the Heathrow Express. From other airports, coaches cost less than trains. And if you’re arriving here by rail, don’t panic – the mainline stations are all in the middle of town.