London Cheap and Chic hotels
Looking for a London hotel that's slick, modern, well-equipped - or cosy and characterful - and cheap? Until now London has lagged behind European cities, where for some years inexpensive places to stay have offered vibrant colours, stylish design, cutting-edge technology and buzzing public spaces. While in London, the choice for economisers was limited to musty odours, candlewick bedspreads and swirly carpets in Bayswater, Pimlico and Earls Court.
But change, at last, is afoot. What the so-called new style of places offer is not a 'new concept' (it's an old concept, really: decent rooms at decent prices) but 'edited luxury': top-quality beds, comfortable bathrooms, plasma TVs and free internet but no unwanted extras to push up the price. Here is the pick of the new breed.
Browse through our list of the best cheap and chic London hotels and start to plan your stay. Please feel free to call or email a friendly guru for advice and booking. Contact
Cheap and Chic London Hotels - Central Area
Easily the most central of our cheap and chic London hotels is B & B Belgravia in the fantastic location of Ebury Street, Kinghtsbridge. The twenty six rooms are thoughtfully decorated and laid out and there is a fairly funky sitting room and an open-plan kitchen/breakfast room. It is on three floors with no lift so don't come back too tired if you're on the top floor.
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B+B Belgravia and Studios@82
London (South West)
Stylish stripped down b+b concept in a fantastic location. Compact rooms, self service facilities and no lift, but excellent value.
26 rooms from $159Walking distance restaurants - Great range of Gastro pubs, restaurants and cafés in the areaDesigner Shopping - Sloane Square and Sloane Street are a short walk awaySights nearby - Well located for major sights.Recommended by - Frommers, Travel Intelligence
Cheap and Chic South West London
- There are Indian influences everywhere at the Mayflower Hotel in West Kensington from the carved wooden bedheads to the art on the walls to the embroidered cushions. Most of the rooms are small, some tiny, but there is a juice bar and breakfast is excellent (and included in the room price). It is a fairly central location for the money; a short tube or bus hop from the centre of the city.
- Along the road in Earl's Court Base2Stay is housed in a grand-looking white stuccoed townhouse with a pretty mews behind. Rooms vary from compact singles to rooms with bunk beds and doubles of varying size. Each room has a kitchenette and a good value breakfast in a box can be delivered to your door.
- Further west in Ealing, Hotel 55 has larger bedrooms and a dining room and bar in a conservatory overlooking the garden. Food can be brought in from local restaurants and there is an in-house mixologist at the bar ready to shake or stir you up an aperitif or a nightcap. Comfortable orthopaedic beds and free WiFi make this a great value place to stay.
- A new arrival to Ealing is the Hotel Xanadu, with iPad check-in, (you don't have to have one, but if you do, you can) modern, spacious rooms, interesting artefacts and good bathrooms. There is a restaurant serving small plates and more substantial dinners and guests have access to the nearby Eden Gym.
- Bedrooms in High Road House, the Chiswick outpost of private members club, Soho House, look fantastic. All white painted and wood panelled they are clean and modern, cosy and cosseting at the same time. Quite far west but handy for Heathrow and in a lovely suburb. B & B here stands for bed and brasserie. There is a bar as well and a loyal local crowd who give it buzz.
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Mayflower Hotel
London (South West)
Indian influences predominate in this cosy yet affordable hotel in West London, close to transport hubs. Smallish rooms but a great base at budget rates.
47 rooms from $185Exclusive offerCity - Great location just minutes from Earls Court Tube stationRecommended by - Johansens -
Base2Stay Hotel
London (South West)
Converted West London townhouses providing streamlined, designer accommodation for a budget rate. Good choice for longer stays, with kitchenettes, and close to transport hub.
67 rooms from $176Recommended by - Sawdays, Travel Intelligence -
Hotel 55
London
One of a new breed of 'off centre' boutique-style hotels, with pleasing contemporary design, decent size rooms and great prices. Close to transport, 20 minutes from the centre.
26 rooms from $121 -
Hotel Xanadu
Ealing
A boutique hotel in West London offering comfortable modern, pared-back rooms with an exotic twist. Darkly sophisticated meeting room.
48 rooms from $156Exclusive offer - Midweek CocktailsSwimming Pool - Indoor/outdoor -
High Road House
London
Soho House's Chiswick outpost, off-centre but in a pretty residential area. White and wood guest rooms, trendy non-resident guests and diners, buzzy bar and restaurant.
14 rooms from $225Lively - Hip and happening.
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Cheap and Chic London Hotels - North of Hyde Park (but not North London)
North of Hyde Park in another impressive townhouse is the New Linden Hotel. It doesn't look from the outside as if it could fit the fifty one rooms nestled within. They are compact but spotless with wood floors and good lighting. Great value a stone's throw from Portobello Road with friendly helpful staff.
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New Linden Hotel
West London
Stripped down hotel - no restaurant or room service - in converted townhouses north of Hyde Park, offering great-value. Smart simple rooms, decent business facilities.
49 rooms from $192Walking distance restaurants - 5 mins walk from a good selection of restaurant, cafés and pubsRecommended by - Johansens
Cheap and Chic East London Hotels
Trendy East London also has some great stylish places to stay on a budget. The Hoxton Hotel operates its booking system on the EasyJet principle of the earlier you book, the cheaper it is. Bedrooms are modern with some playful touches but it is the large open plan public area downstairs which makes the Hoxton stand out. With two vast open fires it is reception area, sitting room, shop, bar and restaurant with tables and sofas and always lots of people and chatter.
Russell's of Clapton was inspired by upmarket B & Bs in New York and it has a definite feel of Manhattan's Soho area. White walls and sheets are softened by natural materials, wooden floors and some colourful fabrics. Fantastic local cafes, shops and bars and it is opposite the poular Chatsworth Kitchen.
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The Hoxton Hotel
London
Prices on Easyjet principles - the earlier you book the less you pay. A stylish City hotel with attitude. The locality is the new trendy area of London, home of artists and designers.
208 rooms from $79 -
Russells of Clapton
London
Tasteful townhouse B&B in East London. Contemporary design. Wooden floors, white washed walls, antique furniture.
6 rooms from $137
Cheap and Chic South London Hotels
For a more pubby experience, the Victoria Inn in Peckham would be a good choice from out list of places to stay. A gastropub with rooms, it has been sensitively converted and has a long bar and cosy book-lined eating area. Popular with locals (Delboy and Rodders would appear to be long gone) it is friendly and homely with eighteen comfortable rooms, mostly doubles but some family rooms.
Alternatively book a room at the Church Street Hotel in Camberwell. This funky property serves up a classy vibe of Mexico and Cuba, with plenty of original art, wrought iron bedsteads and much more. It may feel a bit out of the way, but there are buses and trains close by to whisk you into the centre of town.
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The Victoria Inn
London
Budget gastro pub with rooms in the town of Peckham, for a different kind of stay. Great pub grub and bright, stylish, simple rooms.
18 rooms from $121Restaurant - Gastro pub fayreLess £Sights nearby - Visit Dulwich Park or the free Horniman Museum and Gardens -
Church Street Hotel
London
Funky 'theme hotel' in off-beat south London, a one-off sanctuary and eclectic mix of Mexican style and sumptuous colours. Full of character and divine tapas.
27 rooms from $145Exclusive offer - London bargainRestaurant - Great tapasQuirky - An experience!Full of character
Happy choosing and please feel free to call or email a friendly guru for advice and booking. Contact. If you can't find anything to suit in our selection of cheap and chic London hotels take a look at our full London list.
Jane Hutchison,
posted Friday, 12th February 2010
