Contributed by diane

Rates start at

$292

Star rating

Sleek and modern, this stylish 4 star hotel resides on tranquil Portman Square, just two blocks from Selfridges Department Store and Oxford Street shopping.

The glass and chrome entrance opens onto a light and airy lobby. Imaginatively designed with a warm, yet muted color palate, this inviting hotel has 272 guest rooms located on 11 floors.

What style room do you prefer?  The Radisson SAS Portman offers guests the option of picking the room that meets their fancy.  Guests can choose from Art Deco rooms with flamed-oak furniture, Scandinavian rooms with modern beechwood furniture, blue upholstery, and modern prints, British rooms with antique-style lamps and pre-Raphaelite art prints, and Italian rooms with glass-panel headboards, Botticelli prints, and contemporary Italian furniture. Read more »

Contributed by dngass

Rates start at

$110

Star rating

The Generator Hostel is a place to stay and play. During my days of traveling as a student, I stayed in hostels but not one as fun as this. The Generator is THE place to party if you are a backpacker, ages 18-29, and want to meet and mingle with people from all over the world. Once you hit 30, you’ll need to find other accommodations.

The hostel is close to all the west London nightlife and adventure, including Covent Garden, Oxford Street, and Piccadilly Circus. The hostel provides walking tours and my personal favorite – pub crawls! If you want to stay in for the night, don’t expect peace and quiet. There is a bar on site with cheap beer at happy hour, a lounge, a restaurant, and a games room with plenty of pool tables.

With 214 rooms with 845 beds spread out over dormitory-style rooms that contain up to 20 beds in bunk-bed formation or private rooms of four beds, you are sure to come across a lot of interesting characters during your stay here. Prices start at about $80 per person for the dorm rooms and are slightly more if you want a private room. The hostel does take major credit cards like Visa and Mastercard as well as European cards but no American Express. Read more »

Contributed by Drew Odom

Rates start at

$83

Star rating

Once a dormitory for theological students, the Wellington Hotel in London still maintains a touch of the quaintness of a dorm in its new incarnation as a simple Bed and Breakfast. If you’re looking for high-end with all the amenities, this is probably not the place for you, but if you’re looking for London on a budget and prefer something sweet and casual—if you’re traveling with a family, or are a student without a lot of cash, perhaps—the Wellington may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Situated in a remarkably quiet corner of the City Centre, overlooking the Westminster Vincent Square, this Edwardian edifice is only minutes from the Victoria Tube Station, which has a bus directly to and from the airport as well as linking to all the other major stations in London, and therefore the entire City. Aboveground, the Wellington is only a short walk from Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, Westminster Cathedral, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, River Thames (where there are boat trips available along the river), and Tate Gallery.
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