After my first article, which gave you a selection of things to see/do in London as well as the story of my Ouibus adventure, here is, as promised, a second article about the London hotels I tested during my “so British” getaways. The subject of accommodation is a real issue, particularly in London, as everyone knows that what costs almost the most during a stay in the English capital is the lodging. As you will see, I haven’t really tested places that offer a real solution to this concern, and I think that if you don’t have a relative, cousin, brother, distant uncle, niece, former neighbor, college friend or whoever… to host you for free, you’ll have to plan your budget.
In reality, while preparing for my weekend, I first turned to websites searching for rentals from private individuals, as is done a lot today, notably via House Trip, which I had already told you about in a previous article. That service no longer exists in this form.
In the end I didn’t try that type of rental: I stayed in two very well-located hotels, the Citadines Trafalgar Square and the Royal Garden Hotel. On a later trip, I also tested the New Road Hotel, in the East End. I add my other tests of London hotels or accommodation to this article when I go back!
The addresses, access details and prices in this article were checked in October 2026.
Plan your stay
Hotels we tried
Citadines Trafalgar Square
Apartments with equipped kitchens, two minutes' walk from Trafalgar Square
New Road Hotel
Industrial style, English breakfast à la carte and a very good restaurant on site
Royal Garden Hotel
5-star hotel in Kensington, suites overlooking Hyde Park, exceptional beds
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Table of Contents
Which area of London should you stay in?
The three hotels are nothing alike, and neither are their areas. Here is what I experienced there, with walking distances to help you choose.
Around Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden
Around Trafalgar Square, you are in the heart of London and everything is within walking distance. From the Citadines, Trafalgar Square is 4 minutes away, the National Gallery 5 minutes and Covent Garden 10 minutes. It was in that museum that I was truly moved in front of The Arnolfini Portrait. We took the boat to Greenwich from a pier right next to the hotel (the Embankment one is a 5-minute walk away). This is the area I would recommend for a first stay, with my tips for a weekend in London in your pocket.
Whitechapel and the East End
In Whitechapel, the atmosphere changes completely. The New Road Hotel is a 5-minute walk from the station, which makes getting around easier. On Sunday morning, on a bike ride, I loved the flower market on Columbia Road (about a 20-minute walk), the Victorian shops of Hackney Road, then Brick Lane (15 minutes), a joyful mix of genres. Spitalfields is a quarter of an hour away. This is the area of Sunday markets more than of great monuments.
Kensington
In Kensington, the Royal Garden is right next to Hyde Park, which I crossed along its length (a 30-minute walk). Kensington Palace is a 5-minute walk from the hotel and the Victoria & Albert Museum is 21 minutes away: I was riveted. For fish and chips, I liked the pub The Builders Arms, which I tell you about in my good food addresses in London. This area will suit you if you want a stay focused on parks and museums.
Getting to your hotel from the Eurostar or Heathrow
From St Pancras station (Eurostar), take the Tube at King’s Cross St Pancras. The Circle line goes straight to Embankment for the Citadines and to High Street Kensington for the Royal Garden. The Hammersmith & City line goes straight to Whitechapel for the New Road Hotel.
From Heathrow airport, the Elizabeth line goes straight to Whitechapel for the New Road Hotel. For the Royal Garden, the hotel recommends taking the Piccadilly line to Earl’s Court, then the District line.
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The Citadines Appart’Hotel in Trafalgar Square
The Citadines aparthotel in Trafalgar Square is a few minutes’ walk from Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. The advantage of staying in a Citadines hotel residence is the independence compared to a classic hotel room, with the choice of a studio or an apartment provided with a fully equipped kitchen (oven, fridge, stove, dishwasher…), which can save you from the expensive restaurant routine for lunch and dinner, for example.
The breakfast (extra charge) was served in the common room on the ground floor and offered a fairly classic continental buffet. We still managed to unearth some English specialties, including porridge (a dish I had discovered during my short stay in Scotland), scones, and in a more classic style, we really liked the waffle maker that allows you to make delicious hot waffles yourself.
Services during our stay:
- Free Wi-Fi internet connection
- A free self-service hot drinks area in the living space on the ground floor during the day
- Self-service umbrellas just in case, at the entrance of the hotel (I found this quite thoughtful)
- The possibility of leaving your luggage for free at the concierge desk upon arrival or departure
Tested in 2016
Citadines Trafalgar Square
18-21 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5EA
On foot: 4 min from Trafalgar Square, 5 min from the National Gallery and the Embankment pier (boats on the Thames), 10 min from Covent Garden
Tube: Charing Cross or Embankment, a few minutes’ walk
Who it’s for: those who want a studio or an apartment with a kitchen, in central London
Prices in October 2026: studio for two at £212 a night on Sunday 15 November and £360 on Wednesday 18 November (non-refundable rate, hotel website); breakfast at £16 per adult
Good deal: the advance (non-refundable) rate costs about 10% less than the flexible rate: £360 instead of £399 for the night of 18 November
Book your stay → For greater transparency…If you book through this link, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. A way to support our work and our future reports.
