The 15 Best Luxury Hotels in London

Published on October 1, 2026 Claridge's With what seems like every major hotel brand breaking ground in London over the past few years, from Six Senses to Peninsula, you’d be hard-pressed to find a higher standard of hotels in any city in the world right now. And there’s no sign the competition is slowing. St. Regis is slated to cut the red ribbon in Mayfair soon, while next year’s Waldorf Admiralty Arch, across from Buckingham Palace, will mark one of the city’s most painstaking historic hotel renovations. Palatial subterranean spas, special designer suites, complimentary luxury car service, Michelin-star restaurants, and the world’s best white-glove service prove London is the epitome of global pomp. Sure, the options are overwhelming, but don’t fret; we’ve narrowed down the best freshly painted newcomers and gilded classics throughout London. These are our picks, in no particular order, for the 15 best luxury hotels in London in 2026. Claridge’s Image Credit: Claridge's Award: Best overall If Claridge’s walls could talk, you’d hear the King’s English. Arguably London’s most exquisite grand dame, its top-hatted doormen have welcomed everyone from Audrey Hepburn to Mick Jagger. Opened in 1856, its latest refurbishment in 2023 oozes art deco elegance. Additions include a new penthouse featuring the world’s largest Damien Hirst private collection and 79 mod suites and rooms, bringing its roster to 190 keys. Andre Fu had a big role in the hotel’s redesign, creating the Residence Suite by Andre Fu, a 3,200-square-foot, multi-level glass suite and the ultra-Zen spa with seven treatment rooms and a sublime subterranean pool. But the hotel’s beloved character is still there, including the city’s most coveted afternoon tea and beck-and-call service that makes you feel like royalty. Best amenity: There’s not one but two legendary bars at Claridge’s. The Fumoir has been shaking and stirring martinis since 1929, and down the corridor, the pink and playful Painter’s Room mixes floral and fruity drinks. Can’t-miss experience: There’s nothing more British than an afternoon tea, and Claridge’s has long been lauded as the city’s best. Inside the ultra-elegant Foyer and Reading Room, plates of crustless sandwiches, freshly baked scones, and pot after pot of Claridge’s signature blend hit the table. From $1,170 Raffles London at The OWO Image Credit: Grain London Ltd Award: Best historic hotel They say war is a dirty business, but everything at the Raffles London at The Old War Office is pristine. From the oak-paneled walls to the original mosaic tiles to the Piastracchia Italian marble on the grand staircase, this eight-year, $1.6 billion renovation produced one of London’s most stunning and opulent hotels. Its handsome aesthetic and maze-like interiors reflect its 1900s history as the place where Winston Churchill won World War II, spies ducked in and out, and James Bond was invented. Its speakeasy Spy Bar shakes and stirs the best martinis in town, while its signature Mauro Colagreco and rooftop Kioku by Endo are heading for a Michelin star. Hidden beneath is Raffles’s subterranean Guerlain Spa, with nine treatment rooms and a startlingly grand swimming pool. Choose from 120 rooms and suites—perhaps the Haldane Suite, where the most important decisions of the war were made, or the Turret Suite with knockout views of Big Ben. Best amenity: The four-story subterranean Guerlain spa, fitness center, and pool is a sprawling stunner. Spanning 27,000 square feet, it has nine treatment rooms offering an encyclopedia of cutting-edge spa treatments, a Technogym fitness center, a steam room, sauna, and picture-worthy pool. Can’t-miss experience: Book the Secrets & Spies Afternoon Tea, a half-day experience combining a private tour rehashing the hotel’s history, followed by a classically elegant afternoon tea. From $1,150 Broadwick Soho Image Credit: Broadwick Soho Award: Best for design enthusiasts Stepping inside Broadwick Soho’s lobby feels like an Alice in Wonderland acid trip—but in the best way possible. The pastel green and pink walls are decorated with painted parrots and vintage artwork. Tasseled elephant lamps sit on pink marble as the staff check you in wearing