Finding an affordable hotel in London can be a challenge—it's one of the most expensive cities in the world to book a stay. Scoring a stylish hotel at a reasonable price is even harder. So where can you stay for less without sacrificing style, location, and dining options? We've put together a list of the best budget-friendly hotels in London, all of which Condé Nast Traveler UK editors have personally stayed at and loved. These hotels offer beautiful rooms, a vibrant atmosphere, great dining and drinking options, and exciting locations—all for $250 or less per night. While "affordable" is subjective, this isn't just a list of the cheapest options; it's our editor-approved selection of smart, budget-conscious stays.
Finding an affordable stay in London can be done in a few ways. One option is to stay outside the central areas, where hotel prices are typically higher. By choosing a neighborhood or borough a little further out, you’ll likely find more budget-friendly options, and thanks to London’s excellent transportation network, you'll still be able to reach the city center quickly. Another way to save is by traveling during off-peak times—months like January and February are generally cheaper, as are mid-week stays compared to weekends.
The best affordable hotels in London:
Kingsland Locke, Dalston
Kingsland Locke in Dalston is perfect for those seeking an eco-friendly stay in East London. This design-forward aparthotel is part of a collection across London and Europe, offering a hybrid space where locals and travelers can eat, drink, work, relax, and sleep while staying true to the neighborhood’s character. The interior design of this East London location reflects the eclectic nature of nearby Ridley Road, with shelves behind the leafy reception area showcasing a mix of items like Lego collectibles, stormtrooper helmets with Ziggy Stardust designs, and piles of books.
The rooms blend home comforts with hotel luxuries, making it a versatile space for both self-catered stays and those seeking more traditional hotel services. Each room is equipped with kitchen amenities, but guests can also enjoy the on-site restaurant, bar, café, and a blue-toned co-working space. The bedrooms are designed with a nod to Hackney’s more subdued charm, featuring muted colors and raw textures. My room, which overlooked the Rio, boasted an incredible view of London’s skyline at the end of Kingsland High Street.
Dining options include traditional kebabs cooked on a wood- and charcoal-filled robata grill by local favorite Le Bab, along with collaborations with Dalton Brewery and Jim and Tonic, an eco-friendly gin distillery. The Ruby cocktail, made with Roobee Rhubarb Gin, elderflower tonic, raspberry, and basil, was a standout from the menu.
What makes Kingsland Locke special is its prime location in the heart of East London, offering easy access to the area’s best attractions. However, while the room was cleverly designed to showcase the incredible skyline view, it did feel slightly cramped due to the design's focus on maximizing the vistas. Rates start at $136 for double rooms.
The Hoxton, Shepherd's Bush
The Hoxton in West London offers a Brooklyn-style vibe with its cool, modern design and laid-back atmosphere. Originally opening in Shoreditch in 2006, The Hoxton quickly gained popularity as an indie boutique before being acquired by Ennismore in 2012. The brand expanded to cities across Europe and the US, but this West London location is the only one where rooms are available for under $250 a night.
The rooms feature The Hoxton’s signature midcentury style, with low chairs, groovy headboards, and a curvy, wavy full-length mirror. Vintage touches like a retro radio and dimly lit rattan lamp add coziness to the space, while the bathrooms are spacious, chic, and utilitarian in design.
On-site, you’ll find the Thai-Americana diner Chet's, led by James Beard-nominated chef Kris Yenbamroong of LA’s NIGHT+MARKET. The restaurant serves affordable plates like crispy chicken wings, wedge salad, and nam jim, with a great breakfast option in the form of buttermilk pancakes. The bar also reflects the flavors of the kitchen, featuring cocktails inspired by Asian ingredients.
What stands out about The Hoxton is its commitment to sustainability, with a zero-waste shop located in the lobby and eco-friendly practices throughout the property. While Shepherd's Bush is still developing as a neighborhood, the hotel is well-connected to central London, making it an ideal spot for exploring the city. Rooms start at $221 per night.
The Pilgrm, Paddington
The Pilgrm, located in Paddington, offers a unique experience that makes you feel like a local. Housed in four Victorian townhouses, the hotel stands out as Paddington’s first truly cool hotel. While its exterior doesn’t immediately hint at its modern vibe, with a neighborhood coffee shop taking the place of a traditional reception, the area has become one to watch with recent openings like Pergola Paddington and the canal-side Darcie and May Green barge brunch spot.
