Where to Stay in London? 4 Best Areas (+ Insider Tips) 🇬🇧

Do you find it overwhelming to choose where to stay in London? Then this video is for you. I'll show the 4 best areas in London for first-time visitors to the fabulous city.
I used to run my own travel agency where I customised trips to London so I'm used to the question: what is the best area to stay in London?
Frankly, it depends on your budget. In this video, I'm starting in Soho, one of the best areas to stay in London, but it comes at a price. The same goes for Covent Garden, another fantastic area in Central London. If it's your first time in London and you have a large budget and want to stay within walking distance of many of the main things to do in London, these two areas are perfect options.
I recommend staying in Paddington if you're travelling to London on a budget. Paddington is a 15-20 minutes walk from the world-famous Oxford Street, and there are plenty of different tube lines, so it's also easy to make your way around the city with public transport.
If you want to combine the best of both worlds, the South Bank or Southwark areas south of the river Thames is another brilliant place to stay in London. Here you can find plenty of modern hotels that are more affordable than those in Soho and Covent Garden, but you can walk to Covent Garden via the Thames in 15-20 minutes.
I hope you could use this video on where to stay in London and that you're now ready to book your hotel in the British capital 🇬🇧
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO:
The Where to Stay in London guide on my travel blog: destinationwellknown.com/wher...
Best hotels in Soho:
destinationwellknown.com/link...
Best hotels in Covent Garden:
destinationwellknown.com/link...
Best hotels in Paddington:
destinationwellknown.com/link...
Best hotels in South Bank and Southwark:
destinationwellknown.com/link...
Where I stayed in the video:
destinationwellknown.com/link...
My guide to the best things to do in London: destinationwellknown.com/thin...
If you liked this video, please consider subscribing to the channel 🙏🏻
If you've got any questions about London, comment below, and I'll do my best to help.

[@destinationwellknown]

Get my FREE London e-book with all my top London travel advice here: destinationwellknown.com/london-ebook/

[@FinancialFreedomLifestyle]

We are planning our Ireland, Scotland and UK trip and your content has been fantastic. Thank you so much.

[@destinationwellknown]

Have a wonderful trip and thanks for the comment 🙌

[@dennisguinto5170]

I like the way you explain everything, very concise and straightforward. I look forward to more videos!

[@destinationwellknown]

Thank you so much 🙌 Your comment made my day 😀🇬🇧

[@chillburt]

Great video. Your tip about bankside is incredible. Afforable and near the heart of london. Thanks for your help

[@destinationwellknown]

Thanks a lot for your kind words 🙌 🇬🇧

[@aashiqerasool168]

Thanks so much for this . Planning a trip for December .

[@destinationwellknown]

Thanks for the comment - have a nice trip to London 🇬🇧

[@ednalula2980]

Thank you very much for this informative video. I'll be visiting London this year. This helps me a lot in planning where to stay. Looking for more videos form your travels.

[@destinationwellknown]

Thanks a lot 🙌

[@joelmorados]

How come its just very few subs this channel deserves 2M subs… thnk you for the tips… pls keep posting more about London.

[@destinationwellknown]

Thank you so much, Joel. Your comment left a big smile on my face 🙌 There will be a new London video on the channel next week! 🇬🇧

[@Celestialkarma]

Thanks for sharing Good info God bless

[@Joe-lb8qn]

Im an ex Londoner now living 30 miles outside so rarely stay there now as its easy to get in and out in a day but this is a great overview.

[@destinationwellknown]

Cheers, Joe. Always good to get the seal of approval from a local - thanks a lot 🙌

[@qaywsxedcrfvtgb796]

Just booked my London trip for September! Really excited

[@destinationwellknown]

That’s awesome to hear! Where did you end up staying in London? 🇬🇧

[@Yaw_Jr]

How was the trip? Where'd you stay? I'm considering Kensington or Canary Warf.

[@saumilshah6926]

I am going in three weeks, which hotel did you stay?