head-to-toe leopard print suits. Hand-stitched French silk lines the elevator for this Martin Brudnizki–designed hotel, which opened in Soho in late 2023. Its 57 rooms and suites are an expert mix of eclectic touches without being an overload for the eyes: herringbone timber floors, floral rugs, bed feet that are actually golden hands, and blue leopard-print wallpaper in the bathroom, not to mention the mirrored furniture, light pastel colors, and a Toucan-shaped handle for the mini-bar. Its basement restaurant, Dear Jackie, is the place to be on a Saturday night. Dress to impress; you never know who you’ll spot. Best amenity: The Nook is a vintage-designed, private, guest-only lounge where you can sip an espresso or an espresso martini as vinyl spins in the background. Can’t-miss experience: Its Wes Anderson–esque rooftop bar, Flute, is one of the city’s most whimsical places to imbibe. Animal prints, watermelon pastels, cork walls, and film-inspired cocktails are the perfect way to start or end the night. From $650 NoMad London Image Credit: NoMad London Award: Best for theater lovers Directly across from the Royal Opera House, this five-story building was once the Bow Street Magistrates’ Court and police station. Everyone from Oscar Wilde to Britain’s suffragettes was held here, and you can access the Bow Street Police Museum directly from NoMad London. Its 91 rooms and suites have an arresting design with wallpapered fireplaces, Calacatta gold mosaic–tiled bathrooms, vibrant chandeliers, and 1,600 pieces of original artwork spread throughout. Dining is in the towering glass-ceiling all-day restaurant, Twenty8 NoMad, or the moody Side Hustle, where they sling tequila cocktails and tacos with house-made hot sauce. Best amenity: Free admission to the Bow Street Police Museum for a crime and punishment-style history lesson on Covent Garden. Can’t-miss experience: Londoners love to brunch at Twenty8 NoMad. Its stunning atrium design and brunch classics make it supremely popular. Go for the poppy seed pancakes, cheeseburger, or a British anchovy toast. From $875 Chelsea Townhouse Image Credit: Will Pryce Award: Best for couples Like staying in the townhouse of your well-heeled great aunt, Chelsea Townhouse offers prim and proper pampering. Opened in September 2023, it’s a quick jaunt to its sister property, 11 Cadogan Gardens—where you can also use its facilities. Its 36 rooms and suites are set inside three stately Victorian townhouses formerly known as the Draycott Hotel. The interiors are as British as the flag flying above its entrance. Crown molding, gilded mirrors and chandeliers, 18th-century British artwork, and custom-made curtains decorate its bedrooms, outfitted with Harrison Spinks beds that are hard to leave. But when the English Breakfast tea comes calling, the dining salon and intimate library are the place to sit and sip. Both lounge areas have a marble gas fireplace, velvet furniture, stylish antiques, and loads of natural light. Best amenity: Through the back door, guests get access to the beautiful Cadogan Place Gardens. Perch on a bench and pull out a good book or simply watch the birds flit past. Can’t-miss experience: Don’t sleep in. In the refined Garden Room, a buffet of housemade granola, overnight oats, and freshly baked Chelsea buns line the wall. Guests can also choose between a full English breakfast and three different types of Eggs Benedict. From $440 The Peninsula London Image Credit: Will Pryce Award: Best location They say good things come to those who wait, and after 30 years of searching for a London location in the shadow of Buckingham Palace, it better be up to snuff. Opened in September 2023, its 190 Peter Marino–designed rooms and suites are the latest to join Peninsula Hotels, and just like its Hong Kong sister hotel, it has envy-inducing views. Floor-to-ceiling views of Hyde Park Corner and Wellington Arch mean central London is easy to explore, and thanks to “Peninsula Time,” you can check out whenever you like. That makes it all too tempting to get one more massage at its seven-room holistic spa, a few more laps in its 82-foot swimming pool, or another dim sum lunch at Canton Blue. Best amenity: Its location is clutch, but if you should need to get around