If you have been putting off that dream trip to London for months, now’s the time to visit. With plenty of great value deals on offer, some of the best design hotels in London are more affordable than ever.
More Londoners are working from home, too, so the city is less frantic than usual. The landmarks and sights are all easy to get to and are infinitely more enjoyable to visit when there are fewer tourists around. And even if quarantine is an issue, you'll at least be doing it in complete luxury.
As for where to stay when you visit, London is fortunately packed with a vast choice of chic, design-led hotels. There's a wide range of ultra modern looks, cosy boutique styles and hip, trendy hideaways at the city’s fingertips.
We've rounded up our favourite luxury London design hotels below for inspiration for your next getaway. Time to get packing…
BEST DESIGN HOTELS IN LONDON
1. HAM YARD HOTEL
ABOUT: One of eight hotels in the capital owned by Kit Kemp’s Firmdale Group, all of which she designed in her own pattern-packed, inimitable style. Ham Yard Hotel is a stone’s throw from London’s Piccadilly and the vast array of shopping and dining options.
As well as the exquisitely designed rooms and suites, there are also one, two and three bedroom apartments - perfect if you're planing a longer stay or happen to have family in tow.
HIGHLIGHTS: Open from 7am daily, head to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Alternatively relax with a massage or facial in the hotel’s resident Soholisticspa.
Pre-dinner cocktails or nightcaps are best enjoyed in the fourth floor garden terrace, surrounded by an abundance of trees and plants and the city's rooftops.
PRICE: From £430 per night
WHERE: 1 Ham Yard, Soho, London W1D 7DT
See:Meet Kit Kemp’s favourite makers from the world of arts and crafts
2. ROSEWOOD LONDON
ABOUT: An idyllic urban sanctuary, Rosewood London is amongst the capital’s finest luxury hotels. On arrival, an arch in the hotel’s grand façade draws one into a tranquil courtyard.
The hum of the city slips away, replaced by an atmosphere of quiet sophistication and unsurpassed hospitality.
HIGHLIGHTS: Sense, the hotel's spa, offers a wide array of nurturing treatments and products. Its zen-themed decor features bamboo walls and soft lighting. Wooden walkways extend over rippling water, leading to seven treatment rooms, one of which is an exclusive couple's suite.
With regards dining, you’re spoilt for choice with the Mirror Room serving breakfast, lunch afternoon tea and dinner. Alternatively, the Holborn Dining Room offers brasserie-style meals from morning till night.
PRICE: From £420 per night
WHERE: 252 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7EN, United Kingdom
3. TREEHOUSE LONDON
ABOUT: Offering laid-back luxury in rustic and playful surroundings in vibrant Marylebone, Treehouse London offers sweeping views of the city. Rooms feature plenty of charming amenities, including quaint cuckoo clocks and cozy sleeping bag throws.
HIGHLIGHTS: Treehouse London is home to Madera, sister of acclaimed fine-dining Mexican restaurant Toca Madera in Los Angeles.
The spectacular rooftop bar The Nest features 360-degree views across London, and is the perfect spot to drink or dine between midday and 11pm. Relax and soak up the city sights from your table, from the iconic London Eye to Regent’s Park and The Shard.
PRICE: From £249 per night, including breakfast
WHERE: 14-15 Langham Pl, Marylebone, London W1B 2QS.
4. HENRIETTA HOTEL
ABOUT: This typical London townhouse gives guests the opportunity to experience a stylish break in one of London's most Instagrammable hotels. The 18 rooms at the Henrietta Hotel are inspired by the streets of Covent Garden with a nod to Italian design in subtle shades of pink and blue.
Guests enjoy their home away from home, complete with room service and mini bars stocked with bespoke cocktails - perfect for a night in.
HIGHLIGHTS: Open all day, the hotel’s restaurant features dishes inspired by south west France and Basque country cuisine.
Step outside and you’re right in the heart of Covent Garden, with celebrated London restaurants Cora Pearl and Frenchie both on the same street.
PRICE: From £250 per night, including breakfast.
WHERE: 14-15 Henrietta St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8QG
See:Six luxury hotel bathrooms that are worthy of a vacation – and how to get the look at home
5. THE LASLETT
ABOUT: A bijou townhouse hotel in Notting Hill, The Laslett's rooms and suites feature furniture by Pinch, antiques sourced from Les Couilles du Chien and textiles by Eleanor Pritchard.
