The Best Places to Stay in London Close to Attractions

Go big or go home, right? London’s swanky Bankside promises some of London’s most Insta-worthy skyline views, taking in the River Thames, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge and the Gherkin. Proximity to several of the city’s most sought-after attractions is, of course, a major bonus here too. Start your day the right way with a bacon bap and freshly-brewed coffee beneath the railway arches at bustling Borough Market, then take your pick from a whole host of A-list London attractions.

Ride the elevator up to the View from The Shard for widescreen city views a casual 800 feet above the streets of Southwark; take a tour of Shakespeare’s lovingly recreated Globe Theatre; or meet gruesome characters from the city’s bloodthirsty past at the London Bridge Experience.

Stay: Sea Containers London; Bankside Hotel; The Mad Hatter.

Close to: The Shard; Southwark Cathedral; Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre; Tower of London.

Covent Garden’s central location makes it a great (if somewhat pricey) choice for proximity to top London attractions. We’re talking the cobbled lanes, colorful street performers and unique boutiques of Covent Garden Market, storied theatres including the Coliseum, Royal Opera House and Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the cute and colorful cafés in Nel's Yard (pictured) and the mighty London Transport Museum.

And that’s just for starters: Covent Garden is also within easy strolling distance of Leicester Square’s bright lights, as well as the many attractions of Trafalgar Square, among them Nelson’s Column and the National Gallery.

Pro-tip: The London Pass® can save you up to 50% on admission when visiting top London attractions, including many featured in this guide.

Stay: One Aldwych; The Savoy; the Waldorf Hilton.

Close to: Covent Garden Market; Somerset House; West End theatres; the National Gallery.

If you’re looking for a quieter and more family-friendly London stay, Kensington could well be the one for you. Kids will go wild for the twin joys of the Natural History Museum and Science Museum, where exhibits run the gamut from dino skeletons and pre-historic meteorites to steam engines and space modules.

Style-conscious grown-ups can get their fix of fashion and design across the ages at the V&A, while the Design Museum at the west End of Kensington High Street brings you bang up-to-date with the bleeding-edge of contemporary design. Don’t miss the chance to take a picnic by the ornamental swan pond in Kensington Gardens, nor to ogle the palace’s opulent state rooms. It’s also a short, leafy stroll from here through Hyde Park to the Royal Albert Hall, Serpentine Galleries and legendary Speakers’ Corner.

Stay: The Milestone Hotel; The Ampersand Hotel; Copthorne Tara Hotel.

Close to: Kensington Palace; Hyde Park; South Kensington museums; Kyoto Garden.

London’s hipster enclave – all vintage markets, striking graffiti and cooler-than-thou cocktail joints – is a great choice for those in search of an authentically edgy urban London. Grab your camera to nab memorable shots of the world-class street art along Brick Lane, where you can also feast on some of the best bagels and Bangladeshi curries in town.

Shop retro fashions and bag pre-loved vinyl records at Spitalfields Market, and catch contemporary art exhibitions at the excellent Whitechapel Gallery. The area is also forever associated with Jack the Ripper, and you can follow in the footsteps of London’s most notorious Victorian killer on walking tours of Whitechapel’s atmospheric cobbled lanes. 

Stay: The Hoxton; hub by Premier Inn; Courthouse Hotel.

Close to: Brick Lane; Whitechapel; Spitalfields Market; Dennis Severs’ House. 

Tick off multiple bucket-list London attractions with a stay right in the heart of the action. Here’s where you can wake up to the chimes of Big Ben, take a morning stroll to say hey to the St James’s Park pelicans, and catch the pomp and ceremony of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

A stay in Westminster also puts you within easy shambing distance of the London Eye, London Dungeon and Thames boat tours, not to mention the gothic melodrama of Westminster Abbey with its soaring stained-glass windows and star-studded crypt (hello Sir Isaac Newton, Queen Elizabeth I, Darwin, Dickens et al!). Wander south to Pimlico to eyeball masterpieces by Picasso, Bacon, Blake, Hogarth, Hockney and others at the OG Tate Britain gallery.

Stay: The Corinthia; Marriott Hotel County Hall; The Westminster.

Close to: Westminster Abbey; St James's Park; Buckingham Palace; the London Eye.

Soho has long since shaken off its sleazy image and is now the hottest ticket in town for fine dining and swank speakeasies. Its central location also makes it one of the best London districts for sightseeing. Soak up some of that sweet Soho vibe at Berwick Street Market and the buzzy bars of Old Compton Street or head south to Chinatown for a sensory saturnalia of sizzling spices and best-in-class curries.

You’re also just a hop and a skip from Oxford, Regent and Carnaby Street shops and the heart of London’s West End theatre district, where iconic Shaftesbury Avenue venues include the Apollo, the Lyric and the Gielgud. Shimmy over to neighbouring Bloomsbury where treasures inside the British Museum include the Rosetta Stone, 7th-century Sutton Hoo coins and the controversial Elgin Marbles.

Stay: The Soho Hotel; Dean Street Townhouse; Hazlitt’s.

Close to: Oxford Street; Chinatown; theatre district; the British Museum.

So now you know all the best places to stay near attractions in London, why not bag yourself a London Pass to gain entry to nearly 100 of ‘em for up to 50% less than the usual cost of admission? Click the buttons below to find out more and choose your pass.