Boutique guide
The Best Boutique Hotels in London
An editor-led pocket guide to best boutique hotels in london.
By Lauren Harano
Editor’s pocket guide
The insider edit
Intro:
London doesn't have a single boutique hotel scene; it has one in each neighborhood with a completely different personality. The best hotels here don't just give you a place to sleep, they drop you directly into the version of London you came for. These are the ones worth knowing about, from Georgian townhouses in Clerkenwell to Richard Rogers's last great building in Belgravia.
The Newman🔗
Fitzrovia
Lind + Almond designed this 81-room Fitzrovia newcomer as an homage to the larger-than-life characters who gave the neighborhood its bohemian reputation. The headboards were inspired by the signature bangles of Nancy Cunard, the glamorous shipping heiress and political activist who haunted these streets, and Aleister Crowley's occultist symbols are pressed right into the brass floor inlays of the Gambit Bar. It's a hotel that actually did its homework.
Broadwick Soho🔗
Soho
Martin Brudnizki's first London hotel commission channels the grit and glamour of Soho into 57 rooms behind a big pink townhouse door. The subterranean Italian restaurant Dear Jackie has become a hotspot in its own right, and the whole thing sits right in the middle of one of London's most electric neighborhoods.
Templeton Garden🔗
Earl's Court
Here, seven Victorian townhouses sit in a neighborhood once home to Beatrix Potter and Agatha Christie. James Thurstan Waterworth (the former design director at Soho House) led the interiors with upcycled materials, antique furniture, and a hand-painted mural, and the private landscaped garden at the heart of the property is one of the more peaceful spots in the city.
Beaverbrook Town House🔗
Chelsea
A personal favorite, this property is made up of two restored Georgian townhouses on Sloane Street, with 14 suites each named after a London theatre and dressed in colorful (yet tasteful) decor that makes every stay feel like a proper occasion. The Fuji Grill downstairs serves mouthwatering Japanese food, and the whole property has a vibe to it that suits the Sloane Street address perfectly.
The Portobello Hotel🔗
Notting Hill
A Notting Hill institution on a quiet garden square that has been a favorite of musicians and artists for decades, The Portobello Hotel is a classic. Johnny Depp and Kate Moss famously once shared a room here, and the hotel never lets anyone forget it. It has things like four-poster beds, Victorian roll-top baths, and the accumulated character that newer hotels spend millions trying to replicate.
The Laslett🔗
Notting Hill
Named after Rhaune Laslett, the community activist who organized the original Notting Hill Carnival, this 51-room townhouse hotel has artwork from Biba founder Barbara Hulanicki on the walls, antiques from legendary Golborne Road shop Les Couilles du Chien, and furniture from Pinch and Race. What’s more, the bar and library are open to the neighborhood, which draws in locals.
The Rookery🔗
Clerkenwell
Set in the only remaining early Georgian houses on Peter's Lane, The Rookery takes its name from the 18th-century slang for a city slum (which is exactly what this part of Clerkenwell once was), with rooms named after the disgraced preachers and notorious locals who once called the area home. Polished wood panelling, flagstone floors, open fires, roll-top baths, and a dedicated gin bar in the Drawing Room make it one of the most characterful small hotels in the city, and St John around the corner handles dinner beautifully.
High Road House🔗
Chiswick
The most low-key of all the Soho Houses, High Road House has just 14 rooms in a Georgian terrace on Chiswick High Road, originally designed by Ilse Crawford and later reworked with a moodier midcentury feel. It sits two stops on the Elizabeth Line from central London, with a brasserie open to all downstairs and a leafy, independent-shop-lined neighborhood outside that makes a very convincing case for staying west.
Mayfair Townhouse🔗
Mayfair
The Dandy Bar overlooking Green Park sets the tone at this Mayfair property, where bold interiors and eccentric details borrowed from the neighborhood's flamboyant past give the whole place the feeling of a private club without the membership fee. The service is great, the address is excellent, and the personality here is hard to miss.
One Hundred Shoreditch🔗
Shoreditch
With the bones of the former Ace Hotel, this spot was rebuilt as something more grown-up, with calm, minimalist rooms designed as a deliberate retreat from the neighborhood's energy. The Workshop gallery rotates global contemporary art, Seed Library by Mr Lyan is one of the better bars in East London, and the rooftop terrace has developed its own loyal following.
