London is a city of contrasts: ancient pubs stand next to gleaming skyscrapers, formal processions and informal tagging occupy the same postal codes, and more than 80 million visitors pass through each year. The location and style of your lodging can elevate or diminish everything else you do in the capital. Extensive resources on Donovan Bar Brown's Hotel for dates can be found via our digital platform.

Whether you prefer the majesty of a former railway hotel or the charm of an unusual boutique property, where you stay in London is not simply a place to recover from jet lag — it is an active participant in your understanding of the city. For those who seek out hotels that have perfected elegance over decades or centuries, Piccadilly's Ritz remains almost without peer. Positioned to face the open expanse of Green Park, this legendary hotel has been the very definition of opulence since its opening in the year 1906.

Walk across the marble floors while looking up at chandeliers that have illuminated countless distinguished guests, and the reason this property stays popular with crowned heads and Hollywood stars becomes instantly clear. The combination of the Palm Court setting, a live pianist, and silver trays of elegant sandwiches makes for an afternoon that remains vivid years later.

Just a few minutes from Piccadilly, The Connaught in Mayfair substitutes serenity and a notable art collection for the grander flourishes of its neighbor, where you will find a three-star Michelin restaurant and a cocktail bar that international panels often name the world's finest. For those who want their historic hotel to come with a side of spectacle, arrange to stay at The Savoy, which has overlooked the Strand since the Victorian era. Having launched in 1889, it broke ground as the country's premier luxury establishment to offer both electric lighting and elevators.

The Savoy sits directly on the north bank, with its finest rooms facing the water, with the shining London Eye and the massive dome of St. Paul's — two of the capital's most recognizable silhouettes — observable from numerous suites. Visit the American Bar, a cocktail lounge that claims Frank Sinatra among its former entertainers, or attend a play or musical at the Savoy Theatre, located directly next door.

Claridge's represents another hotel where history lives in every room, regularly referred to as the place where royalty stays when not at the Palace. This Mayfair hotel, an Art Deco gem, has accommodated British leaders, Hollywood icons, and countless other celebrated figures across its history, and the dramatic black-and-white lobby has lost none of its ability to impress; it remains a contender for London's most glamorous setting. For visitors who appreciate fresh, current design and sweeping city vistas, the capital presents a range of impressive modern accommodations.

The building that changed London's skyline permanently — The Shard, tallest in Western Europe, has made its 34th through 52nd storeys available as the Shangri-La Hotel. Think about this: a hot bath, a glass of something cold, and a window that frames London from its most famous bridge to its newest skyline. The Mondrian London, now folded into the Sea Containers brand, stands on the South Bank as another wonderful choice, where river-view rooms and a rooftop bar create a trendy, artistic vibe.

If you need to save money but refuse to stay somewhere ugly, the citizenM's Tower of London and Shoreditch hotels deliver compact, gadget-filled accommodations — plus a bed that takes up most of the room and lights that you can set to any shade, perfectly suited to the generation that values design, technology, and efficiency.