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 London Character Hotels
Finding an affordable and half way decent bolthole in London has always been like looking for a needle in a haystack, and many visitors resort in desperation to the serried ranks of uninspiring hotels around Bayswater and Victoria just in order to have enough money left over for the price of an entrance ticket to the Tower of London or a ride on the London Eye. But recently, prices have steadied somewhat, and now a room in a characterful London hotel can be little more expensive than in a similar establishment in the countryside. Our recommendations include two traditional luxury hotels and a clutch of little places with heaps more charm and character than the norm. The hotels are listed by price category, and their order bears no reflection on our preference.
 Reviews by Fiona Duncan |
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| Luxury: A country-house hotel in the heart of London |
| Location: Belgravia, near Buckingham Palace. Nearest tube: Victoria |
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| The fourth Mr Goring is now at the helm of this great London family-run institution, opened in 1910. Though tradition and Englishness is at its heart, The Goring always keeps up with the times (it was the first to install en suite bathrooms) but liveried doormen, long-serving staff, private gardens, English dishes and magnificent breakfasts are all at the core of its charm. |
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| Luxury: Real class in a Mayfair cul-de-sac |
| Location: St James, near Piccadilly. Nearest tube: Green Park |
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| Another fine hotel for traditionalists, and anyone who prefers high standards and hidden charms to obvious glamour and glitz. Tucked away in a Mayfair cul-de-sac, the hotel has real class, with crystal chandeliers, country house furnishings and open fires, an English restaurant and an American Bar for that perfect martini. A hotel for those in the know. |
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| Luxury: One of London's great hotels: an Art Deco masterpiece fit for royalty |
| Location: Brook St, Mayfair, close to Oxford St and Piccadilly. Nearest tube: Bond St |
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| This dowager duchess of London hotels is currently leading the luxury pack. Why? Because its glamorous new makeover is underpinned by history and traditional values. Hence trendy Claridge’s Bar. Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant and the top floor spa are teamed with original Art Deco elements, long serving staff and tea in the Grand Foyer – an institution that has never been more popular. |
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| Mid Price: Legendary, laid-back bolthole for an eclectic clientele |
| Location: Notting Hill, near Kensington. Nearest tube: Notting Hill Gate |
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| It's hard to think of a London hotel with a more pleasant atmosphere (of the bohemian kind) and the Portobello, the originator of shabby-chic begun as a bolthole for musicians in the early 1970s, has long attracted an eclectic, celebrity-heavy clientele. Bar and room service are available round the clock, and if you always yearned to order scrambled eggs and champagne at four in the morning, this is just the place to do it. Bedrooms vary (see the website for descriptions) from tiny cabins to decadent suites. |
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| Mid Price: Warm and delightfully eccentric Aladdin's cave in Notting Hill |
| Location: Notting Hill, on first floor, corner of Westbourne Grove. Nearest tube: Notting Hill Gate |
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| A tucked-away deep red door leads to an astonishing Aladdin's cave of a drawing room, filled with antiques and curiosities collected by antiques experts Martin and Ioana Miller, and glittering under dozens of candles at night. Bedrooms are more restrained but no less lovely, and the interesting guests meet at breakfast , helping themselves at a communal table. A real one off. |
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| Mid Price: Character, charm and literary associations, Georgian style |
| Location: Frith Street, Soho. Nearest tube: Tottenham Court Rd |
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| There are few London hotels with more character than Hazlitt's, three Georgian houses once home to the eponymous essayist in lively Soho. The sloping, creaking floorboards have been retained (it can be an uphill walk to bed) and rooms are suitably decorated with antiques, busts and prints. Popular with authors. Breakfast served in room. |
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| Mid Price: Character and elegance in Kensington, plus a buzzing bistro |
| Location: Location: Queen's Gate, Kensington. Nearest tube: South Kensington, Gloucester Road |
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| Character by the bucketload at this long-time hotel (since 1890s), now owned by two charming Irishmen, Edward Bracken and Con Ring. Walls are plastered with over 5,000 paintings and prints, bedrooms (some small, all recently upgraded) are all different (a minstrel's gallery in one; secret panel in another; Judy Garland's bed in a third). Traditional sitting room for residents; buzzy Bistrot 190 open to all. |
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| Mid Price: Quirky home-from-homQuirky City bolthole in three faithfully restored 18thC houses |
| Location: Clerkenwell, in the City. Nearest tube: Farringdon |
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| This homely hotel, full of curiosities and flights of fancy in a traffic-free alleyway in fashionable Clerkenwell, was created from a row of listed Georgian cottages. The pretty bedrooms have antique beds with superb mattresses and sheets, and bathrooms with roll-top baths and original brass and copper plumbing. You'll find period shutters, flagstone floors, open fires and a fabulous top floor suite, Rook's Nest. |
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| Mid Price: Calm and chic, colonial-style, in Earl's Court |
| Location: Earl’s Court, in residential garden square. Nearest tube: Earl’s Court |
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| It’s not often one can honestly say that a boutique hotel in London represents good value for money, but this converted Victorian townhouse certainly does, and what’s more it offers peace and tranquillity in the centre of town. Natural materials and a combination of colonial, Italian and Asian influences create a calm, stylish and cosy haven, with some rooms done to delicious excess. |
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| Mid Price: Flair and fun, Mexican style |
| Location: Camberwell, South-East London, near Oval tube |
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| Brothers Jose and Mel have directed their artistic talents into designing this one-off south London sanctuary with an idiosyncratic mix of Mexican art, wrought-iron bedsteads, handmade wash basins and sumptuous colours. You'll find hot sauce, organic chocolate and a welcome note by your bed. Never mind if the Camberwell location is off-beat, Church Street would be worth staying in wherever it was. |
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