London: Affordable hotels close to the city’s top attractions

Enjoy easy access to London's most familiar sights when you stay close by without breaking your budget. Photo: Dave Pearce

Location, location, location! If you’re visiting London for the first time you’ll want to be in the heart of the action, and the location of your accommodation is key. A wrong choice here could lead to long and costly journeys on public transport which will eat into your leisure time and budget.

While hotels near to some of the city’s biggest landmarks are often more expensive, if you’re short on time, it’s worth weighing up the cost of traveling when you stay further out of town. You may find it’s just as well to stay nearby the places that are top of your to-do list. Here are five hotels that combine comfort with wallet-friendly prices—all within walking distance of London’s most popular sights.

Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace

Guests enjoy cute rooms, a great location and a full English Breakfast included at Luna & Simone. Photo: EuroCheapo

Hotel: Luna & Simone Hotel
Doubles from £100 per room per night

Accommodation right next to these most iconic of London landmarks does not generally fall into a Cheapo’s budget, but if you’ve got your heart set on living near the Queen for just a few days, check in at the Luna & Simone Hotel in nearby Pimlico and you’ll be just a 15-minute stroll away. The hotel is basic and, while not the world’s cheapest, it’s definitely good value for this part of town. The rooms boast simple décor, en suite bathrooms and flat screen TVs and are all immaculately clean.

Kensington’s Museums

The rooms are simple at easyHotel, but the prices make up for any lack of perks. Photo: [email protected]

Hotel:  easyHotel South Kensington
Doubles from £30 per room per night

If you’re willing to totally scrimp on luxuries (and a window), grab a room at the easyHotel in South Kensington and you can explore one of London’s most well-heeled areas without splurging. As with the low-cost airline from the same family, easyHotel will charge you extra for just about anything, but its unrivaled location means that savvy travelers can spend their days exploring the city’s best museums (The V&A, Science Museum and Natural History Museum are just around the corner), while Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall are also just a short walk away.

Borough Market, Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge

This location near Borough Market and Tate Modern is hard to beat for the price. Photo: EuroCheapo

Hotel: Premier Inn London Southwark
Doubles from £100 per room per night

If dipping into beautiful Borough Market for breakfast, lunch and dinner is your idea of London heaven, book in at the brilliantly located Premier Inn London Southwark. Being an affordable hotel chain means that, while you miss out on the quirks of an independent B&B, you will get comfort, cleanliness and a great price in a fabulously iconic location. So drop those bags and get exploring—you’ll have everything from Southwark Cathedral and a lovely stretch of the River Thames, to bustling Borough Market and London’s newest skyscraper, The Shard, all on your doorstep.

Related: A Cheapo’s Guide to Southwark’s restaurants, hotels and bars

British Museum

A hostel for ages 18-35, Astor Museum Inn is just around the corner from the British Museum. Photo: EuroCheapo

Hotel: Astor Museum Inn
Doubles from £70 per room per night

If getting a firsthand glimpse of the varied artifacts on show at the British Museum is a must, you can’t get much closer to the door than the Astor Museum Inn. This laid back hostel does have a guest age limit; 18-35, but if you pass that initial test you’ll find you can get a really good value bed for the night. Private twin rooms are available, or spend even less and opt for a dorm room bed. The communal kitchen means you can save on food costs too (check out our guide to London supermarkets for inspiration), but do be prepared for noise resonating from the popular TV lounge.

West End

Stay close to all of the theater action at this cozy and friendly hotel. Photo: EuroCheapo

Hotel: Seven Dials
Doubles from £105 per room per night

If you’ve come to London to explore the West End and plan to catch some shows while you’re there, the Seven Dials Hotel is the perfect place to stay. The hotel squeezes a fair few beds and rooms into its vertical town house layout (there are lots of stairs!), but when you step outside onto lovely Monmouth Street, you’ll soon realize you couldn’t get a much better or more buzzy location in the capital for this price. The shops and restaurants of Covent Garden are all around and you can take your pick of London’s best theaters, all just a few minutes’ walk away.

Related: How to find free and cheap theater tickets in London

For more ideas on where to stay in London, check out our London hotel guide.