London, a vibrant city steeped in history yet thoroughly modern, offers a diverse selection of luxury hotels. In fact, the U.K. capital has one of the world’s largest collections of Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotels — an impressive 20 (bested only by Macau’s 22).
Whether you seek a sophisticated getaway in Mayfair or an art-driven hot spot in Covent Garden, you can trust Forbes Travel Guide’s exclusive list — we have been rating hotels since 1958 using an objective and independent process. To find the best hotels in London, our incognito inspectors posed as ordinary guests and stayed multiple nights at each property. The inspectors tested hundreds of exacting standards, with an emphasis on exceptional service, which accounts for 70 percent of a property’s rating. The remaining 30 percent comes from the quality and condition of the facilities. FTG does not require a business relationship from the properties it rates, and it does not earn a commission if you book one of the following hotels.
Five-Star Hotels
Shangri-La Hotel group’s first property in the U.K. enjoys a spectacular location within The Shard, London’s megawatt skyscraper. It’s one of the most striking skyline structures. See more.
The fashion-forward set has long been calling The Berkeley its home away from home, and not just because of the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel’s proximity to Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Sloane Street designer shops. See more.
Brown’s Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel
London’s oldest hotel, opened in 1837, Brown’s Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel has had its fair share of distinguished guests over the years. But the past patronage of the likes of Queen Victoria and President Theodore Roosevelt is only half the story — it’s how this Five-Star hotel looks after its visitors today that really makes it stand out from the crowd. See more.
Everything about Bvlgari Hotel London exudes refined glamour and sophistication, from seductive public spaces designed by world-renowned architects and decorated with vintage Bvlgari regalia, to its prime location in fashionable Knightsbridge. See more.
Claridge’s radiates art deco glamour. This London hotel has been opening its doors to guests since 1856, becoming a regular go-to for a roll call of famous names, including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Bing Crosby, Alfred Hitchcock, Lulu Guinness and Kate Moss. See more.
There’s an air to The Connaught that can only be achieved by a property of this age and grandeur. It oozes the glamour of those who have walked its halls since it opened in 1897, including actors, presidents, directors and fashion tastemakers that the hotel staff, in its utmost professionalism, refuses to divulge. See more.
Conceived in the 1930s as a high-end hotel that would rank as the finest in Europe, The Dorchester retains this standard. This lavish London landmark is known for its typically English residential façade festooned with wrought-iron balconies, but the hotel interior equally impresses. See more.
Two grand red brick Victorian townhouses conjoin to form the Five-Star Egerton House Hotel. This luxury, 28-room boutique property is primely located on a quiet residential street in the heart of leafy Knightsbridge. See more.
Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane
Located in the exclusive Mayfair neighborhood, Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane offers a sophisticated setting and some of the city’s most polished service. See more.
Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square
The colonnade at the main entrance of Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square may not quite rival the ancient bricks of the Tower of London just across the street, but it certainly sets the tone for the rest of this beautiful property. See more.
Still run by the family who built it, The Goring reaches the height of luxury with a distinctly intimate feel. Opened in 1910, the boutique hotel has just 69 rooms and suites, yet each unit is individually designed with the ultimate blend of elegance and comfort. See more.
There’s a warmth that permeates throughout Hotel 41, giving this snug establishment the feel of an exclusive members’ club; it’s a real home away from the heart of the British capital. See more.
The Lanesborough occupies perhaps the grandest location of any London hotel, standing resplendently at Hyde Park Corner. Its imposing façade gazes out over Hyde Park to the north, Knightsbridge to the west and Mayfair and the rest of central London to the east. See more.
Europe’s first “grand hotel,” Five-Star The Langham, London, opened in 1865. Back in the day, this luxurious property was famous for its celebrity and royal guests; today, The Langham is best known for its outstanding drinking and dining opportunities. See more.
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
London is renowned for its time-honored posh properties, and the Edwardian masterpiece that houses Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London is no exception. See more.
The Milestone Hotel & Residences
The grand Kensington building began life as three separate Victorian townhouses. Converted in 1922, the place retains an air of homeliness — albeit of the most luxurious variety — that is difficult to find in a central London hotel, especially one in such an enviable location. See more.
Spotlighting luxuriant British contemporary design with Asian minimalism, Pan Pacific London offers refined and discreet elegance at One Bishopsgate Plaza that makes it feel like a haven tucked away from the city’s teeming crowds. See more.
Tucked away on a hushed, tree-lined street in Marylebone, The Prince Akatoki is a chic and understated hideaway where you can decompress while staying conveniently central. See more.
High Holborn is one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, yet step through the wrought-iron gates that front Rosewood London and you leave the noise and bustle far behind. See more.
Often called “London’s most famous hotel,” The Savoy holds a special place in the heart of this great European city. Opened in 1889 as the first truly high-end hotel in Britain, The Savoy has been at the forefront of decadence ever since. See more.
Four-Star Hotels
With distinctive art deco styling, Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star 45 Park Lane is a breath of fresh air in magnificent Mayfair. See more.
51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences
51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences offers everything you’d expect from a hotel by the Taj Group, famed for its attention to detail and genteel service. The property provides more of a residence than a hotel stay, with 86 rooms and suites in three Edwardian red-brick buildings surrounding a charming courtyard. See more.
