Arts + Culture Boutique Hotels Hotels Travel Tips Trip Ideas outdoor road building tree street metropolitan area bus transport Town City way neighbourhood driving human settlement vehicle scene Downtown cityscape tourism pedestrian tours plaza decker sidewalk traveling pulling
Hotels

The Best Boutique Hotels in London Have Serious Style Game

As the saying goes, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” The same might be said of the city's best boutique hotels, which, with their designer digs, award-winning food, and inventive cocktails, are singlehandedly upping the British capital's style quotient.

Senior Editor, Jetsetter | @lindseytravels | lindseytravels.com

See recent posts by Lindsey Olander

Boutique Hotels Hotels wall indoor room furniture living room interior design textile bed sheet floor curtain wallpaper material bed decorated colorful several colored
Boutique Hotels Hotels sky outdoor property outdoor structure estate backyard real estate home pergola Patio Courtyard interior design orangery meal
1

Ham Yard Hotel

The Ham Yard Hotel is a feast for the eyes for fans of Kit Kemp—the British-born designer has injected her signature style into every nook and cranny of this 91-room Soho stunner. We’re talking about the so-clashy-it-works mix of spring colors, textiles, textures, and art. Along with the hotel’s eye-popping guestrooms, you’ll find a row of indie boutique shops lining the interior courtyard, private residences, a rooftop garden and bar, and a cinema and 1950s bowling alley in the basement. Do like the locals do and hit the restaurant for modern British staples (smoked haddock with chorizo and pepper; crab and salmon fishcake) and afternoon tea.

Boutique Hotels Hotels indoor room window Living sofa floor wall red property living room interior design furniture home estate Suite decorated mansion cottage dining room area leather flat
Boutique Hotels Hotels indoor room house wall furniture living room wood home interior design stone
2

Batty Langley’s

It took five years to revamp two Georgian townhouses into a hotel worthy of the trendy Spitalfields neighborhood—and the effort shows. All 29 rooms at Batty Langley’s are named after a famous local character (like silk merchant James Leman and courtesan Kitty Fisher), and done up with oil paintings and statement antiques like carved wooden armoires, tapestries, and bathrooms hidden behind bookshelves. The public spaces, including a drawing room and a parlor, are inviting and intimate, with velvet sofas arranged around fireplaces and paneled walls stacked with rows of aging hardcovers. If you love the look of this place, be sure to check out its sister properties in Soho and Clerkenwell, the Hazlitt’s and The Rookery.

RELATED: 15 London Hotels We Absolutely Adore

Boutique Hotels Hotels indoor floor room building estate mansion wooden interior design hall furniture wood tile
Boutique Hotels Hotels food meal dish buffet cuisine brunch hors d oeuvre sense breakfast several
3

Hotel 41

You might find it hard to believe that this boutique hideaway wasn’t, at one point or another, under the watch of British aristocracy. Across the street from Buckingham Palace’s Royal Mews, Hotel 41 has all the makings for a private London club—rich mahogany rooms lit by crystal chandeliers, roaring fireplaces framed by deep leather armchairs and guests reading international newspapers while sipping glasses of brandy. The 30 individually styled guest rooms are decidedly more modern, with aromatherapy pillows and black and white photographs.

Boutique Hotels Exterior Hotels sky outdoor building City plaza neighbourhood condominium residential area Town human settlement urban area estate Downtown Courtyard town square real estate facade plant cityscape palace apartment government building Garden Resort
Boutique Hotels Hotels Lobby indoor Living room sofa floor chair window ceiling furniture property Fireplace estate interior design home living room condominium dining room restaurant real estate Suite mansion Resort Bar decorated area leather
4

The Beaumont

This Mayfair landmark put its mark on the design world when it debuted in a former parking garage in 2014. The Anthony Gormley-created cuboid suite, which protrudes from the building’s front façade, is the statement piece (though it’ll run you a cool $16,000 a night). If you’d rather save the money, the other 73 Art Deco-style guest rooms are worthy alternatives—think dark hardwoods and bright marble, some with views over London’s chimneyed rooftops. Don’t miss a treatment at the all-white spa, followed by dinner at the buzzy Colony Grill Room, with its walls covered in colorful murals and beautiful coffered ceilings.

Boutique Hotels Hotels indoor wall room floor sofa bed property ceiling Living estate Bedroom real estate cottage home Suite hotel Villa living room interior design furniture apartment area decorated
Boutique Hotels Budget Hotels London Romantic Hotels table plate food cup dish meal breakfast brunch lunch produce baking hors d oeuvre cuisine Drink restaurant set
5

Portobello Hotel

A-listers like Natalie Portman, Johnny Depp, and Alice Cooper have long sought refuge inside this shabby-chic sleep, tucked away on a quiet street in Notting Hill. Who could blame them? Two Victorian townhouses hide 21 individually-designed rooms that have quirky antique details (many found at Portobello Market) like circular beds, wall-to-wall murals, bay windows, and, in the most famous room of all, a claw-foot bathtub surrounded by tarnished mirrors. While we’re crazy about the design, it’s the hotel’s exclusivity that truly seduces.

