These days, being on a budget doesn’t mean scrimping on style or quality, even when you’re checking into a London hotel. Whether you want to tap into the creative hipster vibes of Shoreditch, live like a local in a townhouse in the heart of vibrant Notting Hill, or have the buzz of the West End right on your doorstep, there are plenty of affordable places to stay. Design-led, perhaps with a destination restaurant, wellness classes or fun social spaces, these are the smartest hotels in London — all reliably under £200 a night year-round — worth checking into.
Main photo: New Road Hotel, Whitechapel
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Show more Show less1. The Bedford, Balham
Best for entertainment
You can’t miss the bright red lights of the Bedford — just a five-minute walk from Balham station — and you wouldn’t want to either. This 15-room boutique hotel charms you with its circus theme downstairs and wows you upstairs in the bedroom: expect bold wallpapers, Instagram-worthy tubs and loud but stylish interiors. A stay here will put you in very good company: the likes of Ed Sheeran, Paolo Nutini and KT Tunstall have all performed in the club room before they hit the big time. It’s a hotbed for new comedy talent too, having hosted a young Harry Hill and Frank Skinner. There’s always something happening in the five bars, be it a swing dance or an open mic night, and the buzzing pub guarantees a good time, a great meal (food is half-price on a Tuesday), and plenty of tempting cocktails.
Price room-only doubles from £129
2. citizenM London Bankside, South Bank
Best for smart technology
Brilliantly positioned just behind the South Bank and a few minutes’ walk from London’s renowned Borough Market, this is a smart hotel in both senses of the word. Everything from check-in to browsing menus for the canteenM bar is done on an app. All rooms are the same; compact but with all the necessities you need for a good night’s sleep: coloured mood lighting, blackout blinds, king-size beds. There’s a help-yourself breakfast and a stylish living room hangout space furnished with Vitra chairs, a curated collection of books, modern art and iMacs.
Price room-only doubles from £144
3. The Culpeper, Shoreditch
Best for a laid-back vibe
A pub, restaurant and hotel rolled into one, the Culpeper is a stone’s throw from buzzing Spitalfields Market and Liverpool Street. Expect the same menu — comfort classics such as beer battered fish and chips and pie of the day — in the light-filled pub and the smarter bistro on the first floor. Rooms are rustic-luxe, with wooden bedheads and wicker lights, tree-trunk tables and cosy throws on the beds. In the summer, the best spot for dinner and drinks is the rooftop, where produce for the kitchen is grown in the garden.
Price room-only doubles from £165
4. Inhabit Southwick Street, Paddington
Best for soul-soothing
Wellness is top of the agenda at this affordable hotel, which has a tranquil Scandi feel. The all-day menu in the Kitchen is curated by health food restaurant and retreat Yeotown; there’s a pantry stocked with nutritious snacks and a noise-free library for chilling out. Upstairs, rooms range from Sleeper (it has a single bed) to Family. Guests can book in for the feel-good daily classes, too: guided nature walks in nearby Hyde Park, Pilates, yoga and morning meditation to kickstart the day.
Price room-only doubles from £160
5. New Road Hotel, Whitechapel
Best for an East End escape
Housed in a former textiles factory in Whitechapel, this New York-inspired hotel nods to its industrial past with exposed brick walls and huge metal-framed windows. Even the smallest rooms come with a king-size bed; the best loft room has its own hot tub on the roof. Social spaces include a games room with a pool table, a library and yoga studio, while the menu at the chophouse restaurant, which centres around halal steaks, grills and chops, is devised by chef Marco Pierre White. Tower Bridge and the Tower of London are within walking distance.
Price room-only doubles from £127
6. The Buxton, Brick Lane
Best for rooftop garden views
Named in homage to local 19th-century anti-slavery campaigner and social reformer Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, this characterful pub and hotel sit right on Brick Lane (it’s the younger sibling to the Culpeper down the road). The 15 pared-back but functional rooms feature handwoven artworks, rugs and blankets (another nod to Buxton, who also raised money for the weaving community) and a selection of books chosen by nearby bookshop Libreria. The ground-floor bar and restaurant excels in British and European dishes such as pan-fried gnocchi and Jerusalem artichoke or duck breast with beetroot puree, and all produce is seasonal. Chefs cure their own bacon, make preserves from scratch and add flavour with herbs grown on the guests-only rooftop garden, which delivers knockout views of the City.
