For many people, London is not just the capital city of Great Britain, but the capital city of the world. The city is one of the wealthiest on the planet, and has a bustling and thriving atmosphere unique among Europe's capitals. While this edge is not to everyone's taste, there is no denying that London has a fantastic energy to it, aided by both its hunger for wealth and its fantastically multicultural makeup.
London welcomes millions of visitors from around the world each year, many of whom are attracted by the city's many famous tourist attractions such as the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Madame Tussaud's and the Tower of London. Many others are attracted by London's top-flight football teams, including huge clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea, both of whom regularly reach the later rounds of the UEFA Champions League. Anyone wishing to catch a Chelsea match could stay at the Shaftsebury Hotel Kensington or Sydney House Chelsea, both of which are hotels located near Stamford Bridge in West London. Visitors to Arsenal's beautiful new Emirates Stadium in North London could stay at any number of cheap London hotels as this area is in less demand by tourists than Kensington & Chelsea.
For many people finding hotels in London that don't break the bank can be a struggle. London is a notoriously expensive city to visit, with even Japanese tourists finding it prohibitively expensive nowadays. Despite this, the internet provides access to a number of central London hotels which will not break the bank. If you are lucky, late cancellations and unexpected vacancies can provide a real bargain. A real bargain in London is anything under £60 per night per person, which still leaves the city well out of the price range of many potential visitors.
Some great hotels in London include:
The Royal Lancaster Hotel, which has beautiful, panoramic views over Hyde Park. This hotel is only minutes from the various shops, clubs and bars of London's famous West End. If you stay near the West End, be sure to check out the famous shops along Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street.
If you are in London on business, you will probably want to be near the city of London. If this is the case, the Grange City Hotel is a place you should consider. Situated close to historic London Bridge, Grange City is a perfect launch pad for forays into one of the most important business zones in the world. Interestingly, while the Square Mile's bars and pubs are rammed from Monday to Friday, many don't even open at the weekend because their wealthy clientele are either at their homes in the country or want to stay as far away from the office as possible.
For something a little different, the Sunborn Yacht Hotel offers great access to the conferencing facilities at ExCel in London's Docklands. It is, as the name suggests, a floating hotel which permanently resides on the River Thames. The Sunborn offers a hotel experience quite unlike any other.