The interiors are minimalist with a mix of vintage touches that highlight the building’s original charm. Reclaimed, 200-year-old parquet flooring and cast-iron radiators rescued from old schools and hospitals add authenticity, while the restored sweeping staircase, with its layers of paint stripped away, brings in a sense of history. Modern accents like brass lights and white-tiled bathrooms complement the timeless appeal of the space.
On the menu, the first-floor café-bar, The Lounge, offers a cozy spot for a casual meal, drawing in locals and creatives alike. Overseen by Sara Lewis, formerly of Grain Store and Nobu, the menu includes dishes like creamy lentil daal with mackerel, soy-glazed pork belly, and the unique chocolate-and-red-wine salami. The cocktail menu also impresses, with drinks sourced from top bars worldwide, including a Negroni from London’s Bar Termini and a Reverse Martinez with rose vermouth from Athens’ The Clumsies.
What makes The Pilgrm special is the abundance of plants from East London’s Conservatory Archives, adding life and vibrancy to the space. However, some rooms offer views of Paddington’s less exciting side—during my stay, we overlooked an Angus Steakhouse. Rooms start at $157 per night.
The Culpeper, Spitalfields
The Culpeper is perfect for a romantic weekend in London that won’t break the bank. The hotel is tucked above a bustling street-level pub that’s always full of Shoreditch locals. Upstairs, you'll find a more relaxed space where chef Sandy Jarvis serves up dishes you could easily introduce to your parents. The apartment-style bedrooms above the restaurant offer views over Commercial Street and Petticoat Lane, with a cozy ambiance enhanced by the smell of freshly baked cookies near the fireplace. The highlight, however, is the Piculpeper rooftop bar, featuring a large green pickle glowing in the corner and stunning city views.
The bedrooms are designed with a mix of polished concrete, exposed plaster, and painted brickwork, giving off a reclaimed yet comfortable industrial vibe. Fun details like garden-style Acapulco chairs, added by interior designer Mada Vicassau, further soften the space.
The Culpeper also impresses with its culinary offerings. The rooftop bar serves some of the city’s most unique cocktails, featuring ingredients grown in the rooftop box garden, including pickles, mint, and basil. The restaurant’s seasonal menu changes frequently based on the chef’s suppliers, and dishes like artichoke hearts with candied cashews and garlic aioli, followed by a peanut butter and pear pudding, stand out. With excellent food, natural wine, and superb cocktails served across the pub, restaurant, and rooftop bar, there’s no need to venture far for great meals. Staff are eager to share their wine knowledge, even offering tastings before you decide.
The only downside? The restaurant's chairs aren’t the most comfortable. Rooms start at $222 per night.
Mama Shelter London, Bethnal Green
Mama Shelter, a concept created by the Trigano family—the masterminds behind Club Med—brings a vibrant, design-forward vibe to the gritty city center of Bethnal Green. Located in the heart of East London, the hotel embraces maximalist design, much like its other locations in Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles, and across Europe. Designers Dion & Arles have used bold prints, clashing colors, and kitschy, bejeweled trinkets to make the communal spaces feel cozy yet playful. It’s a grown-up hostel with charming staff, a delicious breakfast, and no sign of a backpack in sight.
The rooms are simple and functional, with a flat-packed Ikea style, focusing mainly on the large flat-screen television in the center of the space. Tongue-in-cheek eco-friendly toiletries by French company Absolution add a touch of sass, as do the low-hanging lights and bright velvet pillows with English accents. However, Mama Shelter is more of a pit-stop than a plush retreat, so you won’t find a wardrobe, robe, or mini-bar in the rooms.
While dinner is best enjoyed outside the hotel, breakfast at Mama Shelter is a highlight. The menu offers a mix of international flavors, including bao, ceviche, and kebabs, though breakfast sticks to the classics: freshly baked pastries, homemade jams, yogurt, granola, smoked salmon, and eggs. There’s also a juice station where guests can press their own, along with freshly squeezed grapefruit and orange juices for those who aren’t morning people.
What sets Mama Shelter apart is its entertainment. Located just a 15-minute train ride from central London, the hotel retains the cockney charm of Bethnal Green with its workers’ cafes and industrial buildings. The hotel itself keeps guests entertained with Japanese-style karaoke rooms, table football, and virtual photo and video booths. The only downside? The cartoon-character masks near the beds. Rooms start at $140 per night.
