In a sad way, the proliferation of corporate hotels across London helped kill most of the family-run bed-and-breakfasts that England was famous for during most of the 20th century.
But London's corporate giants are here to stay, so you might as well stay at one of their hotels, too. If you choose one of the city's multi-location budget hotel brands, you'll find local hospitality has been replaced by clock-punching staff who probably grew up elsewhere. But you can expect reliable standards, decently sized rooms with private bathrooms, free in-room Wi-Fi, and unbeatable lead-in rates, especially for people who pay months ahead of time.
Unfortunately, so many visitors now rely on these dominating brands that late-purchase prices can frequently rise far past the point of value. We wouldn't want to pay more than £225 a night for most of these, so it's imperative to book as far ahead as possible to snag rates that are closer to £100.
If you're looking for that famous English hospitality, you'll find several family-run B&Bs highlighted in the pages of our award-winning guidebook to London, which was published in September 2026 and can be found here.
Frommer's London
This is London advice the way a friend would give it to you: fiercely opinionated, funny, and brimming not only with suggestions about what to see and do, but also what’s not worth your time. Whether you want to see Big Ben or the Harry Potter studios, Trafalgar Square or the V&A, London is a ci...
Get the bookFrommer's London
This is London advice the way a friend would give it to you: fiercely opinionated, funny, and brimming not only with suggestions about what to see and do, but also what’s not worth your time. Whether you want to see Big Ben or the Harry Potter studios, Trafalgar Square or the V&A, London is a ci...
citizenM
This excellent, affordable chain got its legs in London but was actually born Dutch. It's now part of Marriott’s Bonvoy network, which allows you to see prices for a month at a time using a calendar-style booking engine. With that, I've seen rates as low as £101 for dates 5 months in the future.
The brand's glassy open-plan lobbies, where there’s always a bar and lots of comfortable seating, are lined with shelves of unread orange-and-white Penguin Classics, which every self-conscious interior designer in London displays to denote postmodern intellectualism. The space churns day and night with people sipping fine coffee and telecommuting.
Check-in is self-guided by kiosk, and rooms are compact—almost podlike at 14 sq. m (150 sq. ft.)—but arranged with genius. Expect king-size platform beds (and no other sizes) piled with super-seductive duvets, curvy unit bathrooms slotted in with calculated aplomb, and a bedside tablet that lets you control everything from motorized blinds to the color of the room’s mood lighting.
CitizenM's boho-chic concept was more or less swiped by Marriott to create its Moxy brand, which recently opened a location of its own near Piccadilly Circus.
Ventilation at CitizenM can be laggy, and the frosted glass enclosing the bathroom units isn’t ideal for modest bathers—better to share the room with someone who has already seen you naked. My favorite CitizenM location is alongside the Tower of London, where some rooms and the fab cloudM rooftop bar overlook that eternal fortress.
citizenm.com. 4 locations around London. Generally £135–£277
easyHotel
Prefabricated room units differ only in how little space you’re given—the smallest are 6 sq. m (65 sq. ft.), space for only a bed and a shallow breath. No phone, no hair dryer, no frills at all. Bathrooms are just plastic cubicles combining a shower, toilet, and sink in one wet closet. The cheapest rooms don’t even have windows (that’s legal in London), and you cannot change the thermostat.
Want your room serviced? You’ll pay £15 each time. Want food? Prepackaged. I find the no-nonsense atmosphere to be like camping inside a vending machine, but some visitors swear this is how you do London ultra-cheaply while avoiding hostels. Reservations typically cost £70 for double rooms if you book 6 months ahead, and around £110 if you procrastinate. The Victoria location is the nearest to major tourist sights and the most Tube lines.
easyhotel.com. No phone reservations. 4 locations in central London, plus one in neighboring Croydon. Rooms £39–£160
Hub by Premier Inn
Sleek, cannily designed rooms (pictured above; just 11.4 sq. m/123 sq. ft.) are tight as air locks, packing in a platform bed for two with storage underneath, a bright and clean-lined shower/toilet module, well-located power outlets and USB charging ports, a fold-down desk, and a lime green chair. The staff won’t do much for you, but using an app you can dim or extinguish the lights, watch TV (all movies are free and the Wi-Fi is mercury-fast), or turn on the “do not disturb” light.
Downsides: You may not get a mobile phone signal and you won’t be able to look out a window. But there’s a café for breakfast (around £6 for continental—a bargain). The best rates (£70–£100) sell out months in advance and last-minute prices can be as high as a hotel that would give you much more space. Book online only.
Reservations must be done at the main Premier Inn website, so make sure you’re booking a Hub location and not a standard Premier Inn. My favorite location: Covent Garden, steps from Trafalgar Square. The Brick Lane location is unusual because so few hotels are directly on that market-and-nightlife street. Least favorite: West Brompton, which is too far west.
premierinn.com/hub. 16 locations around London. Mostly £71–£250 double
Ibis Hotels
This basic but 1,200-strong French chain by the Accor hotel giant is distinguished by utilitarian but cheerful decor. You’ll get a double bed, bathroom with shower, climate control, a 24-hour kitchen, TV, phone, free Wi-Fi, at least one outlet, and a built-in desk. The breakfast charge varies per property (£12–£15 is typical), but food is usually served from 4am, making this a smart choice if you need to catch an early flight or train. The fresh-baked breakfast baguettes are delicious—hey, it’s proudly French.