RELATED: Where to Stay in London for Under $250

Bar Boutique Hotels Dining Drink Eat Hip Hotels Modern Trip Ideas indoor floor property room restaurant Architecture estate interior design home Design real estate furniture
Boutique Hotels Hotels indoor wall room property Living living room home floor estate interior design real estate dining room Design cottage flooring loft apartment furniture
6

The Ampersand

In a neighborhood as posh as South Kensington, this Edwardian townhouse hotel blends in perfectly. The Ampersand’s interiors are a tasteful mismatch of patterns and colors (think armchairs in heron prints and flora-covered pillowcases) that pay homage to nearby landmarks like the Natural History Museum and the V&A, while more glamorous details like silk curtains and jewel-toned velvet headboards up the luxury factor.

ambient lighting bed Bedroom Boutique Hotels decor Elegant extravagant Hotels interior Luxury regal sophisticated Style + Design stylish indoor wall Living room furniture interior design estate living room mansion dining room decorated
Boutique Hotels Hotels indoor room interior design home window living room curtain window covering estate window treatment Design textile cottage furniture
7

The Franklin

New Zealand-born actress (and former Bond Girl) Anouska Hempel cashed in on her B-movie laurels to become the ne plus ultra of British designers. The Franklin, her latest work, a 35-room bijou built inside a row of Knightsbridge townhouses overlooking Egerton Gardens, exudes her moody-yet-whimsical style. We’re talking charcoal walls, mirrored beds, sandstone bathrooms, and luxurious Italian fabrics (silks, taffetas, and velvets in hues of gray and white) that culminate in the hotel restaurant. Don’t miss the nightly Champagne Sabering ritual in the bar, which also stocks a healthy selection of more than 22 types of gin.

Boutique Hotels Hotels London Romantic Hotels indoor floor chair Living room ceiling restaurant interior design Dining furniture café table area
Boutique Hotels Hotels indoor bathroom floor wall room property tile purple product toilet toilet seat plumbing fixture interior design flooring tap product design bathroom accessory bidet sink public toilet ceramic towel tiled
8

Henrietta Hotel

Like the Experimental Cocktail Clubs of London, Paris, and New York, the Experimental Group’s  Henrietta Hotel sits behind unmarked doors. An elegant townhouse hides 18 stylish rooms done up with brass light fixtures, 70s-style aluminum armchairs, hand-carved headboards, and mirrors everywhere. (The bathrooms, with their black-and-white floors and pastel-pink walls, are just as eye-catching.) The hotel’s pièce de résistance is its bi-level restaurant, with its glass roof, craft cocktails, and standout dishes like grilled octopus with split peas.

Boutique Hotels Hotels indoor red ceiling chair Bar restaurant interior design pub tavern café furniture
Boutique Hotels Hotels bathroom indoor wall sink room interior design tub home flooring floor bathtub tiled stone Bath tile
9

Artist Residence London

This relaxed neighborhood inn in Pimlico is as boho-chic as they come. Just two suites and eight boudoirs (dubbed “house rooms”) are done up in rakish odds and ends like milking crates refashioned as nightstands, rotary phones, and repurposed parquet floors; downstairs, there’s a great bar and restaurant run by acclaimed chef Michael Brennan that serves up creative indulgences like kimchi chicken wings and avocado lemonade.

RELATED: 12 Stays Where You Can Channel Your Inner Artist

Boutique Hotels Hotels indoor room interior design furniture flooring bathroom wood floor ceiling sink tile
Boutique Hotels Hotels Living indoor room sofa living room floor window interior design ceiling Fireplace home furniture Lobby Suite dining room table restaurant house
10

Zetter Townhouse Clerkenwell

The inspiration behind this quirky townhouse is a fictional character dreamed up by the designers called Great Aunt Wilhelmina. She’s an eccentric, well-traveled old woman who decorated the Zetter with a collection of curiosities—taxidermy, Oriental rugs, eccentric Victorian antiques—which occupy every nook and cranny. Guests are greeted with cocktails at the apothecary-style counter, then directed upstairs to their cozy yet theatrical quarters, where they might find oddities like hot water bottles in hand-knitted covers or Victorian carousel headboards alongside modern decor details like British-themed pop art.

Boutique Hotels Hotels outdoor City Town urban area human settlement neighbourhood cityscape residential area estate condominium waterway flower several
Boutique Hotels Hotels night urban area evening Bar lighting
11

The Culpeper

This former 1884 pub minutes from Brick Lane is now East London’s hottest hangout. The cozy Scandinavian-style rooms, outfitted with Sisal carpets, distressed walls, and colorful patterned throws, are cute and cozy, but you’re really here for the scene. There’s a first-floor restaurant, which turns out the neighborhood’s finest breakfast spread; a buzzy ground-floor pub that’s perennially packed; and a rooftop terrace, with an herb garden and bar located in a makeshift greenhouse.

Boutique Hotels Hotels indoor wall room property dining room cabinetry home Kitchen interior design living room Design estate furniture
Boutique Hotels Hotels indoor floor room Living chair property living room interior design home furniture estate real estate dining room condominium Design apartment area leather
12

The Laslett

It’s impossible not to be charmed by this 51-room gem, which is spread out over five connected Victorian townhouses in Notting Hill. The interiors look like an author’s quaint pied-à-terre: a lending library takes up most of the lobby, clusters of art cover what space is left of the walls, and nightstands are stacked with dog-eared paperback novels. There’s also an intimate breakfast room and a public living space that transforms from a café to a bar depending on the time. Keep a weathered eye out for the roaming cocktail cart, which serves rum-based drinks inspired by the area’s Caribbean communities.

Want more?

Comments

comments

All products are independently selected by our writers and editors. If you buy something through our links, Jetsetter may earn an affiliate commission.