by Hotels in London are the opposite and ‘somewhere to get your head down’. They offer an extra layer of charm that many larger chain properties miss. Often independent or part of a smaller hotel group, they have personal spaces with great attention to detail. Or at least the best ones do. We are talking about artistic interiors, classic cocktail bars, trendy restaurants and inventive breakfasts.
When it comes to small hotels in London, of course, you are spoiled for choice (and there is something to suit every budget). Whether it’s oyster happy hour with a rooftop view, art installations that reflect the building’s history, or hip chef residencies that float your boat, we’ve got recommendations for Central London (and the popular West End) to Notting Hill and Hackney. Here’s our pick of the best boutique hotels in London – all that’s left to do is choose and book.
How we review
Each hotel on this curated list has been visited by one of our expert reviewers, and is usually hosted on a free basis. They stay for at least one night, test at least one meal and try other experiences the hotel may have.
For a boutique hotel in central London, the Lime Tree Hotel is surprisingly good value for money, with rooms in low season starting at £125 per night and interiors looking as cool and fresh as any Firmdale property . With funky wallpaper, pastel grays and pinks, they’re quite inviting, although each of the 25 is rather small given the layout of the Georgian townhouses (forgivable when one could get change for £150 for this location). Dinner is a recent addition to The Buttery, its own restaurant, but the breakfast spread is the real highlight with everything from a simple bacon butty to grilled mushroom and creamy stracciatella on toasted sourdough.
On elegant Sloane Street, directly opposite the Grade II listed Cadogan Place gardens, Beaverbrook Town House makes its London debut (it’s a sibling to the Beaverbrook country house hotel in Surrey) with richly decorated interiors recalling the Art Deco aesthetic of the Twenties and Thirties. It offers 14 theater rooms and a contemporary Japanese restaurant and bar. The beds are four-poster or half-poster and draped in rich velvet with colorful cushions. Oak floors are topped with sea grass carpets and bespoke rugs courtesy of Nicola Harding. Velvet is the textile of choice, giving the sofas a luxe softness and the heavy curtains neatly trimmed.
When it comes to boutique hotels, East London is full of distinctive options that put style, design and personality at the heart of everything they do. This particular spot is an interior lover’s (or Instagram snapper’s) paradise where every detail is carefully considered. All 17 rooms are individually decorated after one or another design movement of the 20th century (from Bauhaus to Young British Designers, through Scandinavia, Le Corbusier, Eames and more). But when it comes down to it, it is really ‘wow’ rooftop with rooms. The outdoor space is so popular that even in the winter people hide under blankets and in the summer, of course, it’s prime rooftop real estate, with soaring views of the City. The ability for guests to avoid the queues that go down the road is a huge plus.
One of the most beautiful boutique hotels in London’s Soho, this enclave is the former home of author William Hazlitt and is like tumbling into the high-class Victorian era – all torn red velvet and rich, polished mahogany fine tea sets. Named after people who frequented the houses during Hazlitt’s time, the rooms (as one would expect in a boutique property like this) are all individually furnished, with freestanding baths and decorated with antiques, rust and prints. Anything considered ‘modern’ is nicely hidden (like the TV hidden inside a gilded framed mirror) or even the loo, hidden inside a Jacobean seat.
This forward-thinking hotel group can be credited with reinventing boutique hotels in London some 18 years ago. Style details (like not having a reception for example, you don’t go into a weird and wonderful ‘front room’) were then made around town and the industry loved the slightly zany interior (total Victorian theme) . There’s also a great – albeit fictional – story that the Georgian townhouse was once owned by a 19th-century party aunt named Wilhelmina, hence the whimsical décor and emphasis on the cocktail bar where the drinks look like they were. made from ingredients from an apothecary. The nettle gimlet is very good: mirabeau gin, nettle cordial and lemon.
The history-driven Georgian stylings of Batty Langley’s (along with its sister hotels The Rookery in Clerkenwell, below, and Hazlitt’s in Soho, above) feel almost radical in a time when many hotels are converging in a center of muted colors and low. – slung furniture. That makes it one of the best boutique hotels in London; it’s a little wacky, unashamedly eccentric (much like its namesake, Bartholomew ‘Batty’ Langley, an 18th-century architect) and a lot of fun (Kitty Fisher’s series is named after a famous tribute). Although the over-the-top furnishings and dramatic colors are understated, the hotel is so relaxed that you’ll hardly notice other guests.
