Central London hotels to stay in while you house hunt
Pounding the streets of the capital looking to buy a London home can be hard work and incredibly time-consuming. Chances are you’ll be spending days at a time seeking out the right locations for your needs, meaning you need somewhere to stay at night. Nowhere does luxury hotels quite like London, from Victorian and Georgian properties to sleek modern aparthotels, providing the perfect base for relaxing at the end of each day while you’re house-hunting.
The Academy, Bloomsbury
The Academy Hotel in Bloomsbury offers a contemporary twist on five Georgian townhouses that have been beautifully transformed after a stunning makeover. Located on bustling Gower Street, the hotel is ideally positioned for easy access to King’s Cross, Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, making it a great base for your central London property search.
The hotel’s highlights include indulgent afternoon teas, a luxurious bar, and a spacious outdoor terrace. The redesign, carried out by New York-based designer Alexandra Champalimaud, artfully blends modern elegance with the building’s historic charm, retaining original features like the staircase and fireplaces, while paying homage to the Bloomsbury Set with literary touches throughout.
The Zetter
The Zetter, Marylebone
Located on Marylebone’s Seymour Street, the Zetter Marylebone welcomes guests with a cosy lounge that exudes warmth with chocolate-brown leather chairs, wine-hued oriental rugs, and antique crafts reminiscent of the collection at Sir John Soane’s Museum. The richly coloured bedrooms are equally inviting, and the cocktails and afternoon tea in Seymour’s Parlour are as decadent and imaginative as the decor.
In the rooms, enjoy a flatscreen TV, Marshall or Sonos speakers, tea- and coffee-making facilities, a minibar stocked with pre-made cocktails, free bottled water and luxurious White Company bath products. And don’t miss the hotel’s architectural collection of friezes, busts, and other Grand Tour treasures, paying homage to Sir John Soane’s Museum.
The Mandrake, Fitzrovia
Once a pair of office buildings for a TV production company, The Mandrake has been transformed into a stylish hotel that perfectly suits Fitzrovia’s vibrant mix of heritage and modern developments, drawing new media companies to the area. The modest timber façade on Newman Street, accessed through discreet gates, hides an extraordinary interior featuring a three-story vertical garden draped with jasmine and passion flowers, overlooking a trio of decked terraces.
The rooms vary in style, with some offering dark, boxy layouts or padded-ceiling bordello vibes, while others brighten into more classic spaces adorned with soft shades of pistachio or orange, glamorous drapes and beautifully patterned rugs. The rooftop views offer a stunning glimpse of London’s iconic skyline, reminding you why this area is such a desirable place to stay—or perhaps, to live.
Mandrake Hotel
Kettner’s Townhouse, Soho
Kettner’s Townhouse spans several Georgian townhouses in the heart of Soho, just a short distance from Soho Square. Surrounded by the buzz and excitement that Soho offers 24-hours a day, it’s the perfect place to get a feel for what living in central London is like. Kettner’s Townhouse boasts a great spot near Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus and Shaftesbury Avenue’s theatres. With a revamped champagne bar, piano bar and glamourous restaurant, coupled with 33 bedrooms with original Georgian wooden floors and classic fireplaces, it’s the perfect blend of modern London and its historic past.
The Grafton Arms, Bloomsbury
The Grafton Arms is an animated pub that offers a surprising contrast with its quiet, subtly stylish rooms, making it a convenient base for property searches in central London and Fitzrovia. This area is brimming with pavement cafés and restaurants perfect for brunch before heading out for property viewings.
Inside, the pub’s wooden bar area exudes old-time charisma, enhanced by decorative metal ceiling tiles and often bustling with an after-work crowd. The dark blue wood-panelled walls are adorned with playful portraits of dogs in uniform, hinting at the comfort and style awaiting guests upstairs. The Grafton Arms is part of a small chain of pubs offering accommodation in other London neighbourhoods like Farringdon, Clerkenwell and Notting Hill.
Dukes, Mayfair
This charming hotel, a true gem dating back to 1908, has undergone an extensive makeover but, despite the updates, the hotel maintains its traditional and welcoming atmosphere. Nestled in a quiet alleyway off St James’s, the hotel is surrounded by iconic establishments and is just a short distance from Piccadilly, the Royal Academy, and the West End.
The hotel offers 90 rooms, including five deluxe suites, nine junior suites, and a stunning penthouse with a small balcony. Steeped in history, the hotel’s heritage is central to its charm, and the recent renovations have thoughtfully brought it into the modern era without losing its old-world appeal.
NoMad Hotel
NoMad, Covent Garden
Buying a home involves navigating a lot of legal jargon, so it seems fitting to stay in a former Magistrates’ Court—though a night or two at the newly opened NoMad, a sister property to The Ned, is far from a punishment. While the Victorian façade remains intact, the real transformation inside cleverly blends the history of Bow Street Magistrates’ Court with influences from Covent Garden and nods to New York.
Expect to find evocative photos of Covent Garden, post-war American art, and rooms as vibrant as the nearby Piazza, featuring Bakelite phones, upholstered tub chairs, lacquered furniture, and fringed velvet stools. And if you need a break from it all, the health spa offers a rejuvenating two-hour face and body Odyssey treatment.
If you’re starting your property search or you’re in need of expert advice, contact Hudsons Property today for properties in central London.
