London for under £100 a night? That’s CAPITAL
THe capital can be bewildering. It is, of course, the uK’s largest city by some distance, and there’s plenty of baggage that comes with that — it’s difficult to navigate, crowded, expensive.
But it’s different at the moment. Public transport is a breeze, the hordes are staying away and you can find plenty of decent places to stay for less than £100 a night.
So follow our guide and put the cash you save on a hotel room towards seeing all this exceptional city has to offer… LEAN LUXURY
BIG Ben, the cultural hotspots of the South Bank and the London eye are all a short hop from the ruby Lucy hotel near Waterloo Station — a new offering from a German chain whose motto is ‘Lean Luxury’.
there are 76 quirky rooms kitted out with Marshall amplifiers. Modern touches include online checkin and automatically printed key cards. there’s a bar and cafe filled with retro pinball machines, too.
GOOD TO KNOW: Sign up online to become a ruby member and save up to £25.
BOOK IT: B&B doubles from £90 ( ruby-hotels. com/en). OLD FAITHFUL
PreMIer Inn doesn’t scream glamour but the chain, which has more than 800 uK properties, is reliable. and it’s hard to argue with the location and value of its 47room hotel in Leicester Square.
Chinatown, Soho, Covent Garden and Oxford Street are all within touching distance, and trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace are not far.
GOOD TO KNOW: Premier Inn has flexible rates that let you cancel up to 1pm on the day you arrive. BOOK IT: B&B doubles from £60 ( premierinn.com). FRENCH FANCY eurOPe seems to be having a love affair with eccentric, affordable hotels. take French import Mama Shelter, with its 194room hotel near Shoreditch.
It has a bar and restaurant, Japanesestyle karaoke rooms and a gym. It’s close to Columbia road Flower Market, and the tower of London is also easy to get to.
GOOD TO KNOW: rooms can creep over the £100 mark, so book in advance for the best rates.
BOOK IT: B&B doubles from £86 ( mamashelter.com). ROCK STEADY tHe idea of a double at a London boutique hotel, in a Victorian townhouse, costing under £100 might seem farfetched. But if this is what you’re after, the rockwell in earl’s Court aims to please. there are 40 rooms, and meals can be booked in the restaurant. It has a bar, too.
GOOD TO KNOW: Hyde Park, the royal albert Hall and the natural History Museum are all nearby. BOOK IT: doubles from £85 ( the rockwell.com). AMONG IT ALL
VISIt London Zoo and Madame tussauds, or take a stroll in the royal Parks during a stay at the Z Hotel Gloucester Place.
there are 114 rooms spread across six townhouses in Marylebone, with tVs, tea, coffee and free wifi. Z Hotels has also launched a service to advise guests on socially distanced activities.
GOOD TO KNOW: the restaurant of the nearby Wallace Collection is perfect for afternoon teas.
BOOK IT: doubles from £ 50 ( thezhotels.com). ON THE RIVER
LeSS than ten minutes from the tate Modern and Borough Market lies citizenM Bankside. the eclectic design might not be for everyone, but its 192 rooms are modern — with lights, blinds and tVs controlled by an iPad. there’s a bar and a lounge area with books. GOOD TO KNOW: there’s no restaurant, breakfast is selfservice and snacks are on offer all day. BOOK IT: B&B doubles from £84 ( citizenm.com). BOLD ENDEAVOUR tHe new budget hotels seem to be bucking trends in a bid to stand out. none is more audacious than 212room Yotel Clerkenwell, which opened last month.
reception is called ‘ mission control’ and staff are known as ‘crew’, while the restaurant serves ‘street foodinspired dishes’.
GOOD TO KNOW: nearby is the 12thcentury church of St Bartholomew the Great, the Museum of London and St Paul’s Cathedral.
BOOK IT: B&B doubles from £68 ( yotel.com). INDIAN SUMMER
LIttLeKnOWn Indian firm OYO is the third largest hotel chain by room count. Its cheapandcheerful royal Park Hotel isn’t far from Hyde Park, notting Hill, Harrods and Museum Mile.
GOOD TO KNOW: registering as a member on the website gets you 10 per cent off.
BOOK IT: doubles from £ 47 ( oyorooms.com). GO EAST StaY at Bethnal Green to enjoy the curry houses of nearby Brick Lane, and Victoria Park, with its boating lake and tennis courts.
the east London Hotel’s 161 rooms are simple but stylish. there are ‘monsoon showers’ (for when rain is not enough) and superfast wifi.
Breakfast and lunch are still takeaway only and there’s no food in the evening, but you can get cocktails at the bar.
GOOD TO KNOW: the Santander bike docking station next door will help you whizz around town.
BOOK IT: B&B doubles from £60 ( theeastlondonhotel.com).