How much do hotels cost in London?

The First-Timer: ~$300-500/night. The Culture/Nightlife Seeker: ~$200-400/night. The Luxury Traditionalist: ~$600-1,500/night

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Europe

LONDON

Q: What's the best area to stay in London?

For first-time visitors, we recommend Marylebone or Fitzrovia. Central but residential, with village-y high streets and excellent restaurants. Marylebone has the boutique shopping; Fitzrovia has the media-industry energy and proximity to the British Museum. Both are walk-to-everything locations.

London skyline with Tower Bridge and the Shard at twilight

QUICK TAKE

London is sprawling but the Tube makes it manageable. The trap is staying in tourist zones (Westminster, Leicester Square) where you'll overpay for generic hotels. The city's best areas for visitors — Marylebone, Fitzrovia, Shoreditch — are a short ride away and infinitely more interesting.

WHERE TO STAY

FOR THE FIRST-TIMER

STAY IN

Marylebone or Fitzrovia

WHY

Central but residential, with village-y high streets and excellent restaurants. Marylebone has the boutique shopping; Fitzrovia has the media-industry energy and proximity to the British Museum. Both are walk-to-everything locations.

OUR PICK

The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone or Charlotte Street Hotel

~$300-500/night

FOR THE CULTURE/NIGHTLIFE SEEKER

STAY IN

Shoreditch or Clerkenwell

WHY

East London has the galleries, street art, and nightlife that define current London. Shoreditch is the center of it — occasionally trying too hard, but undeniably alive. Clerkenwell is the grown-up adjacent option with serious restaurants.

OUR PICK

The Hoxton Shoreditch or Boundary London

~$200-400/night

FOR THE LUXURY TRADITIONALIST

STAY IN

Mayfair or Knightsbridge

WHY

The grand hotels — Claridge's, The Connaught, The Berkeley — are here because old money is here. If you want the afternoon tea, the Michelin stars, and the Harrods proximity, this is the London that delivers.

OUR PICK

Claridge's, The Connaught, or The Dorchester

~$600-1,500/night

SKIP THESE

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Leicester Square / Piccadilly hotels
Tourist central with nothing but M&M stores and chain restaurants. You'll pay premium rates for the worst of London.
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Heathrow airport stays
Even with an early flight, the Elizabeth Line makes central London accessible. Don't waste a night in an airport hotel.
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Generic South Bank chains
The views are nice but the area has no neighborhood feel. You'll walk across a bridge for dinner every night.