My favorite location: Ibis London Blackfriars, which is usually a little cheaper than the others but still in walking distance to a lot. Under the Ibis brand umbrella you'll also find Ibis Styles, the “all-inclusive” brand that is slightly less Spartan and includes breakfast; and Ibis Budget, a bare-bones, shower-only crash pad once known as Etap or Formule 1. Ibis Budget rooms are ultra-simple (though with some standardized flair), sleep up to 3 people, and have free Wi-Fi and TV, but practically nothing else.
Ibis buildings tend to have air cooling systems but not true A/C. Check the map before booking, as some locations are distant from central London.
ibis.accor.com. No English-reservations hotline. 24+ locations around London. Rooms in central London generally £72–£278, varying by season and location
Motel One London–Tower Hill
The sole London branch of a German budget brand, Motel One is basic (no drawers, no closet, no phone, few hangers) and service can be machine-like. But the dignified design conforms to contemporary trends in architecture and interior decor. The City district it's in can be dull at night but is good for food options and being close to the Tower of London.
Your quarters will be modest (16 sq. m/172 sq. ft.), soundproofed, and equipped with TV and A/C—amenities you often have to check for at this price point. The Tower of London, Whitechapel, and Spitalfields are short walks away, and there's a small bar in the lobby. London could use a few more locations of this value choice. Open more, please.
This one also has a calendar-based pricing search system that allows you to see the lowest rates for a month at a time.
24–26 Minories, EC3; motel-one.com; 020/7481-6420; doubles from £147–£225, often a 2-night minimum
Point A Hotels
This budget brand provides everything you need in a compact room but nothing else: power shower, round-the-clock reception, A/C, bedside USB ports, a safe, a drop-down desk, hooks (but not a closet). Not all rooms have windows, and housekeeping comes every 3 nights.
The à la carte model is no path to luxury, despite the higher-than-expected rates. Still, the facilities have A/C and are designed with minimalist zip. Don’t write off a windowless room’s power to mediate jet lag. Join Point A's free members’ club for slight discounts. The “Westminster” branch (its most central location) is actually across the river by Waterloo, but often sells out first.
pointahotels.com. No phone. 7 locations in London. Rooms £140–£260
Premier Inn
The largest hotel chain in the United Kingdom, Premier Inn offers rooms (maximum of two adults) with a king-size bed, bathtub and shower with all-purpose shower gel, tea- and coffee-making facilities, TV, phone, iron, A/C (sometimes), at least three outlets, and a desk.
Increasingly, the brand requires you to check in at a kiosk, eliminating human interaction, so if you need something, a pleasant stay can collapse into an instant fail. Prices rise and fall according to how much demand the company thinks there will be, so quotes fluctuate wildly. Final prices may be too high for such a standard room. The key is early booking.
Warning: The cheapest locations are deep in distant suburbs, so consult a map and the transit options before taking the bait of a low price. Also, search results are mixed with Premier's much barer Hub locations (see above). Favorite location: Southwark (Bankside), practically on the river.
premierinn.com. More than 60 locations around London. Rooms generally £118–£210, depending on season and location
Travelodge
Rates for this economy brand, which has some two dozen properties in Central London, start around £77 for a nonflexible reservation if you book 11 months ahead. If you book late, prices nudge the top of our moderate price range. London's version is nicer than the American Travelodge brand, which isn’t related.
Expect king-size beds, bathtub and shower, TV (but no phone, hair dryer, or toiletries except hair/body wash), paid in-room movies, a wardrobe, at least one power outlet, and a desk. Breakfast, if your property offers it, costs from £10 more (kids 16 and under free).
“Family rooms” have a pullout couch for two kids but cost the same as a double. “SuperRooms” have upgraded fittings and a coffeemaker, and PLUS locations have a simple cafe/bar. If you’re willing to stay in a quiet suburban neighborhood with a bit of a rail commute, the deals can be extraordinarily cheap.
The site’s “Best Price Finder” shows the cheapest deals in the city for your dates—just be careful so the feature doesn’t seduce you into taking a room in a distant suburb. Favorite location: Covent Garden.
travelodge.co.uk. More than 80 locations around London. Rooms generally £72–£220, depending on season and location (lower if booked far in advance)
Z Hotels
Say “Zed,” which rhymes with “bed.” Now that you’ve got that down, here’s the formula: ideal locations; extremely compact rooms, but lots of room under the duvets; glassy, sleek style; and a lobby abuzz with breakfast, coffee, or free daily wine.
The formula works because there are design smarts where they count: Shower nozzles swivel the way you need them to, towels are plump and copious, and you can control your thermostat. The company poured cash into the bedding and 40-inch TVs but did without closets and drawers. The cheapest rooms may not have windows. Note that if you share a room with a platonic friend, bathrooms are enclosed only by panels of fogged glass.
Book about 4 months ahead for prices around £100; late reservations can be three times that. Annoyingly, rate quotes for Z Hotels must be searched hotel by hotel. My favorite locations, for convenience: Soho, Trafalgar, Covent Garden, and Piccadilly.
thezhotels.com. 11 locations around London. Rooms £90–£369
Jason Cochran is the author of the award-winning Frommer's London guidebook (paperback and e-book). The latest edition was released Sept. 15, making it the newest London guidebook on the market.
Frommer's London
This is London advice the way a friend would give it to you: fiercely opinionated, funny, and brimming not only with suggestions about what to see and do, but also what’s not worth your time. Whether you want to see Big Ben or the Harry Potter studios, Trafalgar Square or the V&A, London is a ci...
Get the bookFrommer's London
This is London advice the way a friend would give it to you: fiercely opinionated, funny, and brimming not only with suggestions about what to see and do, but also what’s not worth your time. Whether you want to see Big Ben or the Harry Potter studios, Trafalgar Square or the V&A, London is a ci...