½ price London hotels, rail & theatre breaks

Booking with Hotel Direct

Over 1 million people have booked with Hotel Direct saving up to 75% since 1998. In addition to our excellent hotel descriptions, free booking line and interactive maps, only customers that have booked through us and stayed at our hotels are allowed to review their stay. If you're having trouble choosing a hotel, then read our un-edited guest reviews and see what other customers have to say about the hotel before booking.

How do customers rate Hotel Direct?

-We have a superior 4.8/5 rating on reviewcentre.com from over 5,000 reviews! To put that into perspective, our rating is better than booking.com, laterooms.com and hotels.com!

-A 9.6/10 rating on trustpilot.co.uk from over 5,000 reviews, again that's better than our top 3 competitors! We are also ranked number #1 in the Travel Agents and Hotels categories.

-We are the only hotel agent with a full 5 star Google seller rating and near perfect score of 4.9/5

Arrival Assurance™

-Our unique Arrival Assurance™ service ensures each and every booking with participating hotels is personally checked by staff at Hotel Direct

-We call the hotel 48 hours before your stay to double-check all the details of your reservation

-We then email you a second email confirmation that provides you peace of mind that the hotel is awaiting your arrival and there are no misplaced bookings or hotel errors

We have set the bar high and believe our unique, personalised service and knowledgeable staff account for our high ratings and great feedback.

Note: a very small number of hotels do not participate in the Arrival Assurance program. Please call 0800 633 8000 if you require more information or wish to ensure that you book a hotel that participates.

Hidden Gems

'Hidden Gems™' are our 4 and 5 star London hotels that have such big discounts that they do not want to be mentioned by name on the site. However, you will know the location of the hotels, their star ratings and have access to guest reviews to help you choose your hotel. We'll reveal the hotel name on a secure page once you have booked.

Why London?

London, founded by the Romans, has been a major settlement for two millennia and is England's capital city. With 300 languages spoken and over 8 million people, London is a leading financial centre, an entertainment hub and is the only city to have 4 universities ranking in the top 40 global league table. The most famous areas of London are packed with events, festivals and a constant buzz of activity; the city never stops and there are enough sites to see to keep you going for weeks!

Covent Garden

Start your journey in the heart of the West End and check out Covent Garden. Here you will find boutique shops, craft shops, street performers, opera singers and a world food market on Thursdays. The Royal Opera House is located in the middle of Covent Garden and only a short walk away you'll be in the middle of bustling Piccadilly Circus.

Mayfair

Head a little west and you'll reach the luxury area of Mayfair. This area is home to countless embassies, hedge funds, real estate businesses, and high end exclusive shops. This is London's largest concentration of luxury hotels and the area boasts rents among the highest in the world. The luxury of Mayfair makes it a particularly romantic area for anyone looking to celebrate their anniversary or Valentine's day in style. Browse our range of romantic hotels for more ideas on how to spoil your partner.

Kensington

Make your way to London's museum quarter in South Kensington and visit the cluster of free family friendly museums located within a short walk of each other. The V&A Museum displays the journey of art and design from the last 3,000 years. The Science Museum is perfect for children of all ages with interactive elements throughout the museum. Next door to the Science Museum is the Natural History Museum where you can come face to face with life size skeletons of dinosaurs.

There are hundreds of reasons why you should visit London; here are just a few to whet your appetite:

-4 World Heritage Sites:

1. The famous Tower of London built in 1078, home to the crown jewels and an iconic building in English history
2. Kew Gardens - contains the world's largest collection of living plants within 121 hectares
3. The Palace of Westminster where politicians gather at the Houses of Parliament. Built in the middles ages, demolished in the 1834 due to a fire and rebuilt between 1840-70
4. Maritime Greenwich - steeped in maritime history, this is the longitude equivalent of the equator

-The first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three 3 times - take a trip out to Stratford, East London and wander around where history was made and records were broken

-The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world. Experience a less crowded version of the tube at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden

-If you're a shopper then make your way down Oxford Street where there are enough shops for you to spend a whole day. Check out the flagship store of Selfridges - a leading high end department store.

-Food fans should check out the famous Borough Market in London Bridge. Here you will find endless food stalls ranging from traditional British fish and chips to Spanish tapas, as well as specialist charcuteries, wine connoisseurs and experts in cheeses and olive oil

-London has multiple areas of buzzing nightlife. Soho is full of trendy bars and pubs packed with film professionals. New upcoming rock bands are always being discovered up in Camden. The creative, hipster types dominate Shoreditch and the glamorous crowd of Chelsea visit their regulars on the King's Road

-In the heart of the West End lies 'Theatreland', home to over 40 theatres showing musicals and plays, day and night. See Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre; it opened in 1985 and is the longest running musical in West End history. If you fancy a play then check out The Mousetrap at St Martin's Theatre; this opened in 1952 and is the longest running show in the world!

-The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world. Experience a less crowded version of the tube at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden

-Over 1,000 hotels to choose from, but some to avoid! Hotel Direct regularly inspects all the hotels on this website and works with only well managed, spotless properties including our recommended partner, Thistle Hotel London.

-If you're a shopper then make your way down Oxford Street where there are enough shops for you to spend a whole day. Check out the flagship store of Selfridges - a leading high end department store.

Day Rooms from Hotel Direct

Have you ever thought about spending a morning or an afternoon at a hotel?

Now with Hotel Direct's Day Rooms you don't have to book a hotel room for the night, when you only need it for the day!

Whether you're looking for a city base for business or leisure, a second office, a rest bite in transit; morning, afternoon or all day, we have the perfect day room for you.