Three great value London hotels for work and stay
Stuck for a stylish escape in the capital? Try these hidden gem hotels, charming and calming spaces in which to work or stay – and at prices that won’t empty the account.
Ruby Stella, Clerkenwell
Want to mosey around London’s hot spots – but also escape the crowds? Ruby Stella’s got your reservation all over it. And location is one of the key reasons it’s included here: only an eight-minute schlep from Farringdon station, this stylish affair offers a rare combination of hassle-free, city-centre convenience (including an easy self-check-in system) at well below the usual central London rates. From here, it’s also a quick access to the British Museum, the Square Mile, or trendy, foodie Shoreditch.
First off, Dickens fans are probably going to feel right at home here. From the whimsical fox motifs complete with monocles, to vintage touches such as ink pots and quills, everything serves to remind we’re deep in London’s historic bookbinding heart.
Employing what it calls a “lean luxury” philosophy, Ruby Stella’s 153 rooms are simple and compact – but much careful consideration has clearly gone into them: calming white walls, warm wood accents, blackout curtains – and massive beds. Charming little extras too: rain showers, Ruby Care aromatherapy toiletries. Categorised as ‘Nest,’ ‘Cosy,’ or the self-explanatory ‘Lovely,’ the rooms cater for different needs, for single travellers to those spending more than just a night. The ‘Nest’ rooms, for example, are windowless – not ideal for claustrophobes, but brilliant for jetlaggers needing plenty of zeds.
On the social side, the ground-floor bar’s a real mood setter, with its jewel tones, dark rich interiors, and intimate spotlighting. Beyond it, the courtyard terrace is the ideal place for a morning coffee meeting or expertly mixed evening cocktail.
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Breakfast’s another highlight, served in an industrial-chic space with a generous continental buffet of fresh breads, Spanish hams, cheeses, eggs, and damn fine coffee. And while there’s no hot dishes, guests staying multiple nights can exchange a room clean for cocktail vouchers, so fair enough. And this thoughtful vibe extends to the staff – warm, professional, and kind – who somehow manage to be everywhere at once without ever getting under your feet.
Perfect for comms professionals who want a great place to stay and work, it’s a true boutique gem in one of the coolest corners of the capital.
Find out more about Ruby Stella
Inhabit Hotels, Bayswater and Paddington
Next up, a pair of boutique sister hotels explicitly aimed at public relations professionals with wellness in mind. A marmalade sarnie’s toss from Paddington station, they’re equally handy for brunches in Hyde Park or jaunting to Terminals 2 or 3 in 15 minutes via the Heathrow Express or 27 minutes on the Elizabeth line. But though close to that teeming transport hub, once behind their rarefied doors, guests are thoroughly cocooned in a climate of calm.
Located in leafy Queen’s Gardens, the Bayswater beauty is a Grade II-listed Victorian townhouse ensemble with 158 rooms and suites painted in muted Scandinavian hues, with clean lines, natural textures, and Naturalmat super king-sized beds for some serious shuteye. Each room’s kitted out with aromatherapy oil diffusers, eco-friendly toiletries, and a minibar packed with delicious snacks sourced from social enterprises. Did someone say complimentary fruit and a Nespresso machine? Yes, let’s have that too.
The downstairs Yeotown Cafe dishes up organic, plant-based breakfasts and nourishing green lunches, served in an appropriately green, sun-dappled space. It’s not strictly vegan – the menu includes select fish options. There’s a library too, if work or quiet reflection is called for.
But the star of Queen’s Gardens is undoubtedly the Inhale Spa – a subterranean sanctuary with yoga classes five mornings a week (no slacking), an infrared sauna, a salt room, and bespoke treatments such as hot stone massages and jade facials designed to boost circulation, promote lymphatic drainage, and reduce puffiness.
Over at Southwick Street near Paddington, the mood is similarly serene. Housed in a restored Georgian townhouse setup, this 88-room hotel comes with fitness facilities including yoga and pilates studios, a meditation pod, and a fitness atrium with state-of-the-art gear including Peloton bikes. It also offers curated outdoor running routes. And naturally, their menu also skips dairy and meat.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, both hotels are certified B Corps, meaning they meet the highest standards for social and environmental responsibility. Throughout both, waste is zealously recycled, energy use trimmed down, and guests encouraged to refill bottles at filtered water stations – all profits from water sales going to WaterAid. Both hotels are members of the Design Hotels collection, and the design team works with local creatives, hosting workshops, art exhibitions, and talks throughout the year.
All in all, a blissful, restorative city escape to leave you feeling refreshed, recharged and productive.
Find out more about Inhabit Hotels
South Place Hotel, City of London
There’s more to the City of London than financial services. Aside from its cultural offerings, the brutalist Barbican is home to one of Europe’s largest conservatories, a magical oasis containing over 1,500 species of plants. Here, you can well imagine you’re aboard a centrifugal space station carrying Earth’s last natural resources to a new home in the stars.
A short walk from there, you’ll find the deeply poignant Postman’s Park, with its incredibly touching memorial to acts of heroic self-sacrifice. Nearby, the Guildhall Art Gallery houses several Victorian and pre-Raphaelite masterpieces – and beneath it, the truly startling ruins of London's Roman amphitheatre, the site of gladiatorial combats, only discovered in 1988. And it’s also here you’ll find one of London’s best-kept secrets – The Garden at 120: the capital's biggest, completely free-to-enter roof terrace affording magnificent 360-degree views. Also, lots of lots of branches of Pret a Manger.
Suffice to say: all these amazing things are on your doorstep, should you choose to stay at the third of our hidden gem hotels, the South Place.
Located between Moorgate and Liverpool Street Station, its 80 rooms and suites are surprisingly generous sized by London standards), and they contain Hypnos mattresses wrapped in cashmere, marble bathrooms stocked with vegan James Heeley toiletries, Bose sound systems, and state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen TVs. Add Dyson hairdryers, blackout blinds and super king-size beds, and it all adds up to the kind of understated exclusivity you’d expect from a hotel designed by Conran + Partners. Meanwhile, the 120sq metres top-floor suites offer panoramic city views and grand dining tables for up to 10 guests – ideal for particularly fancy team brainstorming days.
When hunger strikes, head to the Michelin-starred Angler restaurant on the rooftop: the very place for lovers of sustainable seafood – and, of course, breathtaking views. More casually, Bluebird City serves up a breakfast and coffee experience praised across the Square Mile, while the 3 Bar is ideal for daytime meetings or evening cocktails. Elsewhere, the Secret Garden bar is a lush retreat with hanging plants and sculptures. Culture lovers may appreciate the contemporary works by leading London artists featured throughout the hotel. And for the less classically inclined, there’s an arcade-style games room too.
South Place doesn’t stint on its wellness offerings either, in the healthy shape of a 24-hour Technogym, steam and sauna rooms, rainfall showers, and a boutique spa offering a range of skin treatment and massages – from deep tissue, sports, Thai, Shiatsu, reflexology, Swedish, and pregnancy massages.
Meanwhile, business travellers can take their pick from a range of versatile event spaces and private dining rooms, while the 24-hour room service and multilingual staff ensure a welcoming atmosphere for international guests.
It’s all a bit lovely to say the least.
Find out more about South Place Hotel
Ali Catterall is an award-winning writer, journalist and filmmaker whose writing has featured in the Guardian, Time Out, GQ, Film4, Word magazine and the Big Issue, among many others. Ali is also the writer and director of the 2023 film Scala!!!
Additional reporting: Faith Hill.
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