town, the hotel has complimentary Peninsula Pashley and Brompton bikes, and a fleet of luxury electric cars is at your beck and call Can’t-miss experience: Take the hot air balloon–inspired lifts up to Brooklands Bar. An homage to England’s history in aviation and motorsports, this rooftop cocktail spot is as sexy and sleek as it is quirky. From $1,150 Beaverbrook Town House Image Credit: Beaverbrook Award: Best for art obsessives The pastel-pink pineapples catch your eye first. Then the turquoise walls, chessboard floors, and blue art-deco tiles. There’s a lot of color at Beaverbrook Town House. The bright blend of decor is just the right amount of kitsch, fun, and whimsy for a new 14-suite townhouse in swank-and-swish Chelsea. It’s the sister property to the award-winning Beaverbrook Hotel in Surrey, with each suite named after one of London’s famous theaters, which explains, well, the theatrics. They’re decorated with rare vintage play posters, black-and-white photos from the theater, a mishmash of furniture patterns, tasseled pillows, and bold shower tiles that somehow work together like the perfect ensemble. Best amenity: The complimentary mini-bar is stocked with local treats like Tyrrell’s chips, Benjamin’s Pink Lemonade, Love Cocoa chocolate, and kombucha. Can’t-miss experience: Cozy up at a leather booth at its main restaurant, The Fuji Grill. Spotlighting Japan, it has sake-inspired cocktails, truffle-dotted sushi, and dozens of vintage Mount Fuji works of art. Keep your eyes peeled for celebs. From $675 1 Hotel Mayfair Image Credit: Milo Brown Award: Best for sustainability Directly across from the Ritz, the new kid on the block swaps British grandeur for a more serene SoCal atmosphere. 1 Hotel Mayfair feels like a tranquil oasis separate from the city grit. You’re welcomed at check-in at a repurposed 200-year-old fallen oak tree in front of a vertically stacked stone wall. Earthy, sustainably sourced materials are carried throughout its Tom Sellers–run Dovetale restaurant and Dover Yard bar, where petrified wood tables and linen couches add to the hotel’s laid-back vibe. Inside its 181 rooms and suites, rope-woven furniture, soft timber, succulents, and white furniture keep things chill. In tune with its eco-friendly theme, each room has a vertical green wall, and you’ll have access to daily chauffeured electric Audi cars on a first-come, first-served basis. For comatose levels of Zen, head to the hotel’s Bamford Spa for a stress-melting massage. Best amenity: The sustainable in-room offerings, like an in-wall filtered water tap with a complimentary upcycled water bottle, Bamford bathroom products, organic mattresses, and eco-friendly cotton bedding. Can’t-miss experience: Book on the weekend to take advantage of a proper Sunday roast at Dovetale, where the perfectly cooked roast beef is a must. From $745 Mandarin Oriental Mayfair Image Credit: George Apostolidis Award: Best for shopping In London, a Mayfair address is as coveted as a knighthood by the king. Mandarin Oriental’s second property (the first is Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park) sits in posh Hanover Square, the area’s first new hotel in a decade. Mandarin Oriental Mayfair’s sleek, stylish design carries into its 50 rooms and suites, designed with striking hand-painted Gournay floral wallpaper, swirling marble, gold fixtures, creams and royal blues. Offsite, the in-the-know concierge has all the best shopping tips, from an “in” on Savile Row to sessions making your own fragrance at Ormonde Jayne and lipstick at Code8. On-site, its five restaurants and bars range from fine-dining Chinese at A. Wong to a rooftop bar specializing in Negronis from around the world. Best amenity: Its spa and fitness offerings are impressively creative, from compression therapy to floating sound therapy in its subterranean pool to a bespoke Mayfair Facial by Shane Cooper. Can’t-miss experience: Vibing to a six-piece band playing soul and funk, snacking on caviar-topped fried chicken into the early hours at its bar Esmeralda’s. From $1,287 One Aldwych Image Credit: Nick Rochowski Photography Award: Best for families Primed for sightseeing, this Covent Garden hotel is smack dab in the center of museums, shows, galleries, shops, and