9 Best Budget Hotels in London
London room rates can be very steep, but even here an occasional bargain can be found. The nine budget hotels below all come in at £150 a night or less and while they may not offer quite the level of luxury of the more expensive establishments, you might be pleasantly surprised at what you get for your money.
Kensington Gardens Hotel
For not much over £100 a night, this two star townhouse hotel offers 17 rooms on the doorstep of Hyde Park and Oxford Street with willing staff and clean comfortable rooms. A generous continental breakfast is included in the price as is free Wi-Fi. There is also a business centre with internet access. The Kensington Gardens operates an arrangement with the Best Western Phoenix next door where you have to drop your keys there on leaving the hotel.
Hotel 55
Hotel 55 is a well-presented establishment with rooms available for around £100 a night. Situated next to North Ealing Tube Station there is a 25 minute ride to the centre.
There is an authentic Japanese restaurant, Momo, onsite and also a bar.
Despite its budget prices, this is not reflected in the staff who have a good reputation for customer service. The 20 plus ensuite bedrooms – with power shower – are also surprisingly packed with amenities, from flat screen TVs and complementary water to Nespresso machine and free Wi-Fi.
Qbic London City
Many hotels claim to be different; Qbic London City, which opened in October 2013, is definitely unique in the capital. A concept “budget boutique”, the Qbic has distilled five essentials for the modern traveller and has provided them all: a good quality bed, a powerful rain shower, immaculate rooms, free Wi-Fi and a quiet sleeping environment.
For around £140 a night, guests also receive a free breakfast of fruit, protein bar and juice delivered to their room. Qbic London City is cashless and very light on staff too, guests self check-in (there is no reception desk) and everything from vending machines to continental breakfast are paid by card. The Qbic is also hot on community relations and sustainability with recyclable cutlery and plates and disadvantaged people learning work skills by making the free soup that is another bonus at this one-of-a-kind hotel.
City Hotel
The City Hotel on Osborn Street is a conveniently located near Aldgate East Tube Station affording easy access to the tourist attractions near the City of London (Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, etc.) and to the financial district, ideal for business meetings. All 110 rooms are ensuite and include a TV, IDD phone, internet access and tea and coffee-making facilities. Prices are around the £100 a night mark, but breakfast is not included in that.
Tune Hotels – Liverpool Street
Tune Hotels, an Asian chain seen mainly in Malaysia and Indonesia. With rock bottom prices (around £35 a night, but can be below £10 with a special offer), Tune do away with many of the free amenities enjoyed at most hotels, and leave it to the guests to decide whether they want to pay for them. This includes TV usage, Wi-Fi, hairdryer and room safe. There are no wardrobes in the room (just a hanging rail), no phone in your room and no restaurant. There are four Tune Hotels in London, of which the Liverpool Street one was the second to open. Learning from feedback from the original Westminster branch, Tune have increased rooms by 20 per cent and there is also a sizeable courtyard garden with barbecue.
Pavilion
When a fashion model and interior designer get their hands on a hotel, you can imagine the results. Pavilion is a trendy boutique hotel with 29 quirky en suite rooms that are given names rather than numbers and are furnished with a combination of shabby chic finds and real antique pieces. So it’s all the more surprising that this bohemian style hotel, which puts on celeb photo shoots, offers rooms from just £60 a night, breakfast and Wi-Fi included. Rooms are kept very clean and you get satellite TV, direct dial phone, tea and coffee-making facilities and a wardrobe. Pavilion is within walking distance of the shops of Oxford Street and close to Paddington station.
Church Street Hotel
The interior of this unique establishment is in complete contrast to its plain exterior. The design is Spanish Americana, with religious artefacts in the wall and an altar in the reception area. The service comes highly commended, but you do have to compromise with location as this hotel is situated south of the river in the Camberwell area. There are around 30 rooms, with prices are around the £150 mark, including free Wi-Fi. There is also a bar and restaurant.
Travelodge – London Bank
Travelodge are renowned for providing a decent night’s sleep for budget prices, and the London Bank branch is probably the pick of its London hotels, of which there are more than a dozen. For as little as £19 you get a king-size bed, colour TV, tea and coffee-making facilities and an en suite bathroom. You also get a superb location in the bustling heart of the financial district.
Warren House
Warren House hotel is a stunning Victorian property set in beautiful grounds, in Kingston-Upon-Thames, ideally situated if you want to spend a day visiting Hampton Court and Richmond Park. Prices are very reasonable at around £100 a night. A favourite with business guests, meetings can be conducted in the lounge with no prior appointment necessary.