
The huge Strand Palace Hotel is one of our personal favourites – purely for its location. It occupies a big block at the end of the Strand, two minutes from Covent Garden and the Royal Courts of Justice.

The best thing about the Rubens at the Palace – other than the price – is its great location near the Royal Mews. Some of the rooms even overlook the parade ground where they exercise the Queen’s horses.

The Hart House Hotel was once occupied by French nobles exiled during the French Revolution – but now sits in Marylebone close to Baker Street and Madame Tussauds.

The Montague on the Gardens is another Georgian town house, this time near the British Museum. The style is very much of its period – and a world away from the hustle and bustle of Russell Square.

Number Sixteen is part of an old Victorian terrace in the heart of South Kensington. Harrods, the Royal Albert Hall and the Natural History Museum are all within a couple of minutes walk.

The City Inn Westminster hotel is another mid-range one that’s worth a visit. It is a large hotel with a contemporary style – but you can’t beat its location close to Lambeth Bridge. Big Ben is just five minutes up the river.

The Willett Hotel can be found near Sloane Square in Chelsea, close to the little boutiques and in King’s Road. It dates from the reign of Edward VII, but has been thoroughly modernised to cater for today’s tates.

The St. George Hotel is another one in Marylebone, occupying a beautiful grade II Georgian town house. It boasts some fine rooms overlooking Gloucester Square.

The Windermere Hotel near Victoria station is a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace and Parliament Square. This small Victorian building dates from 1856 and has bags of old-style English character.

The London Guards Hotel is a little known gem in Bayswater. Some of the rooms are huge for their price, and with a five-minute stroll to Kensington Gardens, the location is pretty great as well.