In a nod to the local area, the hotel’s bar restaurant, Henderson’s is named after one of the founding fathers of the Notting Hill Carnival, Russ Henderson, and it serves food all day.
HIGHLIGHTS: Every room features Ren toiletries and bespoke robes, a Nespresso machine and a ‘Big Bar’ (not mini) offering full-sized drinks and snacks.
A short walk away from the famed Portobello market, the perfect spot to shop for antiques and one-off buys.
PRICE: From £216 per night
WHERE: 8 Pembridge Gardens, Notting Hill, London W2 4DU
6. NOMAD LONDON
ABOUT: Each room in this chic boutique hotel boasts Carrara marble tiled mosaic bathrooms. Powder pink highlights throughout soften the masculine feel of the grade II-listed building.
Check-in at NoMad London is touchless and there’s keyless entry, too - both comforting additions now that we’re living the ‘New Normal’.
HIGHLIGHTS: The Royal Opera Suite features a view directly over the opera house, with a separate living area, full-sized bathtub and an interconnecting two-bedroom option if you are travelling with friends or family.
PRICE: From £400 per night
WHERE: 28 Bow Street, London WC2E 7AW
7. THE DIXON
ABOUT: Originally the Tower Bridge Magistrates Court designed in 1905 by architect John Dixon Butler, all of the bedrooms in The Dixon feature warm velvet-coloured upholstery, against crisp white bed linen and foxed glass mirrors for a soft and tranquil feel.
HIGHLIGHTS: Located near Tower Bridge and the Tower of London and a short stroll away from London’s Southbank, where you’ll discover the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the culinary delights of Borough Market.
PRICE: From £149 per night
WHERE: 211 Tooley Street, London SE1 2JX
8. BLAKES LONDON
ABOUT: The world's original boutique hotel, Blakesiconic black facade in South Kensington hides the opulent interiors and celebrity guests within. Designed by former Bond girl Anouska Hempel, the design is a rich fusion of Eastern and Western styles with influences from far-off lands and Hempel’s travels in Indochina, Africa and the Middle East.
HIGHLGHTS: Each bedroom has its own modern decadent style with Blakes Restaurant serving a fresh Mediterranean-inspired menu. After dinner, head downstairs after dinner for hedonistic cocktails in Blakes Below, the hotel's intimate subterranean lounge.
PRICE: From £279 per night for a single and from £319 for a double
WHERE: 33 Roland Gardens, London SW7 3PF
See:The best luxury hotels in the UK – perfect for a British staycation
9. THE PRINCE AKATOKI LONDON
ABOUT: Inspired by the traditions of Japanese hospitality, The Prince Akatoki London is a minimalist property in Marylebone that fuses the best of Japan with the western world.
Designed to ensure guests feel calm and enriched, the 82 bedrooms and suites showcase a classic Asian sensibility with a Scandinavian design aesthetic.
The focal point of each room are the painted fusuma panel-inspired wall hangings in soothing cream, pink and red tones; Akatoki being an old Japanese expression meaning sunrise or dawn.
HIGHLIGHTS: TOKii restaurant blends the best of homegrown London and international Japanese flavours, open all day, whilst the intimate The Malt Lounge & Bar is open for afternoon tea and late-night cocktails.
PRICE: From £333 per night, including breakfast
WHERE: 50 Great Cumberland Place, London W1H 7FD
10. THE GATE LONDON
ABOUT: Boutique aparthotel The Gate feels like an elevated version of your own home, with full-service amenities and flexible stay periods where guests can stay for one night or up to three months.
189 modern and functional apartments with fitted kitchens (perfect for ordering take out), sweeping city views, Le Labo luxury amenities, and a state-of-the-art gym will make a great fit for a staycation.
HIGHLIGHTS: In walking distance from East London’s hip and vibrant Shoreditch, Hoxton and Hackney, you’re spoilt for choice with regards to boutique shopping or dining options. Should you prefer to stay nearby, the hotel features a restaurant just downstairs for convenience. The Thames river and Tower Bridge are a mere 10 minute walk away.
PRICE: From £113 per night
WHERE: The Gate, 41 White Church Lane, London, E1 7QR
Feeling inspired? Now that we've given you a list of our favourite and best design hotels in London to choose from, all that's left to do is book your flights.
Additional words by Ruth Doherty
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