8 London Boutique Hotels For A Stylish Stay

If you’re a design buff and after a hip hotel in the heart of fashionable East London, this is the place for you. Located on the corner of Redchurch and Boundary Streets, you’ll be within walking distance of the City as well as Spitalfields Market, Columbia Road flower market (Sundays only) and Brick Lane. The Terence Conran-designed Boundary hotel is housed in a converted Victorian warehouse and consists of 17 spacious, light-filled and individually designed rooms. Each of the rooms and duplex loft suites pays homage to an iconic 20th century designer or design movement that Sir Terence admired, from Charles and Ray Eames to Bauhaus and Le Corbusier. On the ground floor, the relaxed Bar & Brasserie serves modern British fare with a European influence, such as charcuterie boards, Reuben sandwiches and confit duck leg. The rooftop was revamped earlier this year and comes to life in the evenings with sofas, blankets, log burners and fairly lights – it’s the perfect cosy retreat for a pre-dinner drink but we recommend booking a spot here to experience their newly-launched winter menu, inspired by flavours of the Alps. Expect the likes of cheese fondue, tartiflette with Reblochon, raclette (for sharing) as well as fish and meat dishes like turbot with Palourde clams and haunch of venison. Wash it down with vin chaud.

Rooms start from £280, room only. 

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Nestled in a townhouse on one of London’s oldest squares, the Zetter Clerkenwell oozes style and intimacy, and is the perfect escape for a quiet getaway in the city. Surrounded by cobbled streets, historic churches, hidden gardens and some lovely independent shops, the hotel has 13 chic deluxe bedrooms and an apartment-style suite on the top floor. The latter, which has views across historical St John’s Square and the London skyline all the way to the Shard, can sleep four adults. We also love the Junior Suite that feels more like a charming pied-à-terre than a traditional hotel room, and is done up in a colour scheme of rich, warm tones with a canopied bed and a living area to relax in. Throughout the hotel, expect quirky décor, antique furniture and open fireplaces. Make yourself at home in the Parlour bar where you can enjoy a morning coffee, afternoon tea, a cocktail with a selection of small plates and snacks, or a nightcap; and on Wednesday and Thursday evenings there are live jazz performances. Breakfast is available every day and Tuesday to Friday there is an express lunch menu. At weekends, afternoon tea is available with all the British classics like freshly made scones with jam and clotted cream, sandwiches, pastries and homemade cakes. 

Rooms start from £300, room only. 

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Situated in Frith Street, close to Soho Square, and a short walk to some of London’s best shopping and several West End theatres, Hazlitt’s is spread across three historic Georgian houses and takes its name from William Hazlitt, the 18th-century essayist who lived there. Often called one of London’s best kept secrets, expect old-world charm from the moment you pass through the entrance – creaky staircases lead to the 30 quirky bedrooms and suites, each named after a historic connection to the house. Most have wood panelling, original fireplaces, freestanding clawfoot baths and Victorian bathroom fittings (but you also get rainfall showers and REN toiletries), antique four-poster beds, velvet curtains and original paintings. Our favourite is the Duke of Monmouth which has an outdoor terrace with a retractable roof. Downstairs, the Library houses a fantastic collection of books, including several signed first editions – here, you can curl up by the fireplace with an old tome for hours on end and Sir Godfrey, the resident cat, may well join you. There are also two cosy sitting rooms, one with an honesty bar where you can tuck into afternoon tea and cakes or a nightcap. There is no restaurant, and breakfast is served in your room but, there’s no shortage of fabulous restaurants and bars on your doorstep. For the best coffee in town, Bar Italia is just a minute’s walk away.

Rooms start from £389, room only. 

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For a riverside stay away from the madness of central London (but just 20 minutes on a fast train to Waterloo and the South Bank with its concert halls, theatres and iconic landmarks), this restaurant with rooms in this leafy area of southwest London ticks all the boxes. It’s also the perfect location for walks in Richmond Park, visiting Kew Gardens and shopping at Petersham Nurseries which is just down the road. On the banks of the Thames, Bingham Riverside consists of two Georgian townhouses where poets like Yeats, Ruskin and Browning gathered when aunt and niece (and lovers) Katherine Bradley and Edith Cooper lived here from 1899-1914. The pair were authors, writing under the pseudonym Michael Field, and transformed the house into a literary hub. Today, this charming 15-room hotel which has been run by the Trinder family for 40 years and underwent a refurb some six years ago by Nicola Harding, feels warm and welcoming. Downstairs, the drawing room and bar with river views is the perfect spot if you need to catch up on some work or emails, or you can dip into one of the hundreds of Penguin Classics that line the bookshelves. At the heart of the hotel is the restaurant – led by South African chef Vanessa Marx, the menu champions wild and foraged ingredients, garden-grown vegetables and innovative ingredients like coffee-grown oyster mushrooms, cultivated on the owners’ urban rooftop farm in Wimbledon. When it comes to the rooms, each is named after a work by Michael Field. Our favourites are those that overlook the Thames and the gardens below – Baudelaire and Sappho are the largest with plenty of space for an in-room copper bath by the windows. Whichever size you opt for, décor is modern yet cosy with neutral tones, large and very comfy beds, fluffy wool blankets and velvet furnishings. Each room has walk-in showers, full-size organic toiletries (available to buy), a yoga mat, and tea and coffee pods. 

Rooms start from £160, room only. 

Visit BinghamRiverhouse.com