If it’s your first time visiting London and you’re trying to figure out which area to stay in, you’re in the right place. London is huge, and it can be overwhelming trying to work out where the best places to be based are, especially since there’s so much conflicting information flying around out there. We’ll be honest: there’s no one right area to stay in; it’s really down to you and the things you might want to see and do while you’re over here, what you want out of your trip and the kind of budget you’re playing with. Here, we’ve handpicked some of our top areas to stay in when visiting London to help you decide where’s best for you.
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Covent Garden
Covent Garden is one of the most famous areas of London and is located right in the middle of the city. It’s filled with amazing restaurants, shops, bars, and an old market, and you’re super close to some of the city’s biggest attractions and other famous areas, like Soho and the West End. If this is what you’re after, then staying in Covent Garden is a great place to be based, but it’s worth bearing in mind that because it’s so popular, the area does get busy, and it doesn’t really have a local vibe to it. However, there are a few local gems dotted around, like Seven Dials Market for street food and drinks, as well as Neal’s Yard, which is home to some great restaurants, cafés and shops. Because Covent Garden is in the dead centre of the city, you should expect to get the least for your money if you choose a hotel here.
Two hotels we love in Covent Garden:
Henrietta Hotel – A boutique hotel with just 40 rooms and suites inspired by the streets of Covent Garden.
Covent Garden Hotel – Another boutique bolthole with just 58 individually designed rooms.
Soho
Soho is one of the most historical areas of the city, located right in the centre with plenty of transport links and tube stops nearby, like Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road. It’s right around the corner from Covent Garden, which means it’s also close to many of London’s most exciting spots, like The London Palladium, one of the city’s most famous theatres, Carnaby Street for shopping, and Chinatown, where you’ll find plenty of cheap eats and authentic Asian restaurants. Soho is also a dining hot spot, with heaps of excellent restaurants and bars – in fact, many of the city’s top restaurants are based here. It’s also the epicentre of the LGBTQ+ community in London, so there’s lots going on here. Not to mention that it’s also one of the biggest areas for nightlife in the city, so it’s super buzzy, and people flock here to eat, drink, and boogie well into the night, especially on the weekends. So, if you’re looking for peace and quiet, Soho might not be for you, and if you’re on a budget, you’ll find the hotel rates to be too high for you here.
Two hotels we love in Soho:
Broadwick Hotel – A lively, independent luxury hotel with 57 rooms, founded by a group of friends in the heart of Soho.
Kettner’s – A 33-bedroom Soho institution set inside a beautiful Grade II-listed townhouse known for its eclectic history and sophistication.
South Bank & Bankside
Just south of Covent Garden and south of the River Thames, you’ll find South Bank and Bankside, two areas right next to each other. They’re located between some of London’s most famous attractions along the river, like the London Eye, Shakespeare’s Globe, London Bridge, The Shard, and Borough Market, London’s oldest market. If you’re a theatre or film lover, this is a great area to be based, as you’ll be a stone’s throw from the BFI South Bank, where you can watch all kinds of films, as well as The National Theatre and Royal Festival Hall, which plays host to a range of exciting shows and performances. A stay here means you’ll be based pretty close to the main attractions as well as plenty of transport links, but if you want a more local feel, then stay nearer to the Bankside side. This way, you’ll also be close to Bermondsey, which is brimming with excellent pubs, restaurants, and bars that locals love to visit. Cost-wise, expect slightly better pricing than Soho and Covent Garden.
Two hotels we love in South Bank & Bankside:
Sea Containers London – Located on the Thames with sweeping river views and inspired by a 1920s transatlantic cruise liner.
citizenM London Bankside – A modern stay in Bankside with lots of communal areas for meeting new people.