kid-friendly fun galore. Built in 1905, One Aldwych was once the home of the Morning Post and the Inveresk Paper Company before becoming a five-star hotel in 1998. Morning papers still get delivered to its 101 spacious rooms and suites, recently refurbished with smart, timeless design, like wainscoting, deco lighting, and curved furniture. Colors here are as creamy as its afternoon tea, with pops of light pastels and marble bathrooms. There are multi-bedroom suites, as well as kids’ cots, mini-bathrobes, slippers, and games for little ones. But for a parents’ getaway, book The Dome suite at the top of the Art Nouveau building. Its periwinkle domed bedroom has a gas fireplace, Georgian wood flooring, and a separate art deco-inspired living and dining area. Kids will love the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea, with fizzy lifting drinks for the adults, a chocolate fountain, and clever plays on the book’s sweet treats. Best amenity: Here, fur babies are just as important as the human ones. Pups get an ergonomic bed, towels, and treats from Bow Wow London. Can’t-miss experience: Its breakfast is shockingly chic. Served on delicate china and shiny silver, dishes vary from house-made granola with saffron-poached fruit to a full English with St. Ewe eggs, Suffolk pork sausage, and black pudding. From $950 The Twenty Two Image Credit: The Twenty Two Award: Best for young creatives London is undoubtedly a cool kid’s club, and The Twenty Two fits right in. This Mayfair boutique hotel and members’ club has 31 rooms and suites that occupy an opulent white-stone Edwardian mansion on the corner of Grosvenor Square. The grandeur carries inside with maximalist Parisian design, including leopard-print carpet, taffeta curtains, statement Pierre Frey wallpaper, and mirrored ceilings. The decor here feels delightfully over the top, but the vibes are discreet and private, perfect for its members-only library. Warm and genuine service carries into its restaurant (called The Restaurant), where signature pasta and beef Wellington are served in one of London’s poshest hangouts. Best amenity: The red velvet–clad basement club frequented by A-listers from the Beckhams to Formula 1’s Lando Norris. It’s members-only, but overnight guests get access. Can’t-miss experience: The pasta al limone. I haven’t stopped thinking about this divine bowl of creamy, lemony spaghetti at The Restaurant since I had it three years ago. From $760 The Dorchester Image Credit: Dorchester Collection Award: Best service The Dorchester’s doormen have been ushering in the world’s biggest movers, shakers, and policymakers since it opened in 1931. In 2022, the hotel started a head-to-toe transformation of the hotel (its largest in 30 years), including its grand and gilded Promenade, where Liberace’s piano serenades you while you’re sipping on Champagne and topping up scones. Sprinkled with its signature Dorchester rose, its 241 rooms and suites follow a royal blue or yellow color scheme with marble bathrooms, hardwood floors, and velvet furniture that feel both palatially luxurious and inexplicably homey. Butlers here will do anything for you, “as long as it’s legal,” and are reserved for those staying at the Hyde Park suite level and up. Services like babysitting are available for when you want to spend an afternoon in its nine-room spa. End the evening in the Martin Brudnizki–designed Vesper Bar, featuring a flight of one-of-a-kind Louis XIII Cognac that comes with an exclusive invite to the family’s estate in France for $15,000. Best amenity: The king-sized beds here feel like they’ve been crafted by the hands of cherubs, or maybe sorcerers. Made exclusively for the hotel by London institution Vispring, you may need to bribe your butler to get your hands on one. Can’t-miss experience: The experience at the Michelin three-star Alain Ducasse restaurant is hard to beat, if you can snag a reservation. Its lobster, caviar, and truffle-filled tasting menu is as decadent as it sounds. From $1,350 Corinthia London Image Credit: Lartisien Hotel Collection Award: Best for spa lovers The epitome of elegance, Corinthia has been a stalwart of the London hotel scene since it opened to acclaim in 2011. This Whitehall