Need a dose of London in your life? We’ve got you covered for your trip across the pond — read through for our favorite boutique hotels in the U.K. Capital.
The Twenty Two (Mayfair)
5 Stars | Website | Heathrow Airport
31 | Free WiFi; Pet friendly; Bar | 1
Buckingham Palace; Hyde Park; The National Gallery
While you might think The Twenty Two is unornamented due to its austere white Portland stone exterior, you quickly discover that your first impression of this boutique hotel was wrong. The 31-room hotel — located in one of London’s poshest neighborhoods, Mayfair — is anything but austere. Once inside, you see how the space blends 18th-century classical French stylings with a bespoke contemporary edge. Saturated in colors, each of its rooms is viscerally unique: glimmering chandeliers, maximalist motifs, tail curtains, red-velvet-draped four-poster beds, and enlivening wallpaper are what you will find here. The Restaurant at The Twenty Two serves up a British-inspired menu with splashes of Mediterranean influences, which pairs nicely with its advantageous vantage point of neighboring Grosvenor Square.
One Hundred Shoreditch (Shoreditch)
5 Stars | Website | London City Airport
258 | Free WiFi; Fitness center; Room service | 1
Sky Garden; Tower of London; Tower Bridge
The recently opened One Hundred Shoreditch is a design-centric masterpiece in one of London’s hippest neighborhoods, Shoreditch. Oriel windows protrude out from the exterior. Inside, wooden totems and deft millwork dress the lobby. Rooms sport neutral pallets, and Berber carpets cover floors topped by specially blueprinted beds with shrunken bases to spawn the illusion of floating in the air. The Rooftop Bar & Terrace marries pink tiles and terrazzo tabletops, which mingle with verdure succulents, cacti, and favorable views from an outdoor deck. Tucked into the hotel’s basement, Seed Library is a debonair cocktail bar created by Ryan “Mr Lyan” Chetiyawardana, one of the world’s most illustrious mixologists — when here, order the Dandelion Negroni, which comprises swift gin, red dandelion bitter, and sweet vermouth.
The SoHo Hotel (SoHo)
5 Stars | Website | London City Airport
96 | Fitness center; Room service; Bar | 1
Banqueting House; Somerset House; St James’s Park
This whimsical-styled 96-room property is situated on a quiet street in the heart of London’s entertainment district. On-site amenities include a bar, restaurant, library, and several screening rooms. Rooms here are outfitted with floor-to-ceiling windows, lots of print-heavy designs and color, plus custom-made bed linens. Don’t miss the property’s signature Afternoon Tea and nosh on fresh produce from the British Isles, a selection of sweet treats, and savory sandwiches.
Hotel Café Royal (Mayfair/Soho)
5 Stars | Website | London City Airport
159 | 1 swimming pool; Fitness center; Spa | 3
Banqueting House; Churchill War Rooms; Buckingham Palace
Planted on the border of vibrant Soho and ritzy Mayfair, the five-star Hotel Café Royal has been around for over 150 years. To call it a London staple would be an understatement — Princess Diana, David Bowie, and Winston Churchill have all frequented this iconic hotel. Historical public rooms from the 1860s to the 1920s — along with various original splendors such as staircases, cornices, and gilt lift doors — coexist with modern infusions such as a curated contemporary art collection and a minimalist, high-ceilinged Piero Lissoni-crafted lobby. Decompress from excessive shopping and museum-perusing by either grabbing Afternoon Tea at the hotel’s Oscar Wilde Bar or via a trip to the on-site Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre, where an 18-meter pool, hammam, sauna, nine treatment rooms, along with special water healing procedures await.
Sea Containers London (London’s South Bank)
5 Stars | Website | London City Airport
359 | Fitness center; Spa; Bar | 1
Big Ben; Trafalgar Square; Banqueting House
Architecture enthusiasts and luxury lovers alike will appreciate a stay at this modern, design-forward property, which is located along the banks of the River Thames. The hotel is housed in the famed Sea Containers House, which was constructed back in 1974. Today, Sea Containers features 359 chic, industrial-inspired rooms (each outfitted with bespoke furniture and beautiful marble bathrooms) — along with a restaurant, two bars, a spa, and a screening room. While at the hotel, make sure to grab a drink at renowned mixologist’s Ryan Chetiyawardana’s famed bar, Lyaness.
Charlotte Street Hotel (Fitzrovia)
5 Stars | Website | London City Airport
52 | Fitness center; Room service; Bar | 1
Trafalgar Square; Madame Tussaud’s; Somerset House
For an authentically British experience, Charlotte Street Hotel is the place to stay. Each of the 52 rooms and suites is individually designed and equipped with patterned headboards, colorful accent furnishings, and soaking tubs. The property also boasts a swanky bar with a fireplace, an elegant eatery decorated with bold murals, and an on-site cinema, too.
The Lost Poet (Notting Hill)
The Lost Poet is a petite townhouse in London’s Notting Hill neighborhood, next to all the shopkeepers at Portobello Road. Fluorescent touches and furnishings with punchy upholstery dress the four rooms here, each lathered in its own unrepeated hue and connectable via a Victorian-style staircase. Clad in a grayish-blue and packed with a bedroom tub, plus second-floor sunroom and flower-studded terrace, the Muse is one of our favorite rooms here.
L’Oscar London – Central London (Bloomsbury/Holborn)
5 Stars | Website | London City Airport
39 | Pet friendly; Room service; Bar | 1
Trafalgar Square; Piccadilly Circus; Banqueting House
Once the headquarters for the Baptist church, this 1903-constructed building experienced neglect before it took on another life as a boutique hotel. Oak-paneled walls, marble fireplaces, and refurbished ceilings are just a sample of the deft craftsmanship that went to refashioning-yet-preserving the historical features of this Central London hotel, right on the border of Bloomsbury and Holborn. All 39 rooms are favorable, but if you’re keen on an upgrade, stay in L’Oscar Suite, which flaunts an ornate ceiling, decadent bathroom, deep soaking tub, and marble shower. L’Oscar Restaurant serves superlative British fare with infusions of cuisines from all over the world — the décor here is a nod to one of Venice’s long-standing cafes: dark-purple paneling, a mirrored ceiling, and illuminated onyx light the back of the bar.
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