London has a great choice of hotels, many options to choose from. Some things to keep in mind:

Location, location, location

If you plan to explore London by Underground during your visit, see how far your hotel is from the Underground station. If you are visiting as a tourist, your best bet would be hotels located within Zone 1 of London Underground. London Underground is the most convenient way to travel around the city.

How much?

London hotels are some of the most expensive in the world. The earlier you start looking for a hotel, the better chances you have of finding a special offer. The peak travel season, thus the hotel prices are highest, is major holidays, like Christmas and New Years, school holiday breaks and summertime.

Where to book a hotel

Many sites offer hotel booking in London. Our recommendation is Booking.com. They have almost every hotel in London, special offers, convenient booking in your native language, reliable reviews by other travelers.

Another good site to consider is Expedia.com.

Things to know

If you haven't been to London before, some of the most striking impressions when you enter a hotel room is its size - the rooms are mostly smaller than in other cities. The surprises continue as you open a bathroom door - these are usually very small. But you are coming to London not to stay in a hotel room, but to explore one of the most interesting cities in the world, so these are just things to know not to get disappointed when you come to your hotel room. Don't get discouraged you made a bad choice - most hotels are pretty similar (equals have small rooms). Most London hotels will have 2 separate faucets - one for cold water, and one for hot water. Only a few hotels have one faucet for both cold and hot water.

Taxes

VAT, Value Added Tax, is 20% in the UK. When you get a hotel rate, please pay attention if VAT is included to avoid surprises when you receive a final bill.

Afternoon Tea

Consider visiting some of the most well-known London hotels for a cup of afternoon tea. Grosvenor House and DoubleTree by Hilton London Victoria have some of the most famous London Afternoon Tea places.Book online now.

Security Deposit

Almost always, regardless of whether you booked the hotel online or through a travel agency, you will be asked for a credit card at the time of check-in for the security deposit. The hotel holds some amount from your card; this can be the cost of one night (sometimes less, sometimes slightly more) for possible additional expenses. The amount will be released as soon as you check out. This is a standard procedure, "just in case" for every traveler, regardless of where they come from. Please keep this in mind when planning the expenses for the trip. The amount usually becomes available as soon as the next day, but check with your local bank as it might be different in your country, and sometimes the money is not available for a week or even up to a month.