[@Code-on-TRIP]

take train in uk is convenient. Use railcard! Different age has different discount. And there's a discount code too.

[@davidgarza4823]

Great information; it is excellent. You made me make my decision where to stay on April (I will be there). Do you offer walking tour of the city (or any suggestion about it). ? How about short trip ( a day trip) out of London? Any suggestion? I will be in London 10 days , so I think visiting a town, city, outside London will be great. Thank you, have a great day.

[@Lynda-oo7ey]

Bloomsbury is my favorite area.Russell Square is a lovely part of the neighborhood.

[@destinationwellknown]

I like it a lot there too!

[@FOHguy]

I travel a lot for work. When I get placed there by employers, my favorite by far is Four Seasons, Park Lane.

[@destinationwellknown]

Oh yeah, I could imagine that's an excellent hotel 🙌

[@FOHguy]

@@destinationwellknown Unfortunately I don't get to stay there every time I go to London. But, yes. It is very very nice.

[@TheClunkingFist]

Southbank/Southwark: suck a great area. And yo are so right: it is a great walk, past awesome sights, to get to other places. Including crossing bridges and seeing the vistas.

[@destinationwellknown]

Thanks! Yes, it truly is a lovely part of London 🙌

[@loui_kang]

I love southwark

[@BostonBobby1961]

We booked a trip to London in May. It was a package deal through AAA for $3,600 for my wife and me. It includes round trip flight from Boston’s Logan Airport to Heathrow and we will be staying at the Hilton Kensington near Shepard’s Bush. We also booked a shared ride from Heathrow to Hilton Kensington.

[@destinationwellknown]

Have a great trip 🇬🇧 I highly recommend a pub called The Castle; it's near your hotel in the direction towards Holland Park St - great ambiance and food.

[@BostonBobby1961]

@@destinationwellknown sounds great. We’re looking forward to trying some of the pubs.

[@Boogie-boogie1021]

Hi how many days for $3,600

[@Code-on-TRIP]

take train in uk is convenient. Use railcard! Different age has different discount. And there's a discount code too.

[@deericcio3379]

I pretty much did the same , Kensington Hilton , best part was it was only a mile walk to 1 Logan Place , aka Garden Lodge , Freddie Mercurys house , then Mary’s , we walked and walked that first day , all the way to the original Hard Rock Cafe .

[@oscart2wo730]

Great video! I was thinking of staying in Bloomsbury, is it a good place too?

[@destinationwellknown]

Thanks! Yes it is indeed - it’s one of the areas I recommend in my written guide: destinationwellknown.com/where-to-stay-london/

[@user-yo2fp6yn4v]

Hello. Your videos are really helpful, first time to London visitors. Do you have a budget hotel recommendation that will accommodate 3 adults, one room? We are a senior couple traveling with adult son who has mobility issues (but no wheelchair). Do not need accessible room but less stairs are better, no shared restroom, etc. Looking for Paddington or Southbank. Will also be traveling to Betchly Park, close to transport is good.

[@destinationwellknown]

Thanks a lot! The first hotel that popped into my mind was the Holiday Inn Express Southwark. I know that they've got 'Disability Access' bathrooms, and Holiday Inn hotels are always pretty good without being too expensive. Hope that helps!

[@KaziShumon]

Very nice

[@destinationwellknown]

Thanks 🙌

[@mohammadtariq7220]

Hello. Thanks for the wonderful video. Please help me to choose between the areas/hotels. The options are: 1. Montcalm chillworth Townhouse paddington. 2. Radisson Grafton Hotel. 3. Point A kings cross station. 4. Hilton Kensington hotel.

[@destinationwellknown]

Thanks! Of these options, I would go for the Radisson Grafton. It's ideal, located near two different tube stations, so it's easy to reach the rest of London. Check out the pub Lore of the Land nearby if you stay there.

