London Nights

London has a huge variety of hotels for all budgets, ranging from cheap London Hotels for students and people who would rather spend their money in the West End's many shops, to high-end hotels for when money is no object. The majority of London's tourist hotels are in or around the West End, while many business hotels are situated closer to the financial district further east. Interestingly, the area which is now called the City of London was the first part of London to develop; the West End and surrounding areas were created later (in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries) as a more upmarket area for the wealthy to live. This is partly because London's infamous smoke (hence 'The Big Smoke') drifted in the other direction and made West London a more pleasant place to dwell.

A lot of the hotels in and around the West End were built during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, either as luxurious private residences or as purpose-built, large scale hotels close to the many attractions of the developing area. The attractions of the area for modern tourists include the shops of Oxford Street and Bond Street, the Bright lights of Theatreland (the area around Shaftesbury Avenue) and the easy access to oh-so-sleazy Soho. One popular hotel near the West End is the Corus Hotel Hyde Park, which offers luxury on a budget in one of the finest locations in town.

Further west than the central London hotels of the West End, you are likely to find cheap hotels in London around the Kensington and Chelsea area. This is one of the wealthiest places on Earth and is the traditional city home of many of Britain's aristocratic families. The post-war decline of Britain's landed gentry has changed the face of Chelsea. Many people decided either to sell their townhouses or convert them into hotels/guest houses. A number of fine establishments like the Gainsborough Hotel and Henley House Hotel are converted houses in this beautiful part of London.

Elsewhere around Kensington and Chelsea, you will find the Mayflower Hotel London, situated within walking distance of Earls Court. The hotel was recently refurbished and the bedrooms are individually designed environments. Themes range from stylish contemporary to elegant classical, with everything in between. Stylish guests will be pleased to discover wooden floors and marble bathrooms in the suites.

If the reason you are visiting is for a London internship, staying in a hotel is a very expensive way to do this. It makes more sense to find a cheap (but secure) hostel and then searching for a flatshare or studio. If, on the other hand, you are visiting on business, blow yourself away! Minibars are there to be abused anyway.

Hotels London:

Sunborn Yacht Hotel

Grange City Hotel

Cranley Hotel

Bayswater Inn