hotel has 283 rooms and suites, including a whopping seven penthouses. Its Royal Penthouse has unobstructed views of the London Eye from its terrace and includes a butler, car service, access to a private wine collection, and a spa suite. Its subterranean spa is arguably the city’s most impressive. Although the Raffles usurped the Biome by Corinthia spa in size, it has 17 treatment rooms and dozens of treatments crafted by specialists like Wildsmith Skin and Augustinus Bader. Facilities include heated Cleopatra beds, a steam room, an all-glass sauna, a vitality pool, and a heated swimming pool. When all that pampering works up an appetite, the Corinthia has three sprawling restaurants, ranging from zingy Italian to classic British by Tom Kerridge. Best amenity: There’s a lot of great food here, but the standout is arguably at the Crystal Moon Lounge, where afternoon tea and scones are served under its show-stopping chandelier made up of 1,001 hanging crystal bubbles. Can’t-miss experience: Augustinus Bader Longevity Facial is worth the investment. Cell renewal using a LYMA laser shows off tighter skin and a noticeable glow-up. From $1,340 The Goring Image Credit: SIMPHOTOGRAPHY Award: Best for old-school British elegance There’s an unparalleled level of cachet when you’re the royal family’s “hotel of choice.” Granted a Royal Warrant by Queen Elizabeth II and the host of Kate Middleton’s squad on the eve of her wedding, The Goring is known as London’s “smartest address.” It’s also the only hotel in the city that’s still run by the family that started it. The Gorings have been hosting royal balls, government spies, and England’s swankest socialites since 1910. Of course, its 69 rooms and suites have been upgraded since then, but they still retain their British charm. The walls are lined with patterned Gainsborough silk, the furniture is velvet with playful touches like wool sheep footrests, the bathrooms are marble, and the linen is Italian. But one of the reasons it’s been a favorite for over a century is the service. Butlers here may or may not have ties to Buckingham Palace, and the concierge can secure pretty much any reservation in the city. Best amenity: Access to one of the largest private gardens in Central London. You can channel royalty with a glass of bubbles and a game of croquet. Can’t-miss experience: Who said British food was bad? This Michelin-star menu features hyper-local dishes like Cornish duck, Dover sole, and a killer beef Wellington, surrounded by whimsical wallpaper monkeys sipping Champagne. From $1,175 The Newman Image Credit: Helen Cathcart Award: Best-kept secretThe 81-key property isn’t part of the Mayfair cluster, home to so many of the other five-star favorites in central London, but a short stroll away in the quieter, more insiderish neighborhood of Fitzrovia. The artsy, Soho-adjacent enclave is more residential and local than much of central London, meaning it’s both a calmer place to stay and one where you’re likelier to be next to a Brit at the bar than a fellow visitor (Head to Charlotte Street, its main drag, for an assortment of appealing bars and restaurants.) The décor in the rooms—which are reassuringly large, starting at 290 square feet—is best described as neo-deco: all mirrors, gleaming surfaces, and rich colors. The extra-spacious showers are a thoughtful touch. Arguably, the best place to stay is the residential-style four-bedroom penthouse you can carve out of the entire sixth floor, complete with its own sauna, cold plunge, and a 1,500-square-foot terrace complete with a BBQ. No wonder it earned a slot on our Best of the Best list this year. Best amenity: Bravo! This hotel has finally cracked how to turn a workmanlike Nespresso shot into something more impressive. The in-room Morning Machines are sleek, stylish, and somehow make drinkable espresso from those very same pods. Can’t-miss experience: The new-build property was smart enough to dedicate the entirety of its sub-basement to a spa, so the facilities here are expansive and world class, and even include halotherapy (a salt room). From $930 Best ofFeatureHotelsLondonUnited Kingdom Like this article? Get the Robb Report newsletter for similar stories delivered straight to your inbox. sign up