Green Rooms, Wood Green
Green Rooms, located in the North London area of Wood Green, is a creative hub driving the early stages of regeneration in the neighborhood. Founded by Nick Hartwright, who also leads The Mill Co Project—an organization dedicated to transforming old buildings into artistic social enterprises—Green Rooms opened as a hotel in 2016. The building itself, a striking 1930s structure that once served as a council office and upscale electric showroom, retained many of its original features, including dainty ceiling flowers and mosaic tiling, which have been beautifully restored and incorporated into a modernist design.
The rooms, designed with input from Kurt Bredenbeck, the man behind the first Hoxton hotel, offer a simple yet stylish aesthetic. They feature varnished floorboards, sleek grey walls, wooden dressers, and clothes rails. There are no TVs or minibars; instead, each room showcases statement art pieces that are part of a growing collection, with works gifted by emerging artists featured downstairs.
Green Rooms serves as more than just a hotel; it doubles as a gallery, community center, DJ bar, and restaurant. The in-house chef changes every few months, offering a profit-share setup with industry advice. During a 2019 visit, the restaurant served fantastic Japanese food from Oita, a pop-up led by Fan Yi, an acupuncturist-turned-chef. Previous culinary offerings have included Nigerian and Caribbean cuisines, providing a dynamic range of flavors.
The space is alive with activity, with artists, locals, and visitors alike interacting in creative ways. On a Friday night, the atmosphere was electric: actors rehearsing in dorm rooms, a DJ spinning in the community garden, a bride dancing in a blue prom dress, and a lively restaurant scene. Green Rooms is a true hub for the arts, offering discounted rates for those in creative fields, and attracting artists from across the UK, including the Turner Margate, which has scouted the venue for inspiration for its own hotel project.
One downside during our visit was the lack of breakfast service, with few nearby alternatives available, though this may have been a temporary issue. Rates start at $70 per night for those in the arts industry.
The Buxton, Brick Lane
The Buxton is one of the best-value spots in London, offering smart interiors, vintage-style radios, and design details that pay homage to the local neighborhood's history. It’s an ideal choice for entrepreneurs looking for an affordable yet stylish place to stay and meet clients, with the added bonus of a lovely bar to unwind in.
The rooms are compact but thoughtfully designed, with high beds that create extra space for sliding suitcases underneath, reducing any cramped feeling. Tall windows fill the rooms with natural light, making the space feel airy and allowing guests to quickly settle in and make the room their own.
The hotel's bar serves up delightful drinks, including the refreshing Ivy Gimlet Royale, which we couldn’t resist after spotting them on the bar. The wild-garlic gnocchi is fragrant and filling, while the bavette steak, the hotel group's signature cut, is perfectly cooked. Don’t miss the seasonal vegetables, which are a surprise treat from the kitchen.
What we loved most was having the rooftop all to ourselves. Unlike its sister property, The Culpeper, The Buxton’s rooftop is exclusively for hotel guests. It’s the perfect spot for a sunset cocktail or a quiet morning with a coffee in hand. However, the shower curtains could use a little improvement. Rates start from $125 per night.
High Road House, Chiswick
High Road House, a lesser-known Soho House, is a charming Georgian townhouse located on Chiswick High Street in leafy West London. While it attracts young creatives, it also offers a peaceful retreat just over half an hour away from Central London, making it the perfect spot for those seeking both a relaxing getaway and proximity to the city's hustle and bustle.
The hotel features 14 rooms, each offering a comfortable and cozy ambiance. For a more relaxed experience, we recommend the playroom, which boasts a spacious freestanding bath in the bedroom. The rooms are adorned with pale forest green wooden panels, while the bathrooms feature black-and-white mosaic floors and a walk-in rainforest shower stocked with Cowshed products.
On the menu, you'll find classic British dishes served in both the main restaurant and the downstairs brasserie. If you prefer a quieter atmosphere, the member's restaurant offers a cozy setting with mid-century retro seating, Peruvian rugs, and a gold-topped bar serving cocktails until late. The brasserie downstairs is a lively spot where locals gather, and favorites include the 284g ribeye steak from the local butcher and a shareable lamb rack with peas and new potatoes.
What we loved most was the indulgent bath-in-bedroom experience, which pairs perfectly with a cocktail in hand. However, the lack of plug sockets by the bed was a bit inconvenient, especially for turning off your alarm in the morning. Rooms start from $230 per night.
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