London’s Best Boutique Hotels
The London boutique hotel scene has exploded in the last few years – and for very good reasons. Nobody wants to feel like one in a billion visitors to London! Checking into one of its boutique hotels is one of the best ways to guarantee a unique experience.
So, Totally Tailored has been investigating how to get a hotel experience that’s as tailored to you as one of our tours. All you have to do is sit back and wait for room service…
Best for the Best of the Best: Hotel 41
Hotel 41
Where: 41 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0PS
You might raise your eyes at that title, but Hotel 41 has won almost every award for luxury and boutique hotels. Sometimes several years in a row! What’s more, its levels of customer satisfaction (not to say ecstasy) have to be seen to be believed.
Located just opposite Buckingham Palace, this gem of a hotel is where you’ll get the royal treatment in suitably elegant surroundings. Every room has a sexy, monochrome theme running through its décor. And the staff are ready to attend to your every whim. From a choice of champagne at check-in, to an all-day chocolate buffet, this is luxury redefined. Meanwhile, thanks to a meticulous concierge service, you can get on with the business of enjoying London.
Tour Guide Tip: the manager of Hotel 41 declares ‘No request is too much.’ So go on, put them to the test!
Best for Vintage Flamboyance: Zetter Townhouse
Zetter Townhouse Clerkenwell
Where: 49-50 St John’s Square, London EC1V 4JJ
Zetter Townhouse is one of the best-known boutique hotels in town, for very good reasons. And we don’t just mean the bevy of actors, models and musicians who make this their home when they’re in London for a premiere/sell-out-show/runway walk. No, it’s because here you will always enjoy luxury that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The taxidermied kangaroo in the dining room (see above) is just the start!
The hotel is housed in a stunning Georgian townhouse with only 13 rooms, inspired by a fictional eccentric Great Aunt (‘we call her Wilhelmina’).
And that’s perfect, because it’s nestled in the heart of Clerkenwell. It’s been home to British eccentrics through history, and is known as one of London’s major design districts. As befits a boutique hotel guest, you’ll find quirky jewellery, chic stationery, and classic pubs just a stone’s throw away from your breakfast. Or from your evening whisky – make ours a double!
Tour Guide Tip: if the original is all booked up, then you could always try this hotel’s even more eccentric little sister: the Zetter Townhouse Marylebone.
Best for Glamorous Guests: Blakes Hotel
Blakes Hotel
Where: 33 Roland Gardens, Kensington, London SW7 3PF
There’s no other way of describing Blakes: it looks like a movie set. For a film about the most glamorous people in the world. ‘Unapologetic beauty’ is its mantra – as you can tell from the pictures. Yet its unique range of rooms, all individually designed by Anouska Hempel, range from opulent boudoirs to coastal-style retreats.
These are rooms just begging to be photographed, before you unpack your suitcase and make yourself thoroughly at home. Oh, and there’s also a private mews house, if you want to have a truly A-list experience.
Tour Guide Tip: if you love Anouska Hempel’s signature Italian-influenced style but Blakes is booked out, you can also try the nearby Franklin Hotel.
Best for Old World Opulence: Batty Langley’s
Batty Langley’s
Where: 12 Folgate Street, Spitalfields, London E1 6BX
Nope, you didn’t read that name wrong – this boutique hotel is named after an 18th century architect and garden designer, Batty Langley. Which is fitting, because this hotel would suit a design nerd from the Regency era, hiding all its 21st century comforts behind gorgeous wood panelling.
Put it this way, if you’ve ever wanted to live like the Crawleys from Downton Abbey (but with added Wi-Fi) then book into the Earl of Bolingbroke’s suite. Of course you’re going to sleep like a Lord here, just look at that four poster bed…
Best for Sleek Chic: The Hospital Club
The Hospital Club
Where: 24 Endell Street, London WC2H 9HQ
This boutique hotel is housed in an old Victorian hospital building, but staying at the Hospital Club is far from a traditional experience.
This is a member’s club for media types, so when you stop by the brilliant cocktail bar on your way to your room you’ll find interesting conversations and a sleek vibe. And the room designs are truly unique. Some of these cutting-edge gems have a terrace – and while the location is fantastically central, it’s also one of the few spots in Soho quiet enough to sleep.
Tour Guide Tip: take advantage of the amazing programme of films – from blockbusters to art house – at the club’s private screenings, which are open to guests.
Are you looking for something more long term? More private? Then keep your eyes peeled for future tour guide tips about the best places to stay in London…
With us there’s never a shortage of unique experiences in London; we’ll show you the hidden gems, the secrets, and the stories of the city.