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New Road Hotel
I really liked this hotel with its industrial style. Our room was small but very functional (for info, it was room no. 225), although for my taste, there was just a lack of a place to put one’s suitcase. By the way, this London hotel reminded me of a Parisian hotel we tested with my favorite photographer a few years ago, the Citizen M Gare de Lyon.
I also really enjoyed the English breakfast à la carte which was really great. You can have avocado toast for a healthy option, or a typically English plate with sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, and English-style red beans. In addition, the hotel has a very good restaurant, Mr. White’s English Chophouse (which I mention in my special article on good food addresses in London), and it’s a very good address for dinner on-site in the evening, for example.
Another good point: hot drinks as much as you like on every floor. A tip: ask for a room at the back. Ours looked onto the back of the hotel and it is apparently much quieter than the rooms facing the main road.
Tested in 2019
New Road Hotel
103-107 New Road, Whitechapel, London E1 1HJ
On foot: 5 min from Whitechapel station (Elizabeth line, District and Hammersmith & City lines), 15 min from Brick Lane, about 20 minutes from the Columbia Road flower market
Who it’s for: those who want to stay in the East End, near the Sunday markets
Prices in October 2026: from £83 a night on Sunday 15 November and from £318 on Wednesday 18 November (lowest price of the day, hotel website)
Book your stay → For greater transparency…If you book through this link, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. A way to support our work and our future reports.
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The Royal Garden Hotel in London
With this 5-star hotel located in the Kensington neighborhood, I am bending my “great tips” rule. Not for once, but I am taking you with me into one of the 17 master suites of the establishment to admire its superb view of Hyde Park and London. We were lucky enough to spend a magical night in the Goodwood Suite of the hotel and its 100 m2, located on the 8th floor and overlooking Kensington Gardens and Kensington High Street. My super joy of this overnight stay was obviously to enjoy the large bathtub in the suite for a relaxing bath (I love doing that when I’m at a hotel, since I only have a very small shower at home).
Another super great point: the bedding which is quite exceptional, as much for the quality of the bed as for its size (which reminded me, by the way, of the super bed at the Hotel Maria Cristina where I stayed during my getaway to San Sebastian).
The practical side of this master suite lies, here again, in the presence of a small kitchenette area with an oven and fridge to make food on the go if one wishes (nothing is left to chance in a suite of this standard!). The hotel also has a Chinese restaurant, the Min Jiang, on the 10th floor. I haven’t had the opportunity to test it. As for breakfast, we tested the English Breakfast, which I tell you about in my good food addresses in London.
On foot around the hotel I advise you to go for a stroll in the very beautiful Hyde Park (see our little photos in the 1st article), on the Kensington Gardens side. You can continue as far as Kensington Palace, 5 minutes from the hotel. You can also go visit the Victoria & Albert Museum or the Natural History Museum in the area, or even treat yourself to a show at the Royal Albert Hall not far away.
The little extra: during our stay, the Wi-Fi was free everywhere in the hotel for guests (apparently quite a few London hotels charge extra for this service, so I’m pointing it out).
Tested in 2016
Royal Garden Hotel
2-24 Kensington High Street, London W8 4PT
On foot: opposite Kensington Gardens, 5 min from Kensington Palace, 11 min from the Royal Albert Hall, 17 min from the Natural History Museum
Tube: High Street Kensington (Circle and District lines)
Who it’s for: a night to treat yourself, not a budget tip
Prices in October 2026: double room from £383 a night on Sunday 15 November and from £612 on Wednesday 18 November; Master Suite from £2,236 on 18 November (non-refundable rates, hotel website)
Book your stay → For greater transparency…If you book through this link, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. A way to support our work and our future reports.
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And you, what are your good hotel addresses in London, or your accommodation tips?
Find all my articles on my trips to Great Britain below:
⇒ All my articles on Great Britain
⇒ All my articles on England
⇒ All my articles on London
MY ARTICLES ON LONDON
⇒ London Food Tour
⇒ Selection of hotels in London
⇒ Weekend in London
⇒ London by bike
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez and Mademoiselle Bon Plan Photos not royalty-free, photographer's authorization mandatory before any use
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