Nestled down a tiny lane off St James’s Park, you’ll find the Dukes standing proudly, the flag of Great Britain neatly signed above the door, framed by sash windows and clipped trees. The hotel is comfortably old fashioned, dating from 1908 and heritage is key to its success; there are oil paintings on the walls of the lobby and in the bar and the original wood paneled lift (with a bench for the weary) is great fun. However, he is constantly tweaking his offers, cleverly nudging the hotel into a new era with each update, which restaurant GBR is a perfect example. Once a bit stuffy, it’s now an approachable all-day brasserie with monkfish scampi, chestnut mushroom risotto and a selection of steaks.
Although the name ‘Rookery’ in this case is taken from Farmyard’s heritage as a desolate slum, it also refers to a cluster of nests high up in a tree, and this array of cozy rooms (notably the two-storey penthouse suite hidden in the tree). rushes) feels very similar; a welcoming hideaway far from the busy streets of the City. There is no restaurant, but room service which adds to the ‘holled-up’ vibe. You’ll find open fires and carved oak four-poster beds rubbing up against dark-wood walls, thick red silk drapes and gold-leaf oil paintings. It’s not trying to be too cool or ‘trendy’, it’s a brand new authentic bolthole with a good value price to boot.
Small London hotels often have limited, if any, outdoor space, but this family-run spot (it’s been in the same family for over a century) has a pleasant private garden, surrounded by flower and shrub borders, with bright green. a striped lawn on which croquet is played in the summer months. But this is not the only thing that makes it so special; it may be bijou, but its sense of occasion is undeniably grand – perhaps something to do with its location sitting opposite Buckingham Palace. It means a negroni in the Cocktail Bar and dinner in the Michelin-starred restaurant always have the atmosphere.
London was the original destination for this tiny group of independent hotels. There are only 10 bedrooms here, each with its own charm. Vintage furniture, distressed leather, and exposed brick make up the shabby-chic interior – but note that the ‘shabby’ here is carefully curated for a wonderfully stylish retro vibe. Step into your room and Roberts Radio will be playing – one of his signature ‘Artist Residence’ stamps. Smart locals pop into the cafe for a quick coffee in the morning and Pimlico office workers stop by for ice-cold glasses of Whispering Angel under the red-and-white-striped wings in the late afternoon. The breakfast is very important, the buttermilk pancake stack is the hero dish.
Named after the founder of the Notting Hill Carnival, Rhaune Laslett, famous (of course) for his fun, creativity and community spirit, this is one of the best boutique hotels London has to offer. Although it is modern and very fresh (for example the art by Londoners, from Barbara Hulanicki of BIBA fame to artist-novelist Harland Miller) he deliberately made decisions such as keeping conventional wall light switches (without no swish iPad controls) and allow guests to actually open their windows… Simple choices that give it a smart feel down to earth. Bathrooms are a particular delight, with subway tiles, Belgravia fittings, full-size REN toiletries and black-and-white tiled floors.
Small hotels in London don’t come much better than the Cadogan Hotel, long a stronghold of Sloane Street, home to many generations of London’s elite. Perhaps because it had lent its solid reputation for so many years, it was definitely in need of a bit of updating – so it was fortunate that a sensitive brand like Belmond came along to breathe new life into the grande dame (with a £28m refurbishment reportedly in 2019). The restaurant is still the heart of the operation, however; The lively LaLee is a triumphant, busy throwback to Chelsea’s glory days with a wine list the size of a small novel.
A great example of a boutique hotel sensitively updating a building but also restoring and celebrating its history. Housed in a fire station since 1887, the original facade, the old ladder shed, has been restored as the guest lobby and engine house housing the restaurant, with bedrooms above. Meanwhile there is a hard-shaped bar and a courtyard for outdoor seating. It’s compact, but it works. And because it’s small and compact, it’s obviously pretty exclusive too. The institution has been attracting celebrities for years after its rapid launch (Lily Allen was spotted on our most recent visit).
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a hotel a boutique hotel?
Basically a boutique hotel is usually classified as a property with less than 100 rooms (at Telegraph Travel, we like to think of a boutique hotel in the UK as ideally having less than 70 rooms). However, it’s not just the number of rooms that needs to be taken into account, these hotels tend to have a strong and unique design and are big on personality. They are often independently owned, or, if owned by a group, only operate a handful of properties which means great attention to detail and guest experience.
Which boutique hotels in London are good for families?
In general, most boutique hotels in London will welcome families, but on our list we would recommend the Belmond Cadogan and The Goring.
Which of London’s best boutique hotels have rooftops?
Boundary London has a stunning rooftop, perfect for alfresco summer cocktails with a view.
Contributions from Emma Beaumont, Sophie Campbell, Fiona Duncan, Lizzie Frainier, Simon Horsford, Charlotte Johnstone, Hugh Morris & Penny Walker