The Beaumont is a discreet yet glamorous hotel in one of London’s most affluent areas. The art deco building is quiet and compact, cloistered on a Mayfair street that overlooks a 10,000-square-foot public square. See more.
The first thing you’ll notice when walking into COMO Metropolitan London is the fresh scent of eucalyptus and peppermint. The second is just how quiet it is. Despite the wall-to-ceiling windows in the lobby, there are no sounds from Park Lane. See more.
It’s hard to imagine that the sleek, contemporary COMO The Halkin, London was a gas station when owner Christina Ong first laid eyes on it. Pumps were situated where the reception desk now stands. Everything except the Georgian façade was gutted and replaced with five floors of premium Italian interior design. See more.
Perched on Whitehall Place just south of Trafalgar Square, Corinthia London is a chic, city-center retreat that will make you feel like a visiting royal. The 283 spacious guest rooms are contemporary in look yet elegantly appointed, and you’ll discover great cityscape views along with sumptuous bathrooms outfitted with heated marble floors. See more.
This diminutive, 38-room boutique hotel is at the edge of leafy Dorset Square in the heart of London, occupying a Regency townhouse that’s positively crazed with the sport of cricket. Dorset Square was the site of Thomas Lord’s first cricket ground, and the hotel has adopted a cricket-centric theme. See more.
For more than a century, this central landmark building was the ultimate hot spot on London’s social scene, hosting world-famous guests like Andy Warhol, George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde. See more.
InterContinental London Park Lane
Sitting on the edge of Hyde Park, InterContinental London Park Lane was once a royal residence itself. Now, guests of the luxurious hotel soak up regal views of Buckingham Palace. See more.
When London-based Soho House & Co teamed up with New York’s Sydell Group to resurrect a former bank, glamorous stay The Ned was born. The 1924 Grade I-listed building is a remarkable structure designed by (and named for) legendary London architect Sir Edwin “Ned” Lutyens. See more.
The elaborate Edwardian exterior of One Aldwych belies the creative art-filled hotel you find inside, where a fantastic 400-piece contemporary art collection seamlessly melds into the décor. See more.
Located in the heart of the city, The Ritz London is one of the most iconic hotels in the world, opened in 1906 by Swiss hotelier César Ritz, the former manager of The Savoy hotel and founder of Paris’ Hôtel Ritz. See more.
Originally built as a bank in the Roaring ’20s, Sofitel London St James stands tall in one of the British capital’s most prestigious addresses. Within the hotel’s grand neoclassical exterior, you’ll find a far more playful side of luxury that retains the Sofitel brand’s French roots. See more.
St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London
St. Pancras Renaissance is easily one of London’s most recognizable hotels. The massive Gothic red brick façade with signature soaring spires was originally opened in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel and was built alongside the St. Pancras train station. See more.
Tucked away on the quiet side street of Saint James’s Place just off Piccadilly, The Stafford London is rich with history and exudes some of the most quintessential English charm you’ll find in all of London. See more.
The Wellesley Knightsbridge, a Luxury Collection Hotel
The Wellesley Knightsbridge, A Luxury Collection Hotel, may be one of the newer kids on the Belgravia block. Yet, the look and feel of this luxury boutique property authentically hark back to the art deco era, when it started life as an underground station. See more.
Recommended Hotels
11 Cadogan Gardens blends so well into its affluent residential surroundings that you could easily walk past and miss it. Unbeknownst to some, what lies behind the unassuming façade is something quite special — a boutique hotel brimming with warmth and personality. See more.
The Biltmore Mayfair opened on Grosvenor Square in September 2019. This quiet, leafy corner of the West End is moments from stately Park Lane, historic Bond Street and shopping destination Oxford Street; boasts notable former residents, including Oscar Wilde; and has a rich history as the London base of the U.S. Embassy. See more.
With its prime Soho address and unique style, the intimate Charlotte Street Hotel feels more like a private townhome than a hotel. See more.
The storied DUKES LONDON delivers discretion with a friendly face through a series of townhouses tucked away off St. James Square with its own private courtyard dating back to 1532. See more.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London
Grosvenor House, the first JW Marriott brand hotel to set up shop in the United Kingdom, occupies a stately building on the site of a former townhouse belonging to the Grosvenor family (also known as the Dukes of Westminster) on Park Lane that overlooks Hyde Park. See more.
Housed in a former 19th-century private school, The Lalit London embraces its history. It kept many of the neo-baroque architecture and design elements intact. See more.
From the outside, The London EDITION looks like a period Georgian hotel with its columned portico and intricate moldings. But look closely and you’ll notice all-glass entrance doors that hint at something more modern inside. See more.
London Marriott Hotel County Hall
Nestled along the River Thames’ South Bank, the landmark London Marriott Hotel County Hall combines history, luxury and contemporary comforts. The Grade II-listed structure dates back to 1922 and has borne witness to significant moments in Britain’s political history. See more.
From the outside, St. Ermin’s Hotel looks like a classic British stay with its red brick exterior and tree-lined courtyard. But step inside, and you’ll see white sinuous rococo plasterwork curving throughout the lobby. See more.
