Above is Queen’s Walk promenade opposite the Houses of Parliament
London was recently ranked the fourth most expensive city in the world after Hong Kong, New York and Geneva in a cost of living survey conducted by data experts ECA International.
The bad news is that during the summer, the capital can be pricier than at any other time of year.
So here’s our guide to some of the best value hotels…
SOUTHBANK SURPRISE
There’s no restaurant at citizenM Bankside, but there’s a self-service breakfast and all-day snacks.
Check into citizenM Bankside (above) and you’ll be within walking distance of The Tate Modern, Southbank and Borough Market
It also has a cocktail bar and lounge with books. The offbeat design may divide opinion but its 192 rooms are modern: TVs are controlled by iPads. The Tate Modern, Southbank and Borough Market are nearby.
Book it: Doubles from £158 (citizenm.com).
NOTTING HILL FOR LESS
With a carnival theme and bold colours, newly opened Ruby Zoe fits right into the atmosphere of Notting Hill.
Newly opened Ruby Zoe in Notting Hill is ideally located for visiting Portobello market and Holland Park
The hotel, part of a German budget chain that has a sister property in Southbank, is just a three-minute walk from the station and is perfect for roaming nearby streets lined with pastel-coloured houses, and for visiting Portobello market and Holland Park.
Book it: Double rooms available from £225 (rubyhotels.com).
GOOD-VALUE KENSINGTON
Hyde Park, the Natural History Museum, Kensington Palace and the Royal Albert Hall are all within striking distance of The Rockwell hotel in Kensington. There’s a bar and restaurant with an outdoor garden and rooms are comfortable with elegant designs in neutral colours.
Book it: B&B double rooms from £132 (therockwell.com).
HYDE PARK HIDEAWAY
B&B doubles at The Columbia, a well-located hotel set within five Victoria townhouses, are priced from £140
Set across five Victoria townhouses built in 1856, The Columbia is in the heart of West London overlooking Hyde Park. It has good links to the British Museum, Madame Tussauds and beyond to Soho. Rooms are somewhat poky and traditional in design with plenty of patterned wallpaper, bedding and dark wood, but the location more than makes up for this.
Book it: B&B doubles from £140 (thecolumbia.co.uk).
THAMESIDE DELIGHT
Drink in views of the Docklands Riverside at this bright and spacious DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, where rooms are priced from £104
With lovely views of Docklands Riverside, DoubleTree by Hilton has bright and spacious rooms with exposed brickwork. There’s a bistro-style restaurant downstairs, where this theme continues. The location isn’t the most convenient but Tower Bridge is two miles to the west, while Greenwich with its Cutty Sark museum, market and park, and the National Maritime Museum, is three miles to the east.
Book it: B&B Doubles from £104 (hilton.com).
WHITECHAPEL WONDER
You’ll find quirkily designed rooms and a lively restaurant at The Corner Hotel
In between Whitechapel and Aldgate East, The Corner Hotel is close to the galleries, street food stalls and boutiques of East London. With quirkily designed rooms, bar and lively restaurant, it’s a great base to explore this corner of the capital. It is also the self-proclaimed ‘greenest’ hotel in London with CO2 emissions 67 per cent less than the industry average.
Book it: B&B doubles from £116 (thecornerlondoncity.co.uk).
SHOREDITCH WINNER
Mama Shelter in Shoreditch has regular offers such as 50 per cent off when booking a second room
Mama Shelter is a quirky French hotel chain that’s opening properties at a rapid rate. The playful design suits its location on Hackney Road, close to Bethnal Green underground and the hipster hangouts in Shoreditch. It has a fun restaurant, a garden bar and even Japanese karaoke rooms. The hotel also has regular offers such as 50 per cent off when booking a second room.
Book it: Doubles from £150 (mamashelter.com).
CHEAP IN CLERKENWELL
Yotel London City is close to the 12th-century church of St Bartholomew The Great, the Museum of London and St Paul’s Cathedral
They do things differently at the 212-room Yotel London City in Clerkenwell, which is certainly not your average London hotel. Reception is called ‘mission control’, staff are known as ‘crew’ and the restaurant serves up a mish-mash of street food-style dishes. It’s close to the 12th-century church of St Bartholomew The Great, the Museum of London and St Paul’s Cathedral.
Book it: B&B doubles from £105 (yotel.com).
SOHO SECRET
Enjoy clean Scandi-inspired interiors at Zedwell in central London (above), where the tiny rooms are called ‘cocoons’
The tiny rooms are called ‘cocoons’ at the Zedwell, a back-to-basics hotel by Piccadilly Circus. But rates are extraordinarily low given its location. Clean Scandi-inspired interiors feature wood panelling. There are deals including 10 per cent off when booking directly. Oxford Circus and the bars and restaurants of Soho and Chinatown are nearby.
Book it: B&B doubles from £118 (zedwellhotels.com).
TOWER BRIDGE BARGAIN
Premier Inn might not sound the most exciting of choices but when it comes to value for money the budget chain cannot be beaten. There are plenty of locations you can pick — from Old Street and Kensington to Tower Bridge.
Book it: Doubles at Tower Bridge from £127 (premierinn.com).
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