Where to stay in London

21.07.2023 - 07:44 / roughguides.com / London

Historic, sprawling, sleepless: London is a wonderful place to visit. Monuments from the capital’s glorious past are everywhere, while you’ll also find cultural and culinary delights from across the globe. Accommodation in London, however, is expensive. But with a little savvy you can get some great deals – just don’t expect a mansion for the price of a garret. Start planning your trip with our guide to the best area to stay in London.

The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to London , your essential guide for visiting London .

The monuments and buildings in Westminster include some of London’s most famous landmarks: Nelson’s Column, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. You'll also find two of the city’s top permanent art collections here – the National Gallery and Tate Britain – as well as its finest architectural set piece, Trafalgar Square.

This is one of the easiest parts of London to walk around. That said, for the most part there are only a few shops or cafés, few residential areas and little commercial life. Like the idea of walkable cities? See our guide to the best areas to stay in Amsterdam.

Find more accommodation options to stay in Whitehall and Westminster

Trafalgar Square © maziarz/Shutterstock

Together St James’s and Mayfair make up one of the most exclusive areas where to stay in London. Even today in St James’s, regal residences overlook nearby Green Park and the stately avenue of The Mall. Gentlemen’s clubs cluster along Pall Mall and St James’s Street, while jacket-and-tie restaurants and expense-account shops line St James’s and Jermyn Street.

Shops, offices, embassies and hotels outnumber aristocratic pieds-à-terre in Mayfair nowadays, and Piccadilly may not be the fashionable promenade it once was. Nevertheless, the social cachet of the area has also remained much the same.

London is a perfect destination for a weekend break. You will find more ideas and options in our list of the best weekend breaks in the UK.

Mayfair — a nice place where to stay in London for unique experiences © Alexey Fedorenko/Shutterstock

Soho is very much the heart of the West End. It has long been London’s red-light district. This area is known for its narrow streets that have an unorthodox and slightly raffish air that’s unique to the city centre.

London’s artistic cliques still gather here today. The media, film and advertising industries have a strong presence. The area’s most recent transformation has seen it become London’s most high-profile LGBTQ+ quarter, especially around Old Compton Street. It's also home to an ever-growing selection of excellent restaurants.

Fitzrovia, the quieter Soho spillover north of Oxford Street, also has innumerable bars, cafés