Creative Commons licensePhoto by flickr user quinn.anya

So you're coming to town for a day or two and you just want a roof over your head, somewhere that's sensible, cosy, welcoming and well located... a hotel that feels a bit like home perhaps... a warm fire on a cold day, a comfortable armchair, unfussy food, friendly service, well-equipped but undemanding bedrooms. Hotels that are bursting with character and atmosphere, or cutting edge havens for style victims are for another day... here are our favourite boltholes where, though London's attractions come first and the hotel second, you may find yourself returning time and again. The order by which the hotels are listed bears no reflection on our preference.

Written by Fiona Duncan