Redchurch Townhouse🔗
Shoreditch
This Soho House property sits on one of Shoreditch's best streets, with bedrooms inspired by 1950s to 70s design (think velvet sofas, vintage chandeliers, brass mirrors), and walls hung with 40 paintings by East London artists, all under 40. Full access to Shoreditch House means the rooftop pool is yours for the stay, and Cecconi's on the ground floor is a classic spot to dine.
Kettner's🔗
Soho
Founded in 1867 by Auguste Kettner, chef to Napoleon III, and frequented over the years by Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie, and King Edward VII, this Grade II-listed Soho townhouse now has 33 rooms dressed in William Morris wallpapers, padded velvet headboards, and antique roll-top baths. The private dining rooms upstairs were known for a century as the site of London's most discreet assignations, and the champagne bar is still the room to be in.
The Bloomsbury🔗
Bloomsbury
This 1929 Sir Edwin Lutyens-designed neo-Georgian building is at the heart of London's literary district, steps from the British Museum and Covent Garden, with Martin Brudnizki's Coral Room being one of the most beautiful bar rooms in the city. The Dalloway Terrace is a favorite dining spot, and the 153 rooms take their Bloomsbury Group heritage seriously.
Charlotte Street Hotel🔗
Fitzrovia
Kit Kemp took the Bloomsbury Group as her inspiration for this Firmdale favorite, hanging original works by Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, and Roger Fry throughout, stocking the library with Bloomsbury-era books, and adding French sandstone fireplaces and a ground-floor restaurant that spills onto one of London's most vibrant streets. It is one of the most consistently loved boutique stays in the city, and for very good reason.
One Aldwych🔗
Covent Garden
This independently-owned hotel occupies a stunning 1907 Edwardian building, with 400 pieces of contemporary art, a basement swimming pool, two restaurants, and a cultured sensibility that runs from the lobby all the way through to the suites. It earns every one of its five stars.
At Sloane🔗
Chelsea
This discreet 1888 Victorian townhouse has just 30 rooms with William Morris wallpapers, black-and-white portraits lining the stairwells, mirrors concealing hidden doors, and a sixth-floor rooftop restaurant overlooking the King's Road. The Sloane Suite comes with a bathside champagne bucket and handmade cashmere curtains, which is a combination that is very hard to argue with.
Town Hall Hotel🔗
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green's former Edwardian town hall — with its grand marble staircases, elaborate ceilings, and stained glass — has been topped by a contemporary extension and transformed into one of East London's most architecturally interesting hotels. Da Terra, with two Michelin stars, is one of the best restaurants in the city, and the marble-clad basement pool alone is worth booking a room for.
The Hari London🔗
Belgravia
These 85 individually furnished rooms on Chesham Place come with artwork from Tracey Emin, Mario Testino, and Juergen Teller, plus an Italian restaurant, and a garden terrace. It’s cozy, discreet, and attentive in a way that Belgravia's bigger properties can’t compete with.
The Ned🔗
City of London
inside Sir Edwin Lutyens's stunning 1924 Grade I-listed former Midland Bank headquarters, The Ned has nine restaurants, 252 bedrooms, a rooftop pool, and a members' club all under one extraordinary roof. The Grand Banking Hall, with its 92 original green African verdite columns and 20-tonne vault door still in place, will make you want to enjoy a meal for as long as possible.
Sea Containers London🔗
South Bank
Sitting right on the Thames with views of St Paul's and the City, Sea Containers has a buzzy bar and restaurant, Tom Dixon-designed interiors with a copper-clad reception desk and nautical details, and a South Bank location that puts Tate Modern, the National Theatre, and Borough Market all within easy walking distance. The river views from the upper floors are genuinely hard to leave come checkout.
The Emory🔗
Hyde Park Corner
Operated by Maybourne alongside Claridge's and The Connaught, The Emory opened in 2024 as London's first all-suite hotel with 61 suites above Hyde Park, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's abc kitchens downstairs, a private airport chauffeur included in every stay, and the Surrenne wellness club spread across four subterranean floors.