Price room-only doubles from £150
7. Moxy London Stratford
Best for families
There’s a loose sports theme to Moxy London Stratford — a reference to its location, a ten-minute walk from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park — from the bicycle hanging on the wall to the silhouettes of athletes swimming, skipping and playing table tennis printed on wood panelling, both in the lobby and living room. Table football, books and board games (as well as the bar) encourage families to stay put while the 24-hour grab-and-go is perfect for stocking up on provisions before heading out.
Price room-only doubles from £122
8. The Rockwell, Kensington
Best for visiting museums
It’s the convenient location of the Rockwell in West London, right by the blockbuster museums and boutique shopping in Chelsea, that makes it a winner. Inside the Victorian townhouse, the look is classic (rooms are furnished with floral wallpapers and oak furniture). Another boon is the walled garden, dotted with pretty plants and ideal for alfresco summer drinks, while the restaurant serves an all-day brunch menu that covers everything from soups and salads to fish and chips and steak.
Price room-only doubles from £145
9. Green Rooms, Wood Green
Best for creatives
A social enterprise hotel for the arts opposite Wood Green tube station (it’s just 12 minutes to King’s Cross), Green Rooms has discounted rates for artists and creatives. Chairman Kurt Bredenbeck founded the Hoxton in Hackney and advised on the design here: expect original art deco period detailing complemented with a stripped-back, rustic aesthetic in the 26 rooms (some have shared bathrooms). Chef Fan Yi, of Oita’s Kitchen, specialises in Japanese food, and there are rotating art exhibitions in the lobby, as well as regular comedy nights and live music events.
Price room-only doubles from £65
10. The Z Hotel, Covent Garden
Best for shopping and sightseeing
The no-frills, function-first Z Hotel group has 11 outposts dotted around the capital but this one, in a red-brick house that backs onto St Paul’s Church behind the Piazza in Covent Garden, stands out for its buzzing, brilliant location. Rooms are compact (some categories have no window) but come with crisp linens and comfy beds. There’s a café for a continental breakfast and complimentary cheese and wine in the evenings — an ideal aperitivo pitstop.
Price room-only doubles from £108
11. The Pilgrm, Paddington
Best for location
Across the street from Paddington station, the Pilgrm is spread across four Victorian houses that have been beautifully and sensitively restored: think reclaimed cast-iron radiators, mid-century armchairs and wooden parquet flooring. The smallest rooms are the bunks (no televisions); all come with charming white-tiled utilitarian bathrooms, Marshall Bluetooth speakers, a selection of books, and artwork on the walls. Ask for a room at the back of the hotel to avoid the noise of London Street. Communal pantries replace room service and there’s the Lounge for brunch until 3pm, coffee and killer cocktails. Grab a table on the balcony-style terrace for people-watching.
Price room-only doubles from £149
12. The Spread Eagle, Wandsworth
Best for stylish stays
This grade II listed Victorian pub with rooms is perfect for those who want a boudoir they’ll remember. Forget plain walls and soulless furnishings; the decor here is a tasteful clash of bold wallpapers, velvet curtains and vintage furnishings. Opt for the Brewery suite to add some romance with a free-standing copper bath. Downstairs there’s a lively restaurant and well-stocked bar, while every spare wall is covered in a mix of quirky photographs and paintings. Food is a cut above standard pub grub and the Sunday roast is one of the best in London. Here on a summer evening? Tuck in on the terrace: it’s perfect for warm evenings with an Aperol in hand.
Price room-only doubles from £119
13. Novotel London Bridge
Best for families
This hotel, just a ten-minute walk from London Bridge tube station, provides a great base for families who want to explore London and be in striking distance to the Tower of London and Borough Market, both just a short stroll away. Rooms are comfortable and surprisingly spacious and the best come with excellent views of the Shard. There’s plenty of choice at breakfast and the mood-lit bar is the perfect place to put your feet up after a day of walking around the city.
Price room-only superior doubles from £169
Additional reporting by Lucy Perrin and Alexandra Whiting