• Meet the Locals at a Family-Run B&B: Mom-and-pop inns have taken a hit because of the dominance of corporate hotels. But you can still find some stellar homegrown hospitality where owners put you first, including the Valotis and Cabrals of the Alhambra Hotel in St Pancras, the Beynons of Bloomsbury’s Jesmond Hotel, and the Callises of 22 York Street in Marylebone.

  • Lose Yourself in a Grande Dame: The first all-service grand hotel in Europe, the Langham was built in 1865, and it’s still extending top-flight hospitality to guests with taste—and cash. Claridge’s and Brown’s have attracted royalty and creative misadventures since the mid-1800s, while the world-famous Savoy still stands atop her field for Thames views. Best of all, you can tour their ground floors without being a guest.

  • Pay Less Than $50: You may not think it’s possible, but with advance planning, you can get a new, impeccably maintained private room in the center of town for only £29 a night. Book way ahead with the British chains Premier Inn, Travelodge, or easyHotel, or with the imported budget brands Ibis and CitizenM, and London is yours, cheap. 

  • Sleep Where History Happened: Rather than tear it down, Londoners would rather revitalize it. Be party to the spy stories at St. Ermin’s Hotel, rest under the swoony spires of Gilbert Scott’s neo-Gothic St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, wake up where presses once printed the morning news at One Aldwych, or relax in the onetime headquarters of the Ministry of Defense at the Corinthia London.

  • Enjoy Style for Less: “Boutique” hotels are encroaching deeper into budget territory than ever before. At the Nadler hotels, Z Hotels, and hub by Premier Inn, you’ll surrender some space, but not the chic. Buzzy Dutch boutique CitizenM has huge beds and a loopy personality, but a small price. 

 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.