Notting Hill
If you want to stay in an area lined with the kind of stunning townhouses you see in London movies, this is it, Notting Hill is it. It’s renowned for its lush parks, like Holland Park, which contains a stunning Japanese Kyoto garden, and is home to some of London’s wealthiest residents. Staying here also means you’ll be close to a handful of London’s best museums, like The Natural History Museum, The Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert, all of which are free to visit. It’s a top choice for people travelling with kids, they’ll never be bored here. Although Notting Hill is slightly removed from the main tourist attractions, you’ll get to experience a side of the city that locals love. Plus, it’s beautiful and a lot quieter, even though there’s still so much to see and do here. But with beauty comes a price tag, and the hotels tend to be on the more luxurious side with a luxurious price tag, but we think it’s worth it.
Two hotels we love in Notting Hill & Kensington:
The Portobello Hotel – A boutique base founded in 1971 where no two rooms are the same.
The Lost Poet – Set in a tiny townhouse with just four rooms connected by a rickety Victorian staircase.
Shoreditch
If you love history and creativity, you might want to pick a hotel or hostel in Shoreditch in the East End. This area is probably the most eclectic and hipster part of London, chock full of galleries, vintage shops, street food markets and graffiti-clad walls. Out of everywhere listed so far, Shoreditch is the coolest, most chilled-out district where local Londoners like to actually hang out, and it’s within close proximity to some other super cool East End areas, like Broadway Market in London Fields. Saying that, if your plan is to just stick to the tourist areas, you will have to hop on the tube to get about, but it’s easy, quick and straightforward. Plus, hotel prices might be slightly less teeth-clenching than the areas already mentioned.
Two hotels we love in Shoreditch:
The Mondrian – A trendy stay tucked behind a main road in one of the city’s hippest areas. It’s close to amazing restaurants, bars galleries and is popular amongst London’s creative crowd.
Batty Langley’s – An eccentric Georgian sanctuary with 29 rooms, each named after a different East London figure from the 18th century.
King’s Cross
King’s Cross is another one of our favourite areas in London and a great place to be based for a whole range of reasons. You’ve got Regent’s Canal running through it, which is lovely to walk down on a sunny day, as well as plenty of independent shops (Coal’s Drop Yard is great for shopping) and heaps of fantastic restaurants like Dishoom and Granger & Co. It’s not really located near any of the major attractions, but the station is well connected to the rest of London, so you can get to any part of the city in no time. There’s also a great selection of hotels to choose from around here.
Two hotels we love in King’s Cross:
The Standard – A 1970s-style playful hotel with a cool rooftop and an edgy retro vibe.
Great Northern Hotel – Built during the golden age of travel with 88 rooms in four styles.
Westminster
Next on our rundown of our favourite areas to stay in when visiting London is Westminster, where you’ll find a bunch of London’s really famous attractions, like Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. So, if you stay here, you’ll be within walking distance of all of these places, which is ideal for those hoping to see all of the major tourist attractions and aren’t too fussed about the local side of the city. You won’t find many Londoners in Westminster, mostly because they don’t want to be, and also because it’s really really expensive to live here; you’ll only really find the super wealthy living here. So don’t expect local vibes!
Two hotels we love in Westminster:
St. Ermin’s Hotel – A sleek Grade II-listed, four-star stay adjacent to leafy St James’s Park, dripping in history.
Corinthia London – A chic five-star luxury hotel renowned for its premium restaurants and top-of-the-range spa.
Fitzrovia and Marylebone
Last on our list of the top areas to stay in when visiting London are Fitzrovia and Marylebone, which are super close to one another. These are great options for those who want to be close to the hustle and bustle of the city centre but want a bit more of a chilled vibe. You’ll still be located fairly close to all the main attractions, which you can easily hop on a bus or tube to reach, but there’s more of an overall neighbourhood feel here, and you’ll be near some excellent areas for drinking, eating and high-end boutique shopping.
Two hotels we love in Fitzrovia and Marylebone:
Treehouse Hotel – A fun hotel designed to evoke the feeling of climbing a tree as a child, with a trendy design and a fantastic rooftop bar.
The Zetter – Set in a Georgian townhouse with 24 bedrooms filled with antique furniture and bold decor.
If you want tons more recommendations for hotels, apart-hotels, and hostels, plus a ton more tips to help you choose where to stay in London, explore the Accommodation section of our site.
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