[@dr.rafaeloliveiracancerdepele]

Congrats on your video! Awesome! I´m about to trip from Brasil to London in march with my wife and my two kids. We decided to stay at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge. What do you think about this area? Our budget is not that big. Thank you

[@destinationwellknown]

Thanks a lot! Oh that’s a fantastic place to stay in London. I used to book it a lot for my clients when I ran my travel agency - everybody loved it, but it was particularly popular with families travelling with children 🤝

[@Code-on-TRIP]

take train in uk is convenient. Use railcard! Different age has different discount. And there's a discount code too.

[@brendabachman7736]

Where would you stay if you were going to a game at Tottenham Hotspur and plan to fly out of Heathrow the day after?

[@aragorn318]

How about 3 nights at the Tower Hotel?

[@tonyadeney1245]

used to live London -- another option overlooked is staying outside M25 --- some tube underground such as Bakerloo ---- takes time but more like countryside /// then visit for day less stressful chorleywood is nice and has fast train into london but various similar ... amersham is nice ...

[@alanzemsky7695]

How’s the Kensington area? Great video!

[@destinationwellknown]

Lovely and very tourist-friendly! Thank you 🙌

[@janeb3024]

Love, love, love Kensington!

[@taniaacosta688]

Thank you great video. Is Southbank far from Paddington? I am staying in London for 2 days before going to Iceland in October. I bought round trip Heathrow Express tickets non-refundable from Heathrow airport to Paddington station. Do you have any suggestions about any affordable hotels near the Paddington station since my flight is at 7 am the next morning?

[@destinationwellknown]

Thanks! It's far if you look at a map, but you can get from Paddington St. to Waterloo St in just 14 minutes on the Bakerloo line. However, if you're on an early flight out of Heathrow, I totally support staying in Paddington. If you want to stay on a budget in Paddington, I recommend the Point A Hotel Paddington: destinationwellknown.com/link/pointa-paddington A more comfortable hotel (that is still relatively cheap) is the Best Western near Hyde Park: destinationwellknown.com/link/bw-paddington Hope this helps - have a great trip to London 🇬🇧

[@taniaacosta688]

@@destinationwellknown Thank you so much. I was able to book a room at the Point A Hotel. It makes more sense to be close to the station without stressing over making it on time to the airport.

[@destinationwellknown]

@@taniaacosta688 That's awesome to hear! Yes, I agree - the less stress on travel days, the better 🙌

[@taniaacosta688]

@@destinationwellknown thank you so much.

[@taniaacosta688]

@@destinationwellknown thank you so much.

[@ryantan341]

Where's your accent from? I love the London I've visited 5 times from Australia. I always stay at Russell Sq but keen to try a new location that's budget friendly but closer to the action like SOHO.

[@destinationwellknown]

Haha, good question! I'm Danish, but I also lived in Edinburgh, and I travel all around the UK quite a lot - so I guess it's a weird old mix 😅 I'd actually consider Russel Square quite central, so I totally understand if that is your go-to area in London.

[@bhartipathil5299]

Hi, I will be staying in Crown plaza Kings Cross in April. Is it a good area? Also, can u suggest where to go for reasonable priced hi tea ? Just for the experience.

[@destinationwellknown]

It sure is! I stayed there last year and thought it was great as you can walk to central London or get literally anywhere by tube from Kings Cross Station 👍 I’ve got a whole guide dedicated to high tea in London over on my travel blog: destinationwellknown.com/afternoon-tea-london/

[@Kanika88888]

How’s Earl’s Court station area to stay in? If I have 2 big suitcases can I come by tube till Earl’s Court easily? Or I need to take stairs ?

