12 of the coolest hotels in London
London’s hotel scene doesn’t just do luxury – it does personality. From sky-high rooftops to hidden townhouse gems, there are some seriously cool hotels in London that are destinations in their own right, packed with design flair, buzzing bars and that effortless city swagger.
Whether you’re here for a staycation, a celebration or just to feel like someone who orders martinis on a Tuesday, the capital’s cool boutique hotels deliver serious style. Think art-led interiors, rooftop cocktails, record players, and the kind of details that make even a short stay feel like an event.
We’ve rounded up some of the best cool hotels London has to offer, where every stay comes with a side of personality. These are the places that prove cool isn’t just about looks; it’s about atmosphere, creativity, and a little bit of London edge.
nHow London
Address: 2 Macclesfield Road, London, EC1V 8DG
Price: from £158 per night
Bold, bright and a little bit bonkers, nhow London is where pop art meets East End cool. Its interiors are a playful mash-up of neon, murals and tongue-in-cheek British motifs – picture the Queen in graffiti form and Union Jacks reimagined in technicolor.
The rooms are surprisingly calm amid the chaos, with plush beds and slick design touches. Downstairs, the Guilty restaurant keeps things buzzy, serving cocktails and comfort food with creative flair. If Andy Warhol designed a hotel in Shoreditch, this would be it.
Treehouse Hotel
Address: 14-15 Langham Place, London, W1B 2QS
Price: from £440 per night
Perched above the streets near Oxford Circus, Treehouse Hotel is exactly what it sounds like: playful, nature-inspired and effortlessly stylish. Think reclaimed wood, potted greenery, mismatched furniture and views that stretch from The Shard to Regent’s Park.
The rooftop bar, The Nest, serves cocktails with skyline panoramas, while the rooms feel cozy yet creative – like your dream grown-up treehouse, only with room service. It’s boutique in size but big on character, proving sustainability and style can happily share a branch.
Sunborn London Yacht Hotel
Address: Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL
Price: from £133 per night
Why stay near the Thames when you can stay on it? The Sunborn London is a 465-foot superyacht turned floating hotel, moored in the Docklands. Inside, it’s all polished wood, gleaming brass and sweeping views across Canary Wharf.
Suites even come with private decks – perfect for pretending you’re in Monaco, not Zone 3. Between the elegant restaurant, cocktail lounge and waterfront setting, it’s one of London’s most unique stays. Anchors aweigh, darling.
The Exhibitionist
Address: 8-10 Queensberry Place, South Kensington, London, SW7 2EA
Price: from £169 per night
Half hotel, half art gallery, The Exhibitionist wears its name proudly. Behind its elegant Victorian façade lies a riot of color, with bold installations, rotating artworks and rooms that double as curated spaces. One corridor might feature neon lips; another, a life-sized sculpture or two.
The location – steps from the V&A and the Natural History Museum – makes it ideal for culture lovers, while the design ensures your Instagram feed stays as vibrant as the décor. Staying here feels like sleeping inside an art show.
YOTEL London City
Address: 96-100 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5RJ
Price: from £94 per night
Compact, clever and unapologetically futuristic, YOTEL turns small-space living into an art form. Expect cabins instead of rooms, with everything designed to maximize comfort and efficiency – adjustable smart beds, mood lighting and enough tech to keep gadget fans happy.
Automated check-in makes the whole experience refreshingly seamless. It’s perfect for travelers who want style without fuss and design without the price tag. Tiny, but mighty.
Mama Shelter
Address: 437 Hackney Road, London, E2 8PP
Price: from £88 per night
Mama Shelter brings Parisian attitude to Hackney with playful design, big personality and zero pretension. Expect bright graphics, ping-pong tables, karaoke rooms and cocktails that turn “quiet nights” into impromptu parties.
Rooms are simple but stylish, perfect for a weekend in East London’s creative heart. It’s the kind of place where everyone looks like they’re in a band, or about to start one.
Sea Containers
Address: 20 Upper Ground, London, SE1 9PD
Price: from £279 per night
Sea Containers London is a masterclass in riverside cool. Housed in a gleaming modernist building on the South Bank, it pairs moody lighting and velvet textures with an energy that’s part New York, part London.
The rooftop bar offers skyline views that could make a local weep, and the restaurant and spa are reason enough to linger. Steps from the Tate Modern and the Globe, this one’s a proper lifestyle destination – the sort of hotel where you check in for the night but end up staying all weekend.
Fox and Anchor
Address: 115 Charterhouse Street, London, EC1M 6AA
Price: from £169 per night
A rare find in central London, the Fox & Anchor is a six-room pub-with-rooms that oozes personality. Expect polished brass, vintage mirrors, free-standing bathtubs and plenty of nods to old-school British charm.
Downstairs, the pub serves craft ales and hearty comfort food to a lively after-work crowd. Upstairs, it’s all boutique comfort and character. If you like your hotels with a side of history (and a pint glass), this one’s for you.
NYX Hotel Holborn by Leonardo
Address: 50-60 Southampton Row, London, WC1B 4AR
Price: from £206 per night
NYX is the cool cousin of London’s business hotels – arty, bold and buzzing. Walls are splashed with local artwork, lights are low and the bar hums with after-dark energy.
Rooms lean luxe, with velvet textures and rich tones, while downstairs you’ll find a buzzy restaurant and lounge that blurs the line between work and play. Perfectly positioned between the West End and the City, it’s stylish, social and a little bit mischievous.
Zedwell Piccadilly Circus
Address: The London Pavillion, London, W1J 0DA
Price: from £90 per night
Sitting above the chaos of Piccadilly Circus, Zedwell is a minimalist retreat in the heart of the action. Its nearly 1,000 “cocoons” are all about calm – windowless, oak-clad rooms with soft lighting designed to block out London’s sensory overload.
It’s a new twist on the capsule concept: less cramped commute nap, more chic urban zen. Communal lounges keep it sociable, while the central location makes exploring effortless. Who knew tranquility could exist right above Eros?
Artist Residence
Address: 52 Cambridge Street, London, SW1V 4QQ
Price: from £193 per night
Artist Residence is where London’s creative crowd checks in for a dose of soul. Every room feels different – mismatched furniture, retro radios, art-covered walls – but the vibe is effortlessly cool rather than curated-to-death.
Downstairs, the Clubhouse bar and restaurant make it feel like a neighborhood hangout, and the location in Pimlico keeps things laid-back but central. It’s not luxury in the shiny sense, more bohemian chic with impeccable taste.
Hazlitt’s
Address: 6 Frith Street, Soho Square, London, W1D 3JA
Price: from £299 per night
Hazlitt’s is the definition of old-school cool. Hidden behind a Georgian façade in Soho, it’s all creaking staircases, antique furniture and literary charm – the kind of place where you half expect Oscar Wilde to wander past reception.
With just 30 rooms, service is personal, the atmosphere intimate, and the setting unbeatable for theater, nightlife and mischief. It’s a hotel with stories in its walls – and you’ll feel part of the next one.
Looking for more cool London hotels? We’ve a whole page dedicated to luxury London hotels that includes some of the coolest options the city has to offer. Or check out our cheap London hotels page and find some cool hidden gems that won’t break the bank.
Meet the author
Ian LewisIan has worked in travel for over 15 years, writing about destinations across the whole UK and around the world. He loves city breaks with the family and is always hunting out new and exciting attractions to visit, and the best hotels to match.