[@destinationwellknown]

Earl's Court is not my favourite area, but there's nothing wrong with it. Perhaps you could compare it to Paddington (as shown in this video). There are many cheap hotels, and you've got 2 different tube lines (Piccadilly and District) so getting to Central London is easy. So getting from Earl's Court to Piccadilly Circus in Central London takes only 11 minutes. There are lifts from the Piccadilly tube platform up to the ground floor, so you can leave the station without going up any stairs. Hope this helps 🇬🇧

[@Kanika88888]

Thank you your video is very helpful & Gives a lot of clarity 😊 Can you pls recommend some budget airbnbs or hotels around Piccadilly or some good area which has cafes, shops

[@destinationwellknown]

@@Kanika88888 Thanks! Check out this guide guide on where to stay in London where I'm going through 8 different areas: destinationwellknown.com/where-to-stay-london/ One of the best options if you want to stay at a cheap hotel close to Piccadilly is Zedwell: destinationwellknown.com/link/zedwell-london

[@matthewsmigielski7652]

What is your opinion of Victoria Station area?

[@destinationwellknown]

I don't hate it! I've only stayed around there a few times myself, and it's been good - I like how easy it is to get around because you've got so many tube lines to choose from, and you can also walk to a lot of the main attractions.

[@lindawright1962]

Hi, I'm plannnig a mother daughter trip to Europe in September. With our final stop in London. I feel like I'm in information overload. And not getting anywhere. Thank you for your insightful video. Can you recommend someplace to stay for first time visitors, not looking to break the bank i hotel accommodations, but what to stay in a nice safe place, and still take in the sights with walking and minimal tub time spent. Safe and not so far away that it a task getting back and forth. We will be flying into Heathrow. Any guidane you can give will be greatly appreciated. Including where I should absolutely not consider. I'm so confused with travel overload. Thank you in advane for your honest and immediate response.

[@destinationwellknown]

Hiya! Sure! Have you seen my guide over on my website? In that guide, I'm talking about 7 of the best areas to stay in London and I'm recommending hotels in different price ranges: destinationwellknown.com/where-to-stay-london/ From what you're saying, I'd suggest looking at hotels in the Bankside area (number 6 in my article). There are some excellent hotels, it's within walking distance of Central London, and the hotels here are usually cheaper than on the other side of the river. Have a nice trip to London 🇬🇧

[@chuckh4077]

The first time i go to london next year is im going to a tailor shop. Time to dress posh for 1 day in london.

[@destinationwellknown]

Have a great trip 🇬🇧

[@user-dm1vn1ug5c]

Is Covent Garden and the West End the same place?

[@destinationwellknown]

Good question! The answer is yes. The West End is a general term for this part of London where you've also got areas such as Soho and Covent Garden. The West End is not an official term, so there's no official "border", but the part of town south of Oxford Street and north of Trafalgar Square is considered The West End.

[@cmeyummy]

👍🏻

[@jaymiedoucette7376]

What about The Rove hotel?

[@destinationwellknown]

I haven’t stayed there, but the location is excellent 👌

[@lovealwaysjasmine]

What do you think of London Marriott Grosvenor Square?

[@destinationwellknown]

I've not stayed there myself, but the location is 10/10 in Central London 🙌

[@lovealwaysjasmine]

@@destinationwellknown ok yay! And should we taxi or take the Elizabeth line from Heathrow?

[@destinationwellknown]

A taxi from Heathrow would be quite expensive, so I'd definitely recommend taking the Elizabeth Line to Bond Street. That's only 30 minutes and a 4-minute walk to the hotel. @@lovealwaysjasmine

[@lovealwaysjasmine]

@@destinationwellknown great thank you so much!

[@sapper4]

Is Marlin Waterloo a good hotel?

[@destinationwellknown]

I haven’t stayed there myself, but it looks great and the location is brilliant 👌

[@sapper4]

@@destinationwellknown Thank you for the feedback

[@Trollberg]

no luck finding 2 Queen or 2 full size beds in central london

[@BensonNyasae]

Where is the video of where not to stay in London?

[@destinationwellknown]

There's no video on this (yet) unfortunately, but I'm talking about the subject in my written guide here: destinationwellknown.com/where-to-stay-london/

[@user-kl7cy5nk2m]

ظgood

[@destinationwellknown]

Thank you 🤝

[@Celestialkarma]

Thanks for sharing Good info God bless